If at first you don’t succeed, try, try again.
That mantra rang through my head repeatedly Wednesday morning as I pivoted from plan A to plan B to plan C for this story. Now, having to get to a plan C is usually a bad thing — your first two plans are typically plans A and B for good reason. However, in the case of this week’s “Taste of Marblehead,” it’s a delicious twist of fate.
I wound up making my way into Maria’s Java Sun Wednesday morning, immediately drawn into the bustling, warm coffee shop on Atlantic Avenue. As I perused the breakfast menu, I knew I was in for a good time as my eyes — and stomach — landed on ordering a bacon, egg, and cheese on an English muffin.
Now I have to confess that I am typically a Dunkin’ Donuts loyalist. The convenience and low prices of the iconic chain carried me through my college years. As a result, my closest comparison for my order at Java Sun Wednesday was Dunkin’s version of a BEC. And boy was I impressed by what I got.
My sandwich came out quickly and the bag containing this concoction was hot to the touch — an early indication of the quality I was about to eat. When I pulled the sandwich out of the bag I was impressed by the sheer size of it — far larger than the fast food options I was familiar with. Here, bacon drooped over the side of the English muffin as my sandwich steamed away. It was love at first bite, as the three ingredients combined to meld together in a beautiful amalgam of salt and fat. I ordered my BEC with Swiss cheese (Java Sun also offers cheddar and American) and I had no regrets about my choice. The subtly sweet flavor of the Swiss cheese provided the perfect counter balance to the salty, crispy bacon. Here, eggs are served fried — with the yolks cooked through to allow for easy, mess-free eating.
I also couldn’t resist the temptation of ordering a muffin — these beauties were on display just below the register, with crackled, sugary tops almost glistening in the light. I opted for the classic blueberry and my first bite was indeed jam packed with blueberries. In my experience, blueberries can be the worst part of a blueberry muffin — but not here as the tartness of the fruit provided the perfect counter balance to the sweet muffin. The muffin top had a nice crust to it, which I slowly picked my way at over the course of my time inside the cafe.
The options I selected are just the top of the iceberg — Java Sun offers four varieties of avocado toast in addition to the breakfast sandwiches, and scones and croissants complement their selection of muffins.
If you’re looking for a fast, delicious, and relatively affordable breakfast in town you could do a lot worse than Maria’s Java Sun (and I’m hard pressed to imagine a scenario where you could do better).