From toques to take-out.
McDonald’s is a part of life for countless Americans — and that includes chefs at fine dining restaurants across the country, who turn out to be less than immune to the chain’s fast food charms.
Dropping by the drive-thru on a busy morning when you’ve had no time to cook breakfast is a national habit — and next time you go, you might be in line behind somebody who knows how to prepare foie gras.
In a delicious article published by Eat This, Not That, a cadre of cookery connoisseurs dished up the details on their favorite fast-food breakfast sandwiches — with Mickey D’s Egg McMuffin emerging as a clear winner.
“The breakfast at McDonald’s is a safe place for me and a special treat,” Brian Cartenuto, chef/owner of Bird Dog in NYC’s West Village, admitted to the outlet.
“When I have time from dropping off my daughter at school, I can walk by and pop in if I have a few extra minutes for this perfectly circle breakfast,” he said.
“McDonald’s breakfast sandwiches hold a deep place in my heart,” Ben Robinson, executive pastry chef at Echelon Kitchen & Bar in Ann Arbor, Michigan, revealed to the fast food pros.
“My love began when I would race to the restaurant on half days in high school, trying to get there before breakfast closed. Later, it became the go-to early morning hangover cure before work. Now that I’m older and (a little) more mature, I try to eat healthier, but I still crave those nostalgic meals,” he said.
Some can’t resist putting their own spin on the timeworn fave — Sophina Uong, chef/co-owner at Mister Mao in New Orleans, said she’ll order a hashbrown patty on the side, then slide it right into the middle of her morning treat.
That’s her “number one airport hangover cure,” she told a reporter.
And that’s not the only McDonald’s menu item that attracts the eye of the experts, apparently.
Jeff Chanchaleune, of Oklahoma City’s nationally-acclaimed Ma Der Lao Kitchen, allowed that he’s a “big fan of the bacon, egg, and cheese biscuit.”
“I think I actually prefer it over any of their hamburgers or chicken sandwiches. It’s so savory, buttery, and well-balanced for a fast-food breakfast sandwich. It’s also very nostalgic for me,” he said.
Other favorites called out in the piece included Dunkin’s Everything Bagel Sandwich, Chick-fil-A’s Spicy Chicken Biscuit and McDonald’s McGriddles.
Earlier, a dietitian revealed to the same publication her go-to orders at the Golden Arches when dragged there by her kids. One of her fallbacks? The Egg McMuffin.
The circular sandwich is a “solid breakfast choice that feels good to eat and is filling and satisfying,” Kelsey Kunik wrote for Eat This, Not That.
“It’s relatively low in sodium, with just 33% of the recommended daily value (DV), has 17 grams of filling protein, and even offers 3 grams of fiber,” Kunik said of the 310 calorie treat.
Not every professional gets to indulge in such lowbrow delights without career consequences, however — one health-minded influencer recently went viral with the admission she’d fired her personal trainer after seeing him consume a McDonald’s hamburger.
“It’s a matter of credibility,” Ravena Hanniely, 23, said at the time, defending her decision.
