VII: Invidia (n.) – spite and resentment at seeing the success of another; the feeling other bread products tend to have toward the biscuit.
If bread products were capable of a side-eye, no doubt they would be directed toward the biscuit. And not for disapproval for inferiority, but for envious contempt. Biscuits have a flakey and buttery-ness that is achieved without all the hard labor that a croissant requires. Biscuits are delicious eaten as is, not needing to be toasted and dressed up like sliced bread. An english muffin is almost like a rough translation of someone trying to describe a biscuit, but leaving out a few key, savory details. Of all the sandwich breads on this list, biscuits are undoubtedly the object of envy.
Unlike the other 6 of the deadly sins, envy is timeless. While sins like pride and lust have lost much of their shame, the bone rot of envy described in Proverbs still encapsulates that ugly, creeping, sinister feeling of jealousy that can arrive precisely at the time to celebrate another for their achievement, success, or luck.
Envy also seems to be the most uniquely human of the seven. I can think of examples from the animal kingdom in which displays of pride, lust, gluttony, greed, sloth (actual animal), and wrath are commonplace, but applying a label of envy to anything inhuman feels like a bit of anthropomorphic gymnastics. It’s fitting then that the breakfast sandwich of envy comes from a restaurant with a humanoid fox: Denver’s Fox Run Cafe. This spot opened in March of 2020 just in time for a lockdown, and the fact that they are still in operation speaks to the hard work and dedication from their cooks as well as their f***in’ tasty food.
They do their own baking, make the sausage for the biscuit sandwich in house (shout out to Chef Lauren!), and have a pretty diverse menu for a small cafe. Each item feels like a classic breakfast/brunch offering but with a creative element unique to Fox Run (I’m looking at you specifically, lemon ricotta waffle with your white chocolate streusel). Kind of like, “this is a familiar dish, but I haven’t had it like this before.”
I chose their sausage biscuit with its little smear of peach jam that paired perfectly with the salty sausage and egg. The buttermilk biscuit is crispy and golden, like any good biscuit should be, but felt as though it was specifically baked to be a solid sandwich handle rather than a standard gravy swimmer. They managed to do this without losing the flaky, buttery bliss that you want from a biscuit.
I thought I would be bummed by the lack of cheese in this sandwich when I ordered, thinking that Fox Run had made a little heel turn away from the comforts I expect in a breakfast sandwich. But that sweet, sweet jam was a touch I didn’t know I needed, and I didn’t miss the cheese in the slightest. Little details like this made this breakfast and lunch cafe different from what you’ll find at other spots. The meal still has me thinking about it even days after eating. Fox Run is the kind of cafe that you want to have in your neighborhood, and that is the reason that it takes the position of envy on this list. I’m envious of the folks that are walking distance from this gem on Colfax. I hope they know what they have.
Consider supporting Fox Run with a gift card if you’re in the Denver area. Wherever you are, be sure to support the restaurants you love while they’re around!
Other sins as breakfast sandwiches:
Avaritia (greed) – french toast (coming soon)
Gula (gluttony) – croissant (coming soon)
Acedia (sloth) – sliced bread (coming soon)
Ira (wrath) – english muffin (coming soon)
The McManwich Blog 