It’s been decades since McDonald’s introduced the blockbuster Egg McMuffin, and until recently, the breakfast sandwich has remained largely the province of the drive-thru and the Kraft Singles–slinging corner deli. Lately, though, like other iconic American foodstuffs—the hamburger and the hot dog come to mind—the humble egg sandwich has been subject to ingredient upgrades and fancy-chef tweaks. It only makes sense: Why settle for an old kaiser roll and an industrial egg when today’s painstakingly DIY locavore cooks are willing to bake their own biscuits, grind their own sausage, and procure their eggs from farms where pastured chickens have the run of the place?

Related:

• Archive: “Food Features”
• Articles by Robin Raisfeld | Rob Patronite
• Table of Contents: Oct 26, 2009 issue of New York | Subscribe!