Chef Nixon battles for breakfast

Breakfast, often referred to as the most important meal of the day, may be the most delicious, as well. A meal that pairs hot sauce and syrup as neighbors on a single plate? Count us, officially, out of bed.

So, when we heard that Chef Chris Nixon of Element 112 was competing in the largest national chef competition, the Hometown Breakfast Battle, we got pretty excited.

The Hometown Breakfast Battle has prompted 135 chefs from 135 cities to show off the potential of Thomas' English Muffins. Considering these porous, flat disks of morning-joy are the ultimate (OK, that is arguable, I guess) vehicle for butter, we were curious to see how Chef Nixon would elevate the breakfast staple beyond the realm of a Benedict.

Chef Nixon, avoiding our much-loved hot sauce and syrup route,  is forging a new path, completely sans-Hollandaise. We are persuaded by his creative take on the traditional. But really, what else should we expect from a St. John’s Jesuit and Wooster College graduate, who has proven himself to be a very young, focused chef?

Chef Nixon is proudly representing the Toledo area with his locally-inspired recipe, which is an indulgent take on French Toast, featuring rhubarb, strawberries, chocolate ganache, peanut brittle, and, of course, Thomas’ English Muffins.

(Excuse me while I take a second to stare very, very sadly at the nearly-empty bag of chips and the cheese and lettuce sandwich perched on my desk. This meal is definitely daring me, not tempting me.)

Behold, the Decadent Buckeye Pain Perdu with Rhubarb.

You have until September 28 to vote online, ensuring Chef Nixon’s place in the top 16. So, go online, vote, tempt yourself by the Decadent Buckeye Pain Perdu with Rhubarb, and even try it out yourself with the online recipe.

Vote once, vote twice, vote every day. Seriously. You can vote once a day, every day.

While we anxiously anticipate the results, we’ll be making frequent visits to the grocery for ingredients to build the  Decadent Buckeye Pain Perdu, as well as orange juice and champagne. Who’s ready for brunch?

Breakfast, often referred to as the most important meal of the day, may be the most delicious, as well. A meal that pairs hot sauce and syrup as neighbors on a single plate? Count us, officially, out of bed.

So, when we heard that Chef Chris Nixon of Element 112 was competing in the largest national chef competition, the Hometown Breakfast Battle, we got pretty excited.

The Hometown Breakfast Battle has prompted 135 chefs from 135 cities to show off the potential of Thomas' English Muffins. Considering these porous, flat disks of morning-joy are the ultimate (OK, that is arguable, I guess) vehicle for butter, we were curious to see how Chef Nixon would elevate the breakfast staple beyond the realm of a Benedict.

Chef Nixon, avoiding our much-loved hot sauce and syrup route,  is forging a new path, completely sans-Hollandaise. We are persuaded by his creative take on the traditional. But really, what else should we expect from a St. John’s Jesuit and Wooster College graduate, who has proven himself to be a very young, focused chef?

Chef Nixon is proudly representing the Toledo area with his locally-inspired recipe, which is an indulgent take on French Toast, featuring rhubarb, strawberries, chocolate ganache, peanut brittle, and, of course, Thomas’ English Muffins.

(Excuse me while I take a second to stare very, very sadly at the nearly-empty bag of chips and the cheese and lettuce sandwich perched on my desk. This meal is definitely daring me, not tempting me.)

Behold, the Decadent Buckeye Pain Perdu with Rhubarb.

You have until September 28 to vote online, ensuring Chef Nixon’s place in the top 16. So, go online, vote, tempt yourself by the Decadent Buckeye Pain Perdu with Rhubarb, and even try it out yourself with the online recipe.

Vote once, vote twice, vote every day. Seriously. You can vote once a day, every day.

While we anxiously anticipate the results, we’ll be making frequent visits to the grocery for ingredients to build the  Decadent Buckeye Pain Perdu, as well as orange juice and champagne. Who’s ready for brunch?