In England, a Sunday breakfast usually refers to a "full breakfast" and we affectionately call it an "English breakfast" too, unlike you European suckers and your "continental breakfasts" - as if a croissant and juice is really that special. A full breakfast is one of the most traditional English meals you could eat, and differs from any other breakfast in that it features cooked foods such as eggs, bacon or baked beans. Such a glorious dish would not be confined, by many people, to a Sunday, if it weren't for the fatty nature of the food and the growing pursuit of a healthy diet.
"It's called cholesterol, Scottish people eat it. Most of them don't live past fifty" - fictional character Alan Partridge on the full English breakfast.
There's a lot I don't like about this country - the weather, Cheryl Cole's accent and the price of cigarettes, but you'll never hear me badmouth the full English breakfast. In celebration of this dish I decided that every few Sundays I would sample this delight in a different Oxford eatery (in a totally non-sad, non-lonely way... obviously.)
Sunday 22nd April - Heroes Sandwich Bar, 8 Ship Street, Oxford.
Heroes is on Ship Street, just off Cornmarket - central and accessible, but slightly removed from the weekend mania of the main streets.
Obviously the first massive decision is "What do I choose?"
Fortunately, Heroes has a straight-forward traditional breakfast menu, and offers a 10% student discount, so I've not too much to worry about.
I read in Women's Health that it's far healthier to order a vegetarian full English because the quality of meat in some breakfasts isn't top. Sunday is also workout day, so on this occasion I made the healthy vegetarian choice.
The contents of this veggie breakfast: 2 fried eggs, 2 pieces of brown toast, mushrooms, tomato, baked beans, and (surprisingly) a falafel.
Having never had falafel in a breakfast before I was impressed by the bold and somewhat untraditional move - I enjoy food from other countries. (Doesn't mean I'll ever be ready to see frogs legs on an English breakfast menu, though.)
Eggs... I am a bit egg-phobic. Maybe it's because they're gooey and slimy and all to do with chickens not being pregnant - they are just fucking weird. Unable to pawn my eggs off to my breakfast buddy, I decided to brave them myself. And I liked them. That works massively in favour for Heroes.
I'd complain about the lack of hash browns, but their absence just meant I didn't feel so gross afterwards.
Yep. That's right. No complaints. Maybe I'm losing my bitter touch, or maybe Heroes just do a truly eggs-cellent Sunday breakfast!
What a great start to Sunday breakfast blog.
Until the next Sunday,
