Scrambles are the new omelets on Long Island
Brownstone's Coffee in Amityville makes a breakfast scramble with eggs, ham, crumbled sausage, bacon, peppers, mushrooms, tomato and cheddar cheese, served with hash browns. (Dec. 20, 2012) Credit: Newsday / Rebecca Cooney
Meet the new egg scrambles, which catapult plain scrambled eggs from good morning to great morning. It all happens in a hot skillet, where eggs are quickly stirred together with all manner of lively ingredients -- fresh herbs, cheese, vegetables, sausages, whatever. In the end, instead of a folded-over filled omelet or a flat baked frittata, you're looking at soft and creamy mounds, every forkful laced with color and flavor.
Though all the rage on the West Coast, these scrambles are only now turning up on Long Island. "I like them better than omelets," said Tom Koukoulas, chef-owner of Thomas's Ham & Eggery in Carle Place, which has its own "scrambler" menu insert. Koukoulas advises getting them scrambled soft rather than well-cooked. "It's that thing with texture," he said.
Weighing in is the chef co-owner of Brownstones Coffee in Amityville, Manny Kourounis, who has been experimenting with scrambles for years. Ideally, Kourounis said, neither the eggs nor the incorporated ingredients should predominate. Rather, they should be "in balance." Interestingly, he added, the one scramble on Brownstones' menu (others are offered as specials) is its second-best seller.
Scrambles have also caught on at Two Blondes & A Stove in Huntington, soon to undergo a name change. Its chef, Michael Hansen, says they're popular with customers heading off to work. "That's because they're not tremendously heavy."
Finding scrambles can be a challenge. Often, they're not clearly labeled. Some eateries call them "skillets" or feature them as daily specials.
We've done some scrambling to come up with the following list of breakfast and lunch spots where eggs have evolved.
