422 29th Avenue
East Oakland, CA
$4–$7
This place has a cult of appreciators for their breakfast sandwiches, which is why my visiting NC foodie friends insisted we check it out. It’s open only for breakfast and lunch and is located right off the fork between 29th and 23rd leading into Alameda.
It is a simple fact of life that egg-and-cheeses are heaven on earth, and Kefa’s workers know how to offer them proper tribute. They take their preparations seriously, which results in a longer wait than you might expect for an egg-and-cheese. English muffins are toasted to a deep crisp, and the cheese is broiled to the point that it gets a plasticine outer shell. Note: that is not a complaint. True egg-and-cheeses bear both those marks of quality.
I went for the basic egg, bacon, and cheese.
Top marks for the English muffin’s burnt edges, the cheese’s flavor and texture, and the sheer volume of egg, but my bacon was definitely burnt. As someone who microwaves her bacon because she hates it undercooked, that’s saying something. The bacon was rather salty as well.
My friend classed her sandwich up by opting for the egg, prosciutto, and cheese instead.
The prosciutto was sliced exceptionally thin, which I’m sure added texture to the sandwich on the whole. But having prosciutto knocked that salt content up even higher—it was too much for her after eating about half the sandwich, though her husband had no problem finishing it off.
I should note that my cappuccino was fine, but it really was an afterthought of breakfast at Kefa. One of their sandwiches will fill you up, but that didn’t stop my friends from stocking up on a quartet of baci di dama, Italian sandwich cookies, after we’d eaten.
I tried a chocolate one with vanilla filling. Curiously, it reminded me of the stale chocolate cookies found in cookie assortment tins but without the staleness. I’m still pondering how they could remind me of those particular cookies while tasting perfectly fresh. My friends seemed pleased with the hazelnut variety.
To sum up, I appreciate Kefa’s devotion to the art of the egg-and-cheese, but I think their masterpieces are a bit too salty to be my masterpieces. However, I still gobbled mine all the way up, and you can bet I’ll remember Kefa’s next time I have a craving. I think the spinach version will be next.
Reviewed 24 Feb 14.
