"As someone who can’t put down a stack of pancakes without some ham, bacon or sausage to disrupt the sweet monotony, I love contrasts in food. While a delicious aroma or stunning presentation may entice you to take the first bite of something, it’s the contrasts that keep you going back for a second and third bite. That’s why the Monte Cristo is one of my favorite sandwiches. With ham, turkey and Emmentaler(swiss) sandwiched between two slabs of french toast dusted with powdered sugar, the sandwich is then slathered with strawberry jam before getting stuffed into your mouth. It’s an incongruous sandwich full of titillating juxtapositions: sweet yet savory, fluffy yet custardy, crispy and yet tender; all in one bite! A Monte Cristo embodies the spirit of brunch, and is one of my favorite meals when I wake up far too late in the day to call my first meal “breakfast”." - Steven Perez