Order a Fat Breakfast Any Time of Day

I thought bacon was among the fattiest savory breakfast items aside from Hollandaise until I moved south, where dishes-to-clog-an-artery- in-one-sitting is a running competition. I was reminded of this when I went to the Floridian for breakfast with my very lean, citified friend from Washington, D.C. There, we'd eat pho...

By Melissa McCart

February 14, 2012

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I thought bacon was among the fattiest savory breakfast items aside from Hollandaise until I moved south, where dishes-to-clog-an-artery- in-one-sitting is a running competition.

I was reminded of this when I went to the Floridian for breakfast with my very lean, citified friend from Washington, D.C. There, we'd eat pho and call it a meal.

At the diner, he ponied up for the biggest plate. "Do I know you?" I asked when he ordered the chicken fried steak with extra gravy.

"Why wouldn't I order it?" he asked. We were hungover. I tasted it. It was the cure.

That said, I don't understand chicken fried steak: It's a kitchen-sink dish. Why stop with batter and gravy? Why not splurge with chocolate, lard, and duck fat while you're at it?

Floridian's fatty breakfast beats just about any that I've seen in Florida so far: two eggs, bacon, a biscuit, chicken fried steak, and grits, with a layer of American cheese. It was a spectacle. And that grayish gravy is nearly congealed.

Fat for breakfast may not be healthy, but it's memorable. What's your favorite fatty breakfast, and where can we find it? Tell us in the comments.

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