The Most Interesting Breakfasts in the Country

1/5Burmese Red Pork Stew
John Gorham, chef at Tasty n Sons in Portland, OR, knew he'd scored when his friends raved about the soulful dish of meltingly tender spiced pork and briny pickled eggs he served them one night. "The next morning, I made a pot of rice and thought, Wow, this combination would be such a great breakfast." Indeed it is, no matter what time of day you eat it.
2/5Chicken Biscuits
"Really good fried chicken and really good biscuits—together, they're like Wonder Twin powers," says chef John Currence, owner of Big Bad Breakfast in Oxford, MS. For a no-fry, old-school treat, split biscuits and smother with Sausage Gravy (click for recipe). Trust us, you'll be full.
3/5Sweet Potato-Pork Belly Hash
Braising the pork belly yields crisp-tender nuggets ready to mingle with caramelized sweet potatoes. "It's a very American profile, sweet potato and pork," says Jared Wentworth, the chef at Chicago's Longman & Eagle, who gave us this recipe.
Ditte Isager4/5Lemon-Ricotta Pancakes
"The mark of a great pancake is that it can be eaten without syrup," says chef Travis Lett, who serves this dish at Gjelina, his Venice, CA, eatery. His version delivers: It's nutty, lemony, and ever so moist. Be sure to fold the ricotta into the batter very gently: "That way, when you bite into the pancake, you get these pockets of pillowy ricotta."
Ditte Isager5/5Shrimp and Grits
At Peels in New York City, chefs Preston and Ginger Madson tweak this Low Country favorite with two secret ingredients: a little Budweiser and a lot of tasso, a Cajun-spiced ham.