Interior of Dutchman’s Wood-Fired Bagels in Brunswick. Photo by Aimsel Ponti I will never tire of egg-and-cheese sandwiches and am open to them in a variety of formats. Hit me with an English muffin, croissant or bagel , and I’m golden.
But my egg-and-cheese-sandwich world was turned upside-down two Fridays ago, when I ordered one with pork roll on a salt-and-pepper bagel at Dutchman’s Wood-Fired Bagels in Brunswick. The only time I’ve ever had pork roll was at a diner in New Jersey in the early ’90s. It’s a specialty in the Garden State, and it’s more than welcome in the Pine Tree one, as far as I’m concerned.
Pork roll is in the ham family. Think of it as the Jersey version of Canadian bacon. I have to quote “Fried Green Tomatoes” when I say “the secret’s in the sauce.
” In this case, it’s something called bodega sauce, made with mayo, ketchup and hot sauce. How I’ve gone so long without knowing about this divine condiment is unconscionable. When I arrived at Fort Andross, I made my way through a maze of hallways.
It was like being at Walt Disney World, when you think there’s no line at Space Mountain, until you actually get there. Suddenly, there were about 10 people in front of me, and the takeout order bags were lined up like soldiers. I took this as a good sign, because who lines up like that for a mediocre bagel? When it was my turn to order, I decided to have my sandwich on a salt-and-pepper bagel, which was the special flavor of the day.
