Supernatural Food & Wine, Good Intentions, Grove Surf Cafe, Bacon, Egg’n Cheese, Marlene’s Original Breakfast Sandwich, Uptown Eats, Pete’s Bagels, Paradise Grill

The BELT at Paradise Grille features bacon, egg, lettuce, tomato and American cheese.

Eggs, bacon and cheese — you really can’t go wrong.

I’m not sure when exactly my love affair with the breakfast sandwich began, but I think it’s fair to say my taste has evolved a bit from the McDonald’s Egg McMuffin and Burger King Croissan’wiches of my youth. (The fast-food versions still make occasional appearances, but are now mostly reserved for road trips.)

The obsession really took off in my mid-20s: I was working in New York City and juggling three jobs at once (catering chef, recipe tester, tabloid reporter) and bodega breakfast sandwiches quickly became a lifeline. The spot two blocks from my apartment wasn’t anything out of the ordinary, but it was special in that it was my bodega, my reliable stop for a bacon, egg and cheese on a buttery roll when simply nothing else would do. Sometimes I’d swap in a bagel, and later on, while living in New Orleans, I came across a few breakfast po-boys, which were pretty good.

The Jam on It breakfast sandwich features a fried egg, Gouda, spinach, Canadian bacon and a raspberry, black pepper, honey and lemon jam on a griddled brioche bun.

All these years later, not much has changed: I’m still enamored with that classic combo of crispy bacon, creamy scrambled eggs and oozing melted American cheese. There’s just no better way to start the day.

Here in Tampa Bay, there are plenty of great contenders, but I’d be hard-pressed to say which one is my absolute favorite. How can you pick one when they’re all so good?

Graze, with locations in South Tampa and Armature Works, has great “brunchwiches,” which includes a classic version made with two scrambled eggs, caramelized onions, Sriracha aioli, bacon and American cheese on a brioche bun.

The infrastructure of the sandwich matters, but there’s some flexibility. I may be partial to biscuits and rolls, but brioche buns, bagels — even croissants — are all acceptable here.

The only real prerequisite? It’s got to be delicious. Here are 10 of the Tampa Bay area’s most reliable spots for a solid BEC.

Bandit

The popular St. Petersburg cafe has a devout following for its breakfast sandwiches, including a vegan version and one that swaps in sausage, egg and cheese on a biscuit. But their OG Egg & Cheese ($9.50) was the first breakfast sandwich I ate upon arrival in Tampa Bay, and therefore has my heart. The sandwich features soft scrambled eggs, American cheese and Duke’s Mayonnaise on a buttery brioche bun. You should definitely add a few slices of the thick-cut bacon for $1.50, just saying.

The Goodies Breakfast Sammy” at Good Intentions is served on focaccia with JustEgg and tofu scramble, “provolone,” “bacon,” caramelized onions, arugula and pistachio pesto.

2662 Central Ave., St. Petersburg. banditcoffee.co

The breakfast sandwich at Supernatural Food & Wine in Tampa is served on a toasted focaccia bun with thick-cut bacon, a soft-cooked egg, extra sharp Cheddar and a creamy house sauce.

Supernatural Food & Wine

A few years ago, a pop-in from celebrity chef Alton Brown propelled this downtown Tampa sandwich shop to fame after he named their bacon, egg, and cheddar sandwich ($9) the “best breakfast sandwich ever.” It’s since become the bay’s most popular breakfast sandwich, and for good reason: Served on a toasted focaccia bun with thick-cut bacon, a soft-cooked egg, extra sharp Cheddar and the spot’s creamy house sauce, this one is as good as it gets.

The Uptown breakfast sandwich served at Uptown Eats features a fried egg, white cheddar and Uptown sauce on a griddled brioche bun with cracked-pepper bacon, sauteed smokey collard greens and tomatoes.

Good Intentions

This St. Petersburg vegan restaurant has garnered a solid following for its killer brunch menu, including the house breakfast sandwich (Goodies Breakfast Sammy, $16), which is served on focaccia with JustEgg and tofu scramble, “provolone,” “bacon,” caramelized onions, arugula and pistachio pesto.

1900 First Ave. S., St. Petersburg. 727-202-8441. goodintentionsfl.com

Grove Surf Cafe

The classic breakfast sandwich at this popular Indian Rocks Beach spot is served on a puffy brioche roll with soft scrambled eggs, chives, aioli and melted Cheddar cheese for $10. Add crispy bacon for a dollar extra. If you happen to swing by on a weekend morning, be prepared for a bit of a wait — this place gets packed, and for good reason.

Bacon, Egg’n Cheese

Calling all homesick New Yorkers: The breakfast sandwiches here will do you right. The New York-inspired food truck has several spins on the bodega classic, including the spot’s namesake Bacon, Egg’n Cheese ($10) made with over-medium fried eggs, American cheese and bacon on a toasted roll. There’s also a sausage, egg and cheese ($13) and a ham, egg and cheese ($11).

Locations in Brandon and Tampa. instagram.com/baconeggn.cheese

Graze

Hit up either location of this Tampa breakfast and lunch favorite for their fantastic “brunchwiches,” which includes the Classic version ($13) made with two scrambled eggs, caramelized onions, Sriracha aioli, bacon and American cheese on a brioche bun. If you want to get creative, the B-Y-O Brunchwich ($12) features the same setup with cheese and a protein of your choice, plus the option of adding any number of add-ons including avocado, sauteed spinach and mushrooms, black bean patties or feta cheese.

Marlene’s Original Breakfast Sandwich

The name says it all: Marlene’s is all about the breakfast sandwiches. The Tampa food truck has a unique spin on the genre, with sandwiches served on croissants, Cuban bread and bagels. The classic Marlene’s Way ($9) is a solid bet, with a fried egg, grilled ham, Swiss cheese, spinach, basil and “zesty sauce” on a croissant. Also great: The Caprese ($8.50), which adds grilled mozzarella, tomatoes, spinach, a fried egg and a basil pesto sauce on a croissant.

Uptown Eats

One of the best places to grab a casual coffee and breakfast or brunch in St. Petersburg, Uptown Eats has several great breakfast sandwiches on their menu, all served on a griddled brioche bun. I’m partial to The Uptown ($12), which pairs a fried egg with white cheddar, cracked pepper bacon, tomatoes and smokey sauteed collard greens. For a sweeter spin, the Jam on it ($12) includes a fried egg, Gouda, spinach, Canadian bacon and a raspberry-black-pepper-honey-lemon jam.

Pete’s Bagels

This is a list about breakfast sandwiches, not bagels (otherwise I’d be singing the Original Pete praises, but that’s for another time). But the house Breakfast Sandwich ($7.50) at this popular bagel shop with locations in Ybor and St. Pete shouldn’t be passed up, featuring an over-medium fried egg, American cheese and butter on a toasted bagel of your choice. Pro-tip: Swap the butter for scallion cream cheese and thank me later.

Paradise Grill

Breakfast here comes with beachy vibes and stellar views of the Gulf. You can’t go wrong with the BELT ($9.95), which pairs crispy bacon slices with tomatoes, lettuce, a fried egg and American cheese on toast.