Cable TV foodie Alton Brown is in Tampa this week for a performance at The Straz Center. "Alton Brown Live: Beyond the Eats" is described as a culinary variety show with a mix of music, cooking demos and comedy. Curious where a foodie with 5 million fans on social media eats when he's in Tampa?
Yesterday, Alton apparently fell in love with a breakfast sandwich at SuperNatural Food and Wine on Polk Street. Their $7 bacon, egg and cheese got Alton to post to his Instagram stories that the creation of owner Wesley Roderick is "the best breakfast sandwich ever." Pretty high praise right?
I spoke with owner Wesley Roderick about the sandwich this morning. He says the secret that sets it apart... the ingredients. Roderick says he uses a "super high quality thick cut bacon" and an extra sharp cheddar for the best flavor. The eggs are fluffy and soft and the sauce they use isn't from a bottle - it's made from scratch on site. The attention to detail even means bringing in a special bread. On a trip to New York City, Roderick found amazing tasting bread to use for the sandwich. Fortunately they have a satellite operation, Sullivans Bakery, in Miami.
Roderick says some like to customize the sandwich by adding avocado or going with double meat or double cheese. But he suggests sticking to the classic. The sandwich will set you back about $7. Alton Brown also seemed to take a liking to the shop's fresh cider sourdonuts too, posting a photo of those on his Instagram today. Yep, he went back the next day. A good sign indeed.
Yelp reviewers have given their thumbs up to SuperNatural Food and Wine's fresh sourdough, cookies and vegan options. The peanut butter, banana and maple sandwich sounds intriguing to me. The only negative from reviewers so far was about the prices. But you're in a very high rent part of Tampa and quality ingredients can't be found on the dollar menu.
To find SuperNatural Food and Wine, head to the Tampa Theatre neighborhood. It's right around the corner. They're open from 7:30am to 2:30pm Monday through Saturday. Ever been? Let me know what you tried by tagging @GenoRadio or use the hashtag #GenoAteTampa. I haven't been over yet, but it's on my to do list now for sure.
#GenoAteTampa: Geno's pizza tour of Tampa Bay
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