Surprise Champion Crowned at Maine’s Incredible Breakfast Cookoff

Maine Restaurant Week

Every year at the midway point between winter ending and spring beginning, Maine turns into one of the most deliciously discounted destinations for almost two full weeks for Maine Restaurant Week.

Like every year before it, this year's lineup of discounts and deals on multi-course deliciousness in the 207 is set up as a friendly way for couples and friends alike to try new hot spots throughout the area without breaking their bank accounts.

And, as always, there is one special event that kicks the entire week off, for arguably everyone's favorite meal of the day.

READ MORE: The 2024 Edition of Maine Restaurant Week is Finally Here

The Incredible Breakfast Cook-Off

The tradition is to have one big breakfast blast the day before Maine Restaurant Week officially kicks off, dubbed The Incredible Breakfast Cook-Off, as area restaurants battle to earn the title of Maine's Best Breakfast.

This year's competition was stiff, as every participating restaurant, through its head, executive, and sous chefs, left their entire heart and souls on every single plate, without question.

This year's participants and their dishes were as follows:

Black Tie Co., 1 Union Wharf, Portland

Smoky, maple bacon and sweet potato hash over gluten-free English muffins.

Eighteen95 / Portland Regency, 20 Milk St., Portland

Mini Mushroom Toast: Milk bread, Sherry cream sauce, rosemary, thyme, tomato jam, poached quail egg, lemon oil.

The Good Table, 527 Ocean House Rd., Cape Elizabeth

Cinnamon Rolls.

Noble Kitchen & Bar / Brunswick Hotel, 4 Noble St., Brunswick

Meg's Benedict: Pioneer Valley Spanish jamon, blue cheese and chive scone, braised kale, poached egg, sundried tomato cream.

Sea Dog Brewing Co., 125 Western Ave., South Portland

Bee Sting Bananas Foster French Toast: Green Bee Lemon Sting infused banana bread with honey and rum fosters sauce, topped with honey vanilla ice cream.

Sea Glass / Inn By The Sea, 40 Bowery Beach Rd., Cape Elizabeth

Lobster Kolaches.

Culinary Arts - Southern Maine Community College, South Portland

"Pico Suave": Egg, Cheddar, Smoked Bacon, Sriracha Aioli, Pico de Gallo, Cilantro, Crunchy Tortilla Threads, Queso Fresco, Butter Bun.

Three Dollar Deweys, 241 Commercial St., Portland

Strawberries and Cream Stuffed French Toast: Topped with lemon whipped cream and a drizzle of maple syrup.

The Ugly Duckling, 58 Pine St., Portland

Blueberry Cinnamon Roll Trocaderos.

UNION Restaurant / Press Hotel, 390 Congress St., Portland

Ndjua Grits, cured salmon, sauce choron, sea lettuce.

And with all the heavy hitters listed above, the winner, as mentioned in the headline, was a bit of an unexpected surprise and Cinderella story, if you will, as up against all of these well-known and well-established chefs, it was another established chef -- Chef-Instructor Bo Byrne -- and his culinary students at SMCC taking home the 2024 Maine's Best Breakfast Championship this year at The Incredible Breakfast Cook-Off.

Congratulations to Second Runner-Up, UNION Restaurant and First Runner-Up, Sea Glass, as well as every other participating restaurant, for another successful Incredible Breakfast Cook-Off.

Which, by the way, aside from bringing deliciousness to Mainers from all over, also does a lot of good, with 100% of ticket sales being donated to Preble Street, who received an $8,000 check today from the event.