As many New Yorkers will profess, there’s just something so satisfying about bodega-style breakfast sandwiches. If you’ve never been to the big city, bodegas are tiny, family-owned convenience stores that sell hot, prepared foods as well as household staples like milk and bread. If you don’t live in New York and you want to replicate the bodega breakfast sandwich experience, we have a couple of tips to help you fold your eggs into that distinctive square.
To recreate the square-shaped, cheese-filled egg for the breakfast sandwich, crack the egg directly into a regular frying pan and, using a fork or the tip of your spatula, break the yolk and semi-scramble the egg. You don’t want to aerate it too much, as you want the egg to quickly harden and remain relatively flat. When the egg is almost set but still a little wet, lay a slice of American cheese in the middle and, using it as a guide, fold up the sides of the egg into a square.
All about the bodega experience
Often open late or even 24/7, bodegas are a go-to for affordable meals such as New York’s classic chopped cheese sandwich or the much-ballyhooed breakfast sandwich served on a Kaiser roll. These small corner stores mirror the cultural influences of the communities they serve, frequently offering goods that those who live in the neighborhood will love.
In Spanish-speaking countries, a bodega refers to a wine shop or cellar, but in U.S. urban areas like New York, Chicago, Los Angeles, and San Francisco, they’re the small, wholly-essential corner stores often found in Spanish-speaking neighborhoods. If you happen by a bodega, stop in for an egg and bacon sandwich or a pork roll (sometimes called Taylor Ham Sandwiches), and perhaps you’ll get an idea of what they’re all about.