More often than not, stunt foods test the limits of edibility while relegating taste to the backseat. Not so at Danny Meyer’s Blue Smoke, where Jean-Paul Bourgeois has constructed an over-the-top morning recipe that’s defiantly harmonious despite its riot of strong competing flavors. To build the “bright-eyed breakfast sandwich,” the Louisiana-born chef starts by frying up a pair of doughnuts made from biscuit dough, coating them in honey, and seasoning them. To this sticky canvas he layers on a thick coat of pimento cheese, a runny fried egg, and spicy fried chicken, which gets its kick from powdered hot sauce. What might be an overwhelming gut-bomb is instead a party of textures and tastes, alternating between salt, sweetness, crunch, fat, and heat. The $16 creation pushes the boundaries of indulgence (as stunt foods should) while maintaining a clear identity that’s representative of the restaurant’s modern take on Southern cooking. And unlike some other stunt foods, you won’t have to wait in a block-long line or fight the Instagram hordes to try it.
116 East 27th Street, Manhattan
212-447-7733
More:Blue Smoke