Food specialties seem to be born from necessity, a cooks favorite or a simple idea that just works and most of these food items are so geographically bound that they become signature “Must Haves” when visiting an area, and moreover, items that just don’t exist in other areas a local might travel to.
One such item that has become a signature for iconic foods of Long Island is the simple to make, but tough to duplicate, Bacon Egg and Cheese on a Bagel. Nothing shouts a great start to a morning on Long Island like a freshly made, still warm, everything bagel stuffed with bacon, egg and dripping with cheese.
Now the bagel choice is only one of the tough decisions; after that selection is made from the normal 10 to 12 available choices, one must then decide on the egg preparation….. Fried or scrambled. While you really can’t go wrong either way, personal preference succumbs to the one taking the order if you’re not quick to choose; and that’s what you’ll be getting.
The affectionately know BEC, is also one of the go to items anytime of the day or night, not just reserved for breakfast with a fresh brewed cup of “cawfee” (if you don’t understand the drink, you need to visit Long Island more often)
The BEC while being a standard also has many variations such as adding sausage or swapping out the American cheese for another type…but straying away from the standard is really only acceptable by going with the delicacy placed on a roll instead of the bagel of your choice. Any way you look at it, a bacon egg and cheese is definitely one of, if not the top, must try from the Long Island foods list.
