When Bonnie suggested Croque Madame for this week’s dish, I nearly demurred. Just the name sounded too chi-chi for a ham ’n’ egger like me. On closer inspection, though, I discovered that the Croque Madame actually includes ham and egg (one, fried or poached). And cheese. And bread. It’s — what? — a sandwich. Man, I’m all about sandwiches.

Croque Madame translates, roughly, to Mrs. Crunch, a nod to the crisply toasted bread. No surprise, it originated in France in the mid-1900s as an offshoot of the Croque Monsieur, the same sandwich without the egg. (I can’t resist pointing out the reproduction metaphor here. Discuss.)

As contestants, I chose two French (or at least French-ish) restaurants: Cognac, a new place in downtown St. Pete that bills itself as a French brasserie, and La Croisette, a cafe on St. Pete Beach that dates back to the 1980s.

COGNAC

The restaurant, which opened in February, sits at the corner of 2nd Street and 2nd Avenue North, a spot most recently occupied by Dirty Shirley, which closed down within 10 months, probably because of its name alone.

Cognac exudes a casual elegance. At 6:30 Tuesday, the dining room was bathed in natural light courtesy of large windows all around. French pop played at low volume, adding to the cozy ambience.

Small chandeliers, each one different, hang from the ceiling, a charming design element. Simple wooden tables and chairs are well-spaced. Bonnie and I sat at a four-top near a window. Our young server, Matt, was friendly and attentive. We ordered our Croque Madame ($17), with house-made fries.

Appearance

My first impression: decadence. Two large halves of sourdough bread were blanketed by melted Swiss cheese. Sexy, too. The egg, sunny-side up, eyed me seductively. The ham was all but invisible.

Texture and Taste

This Croque Madame raised an existential question: Is a sandwich a sandwich if you need a knife and fork to to eat it? Discuss. 

I made sure my first slice went through the egg, so the yoke ran onto the plate. Better for dipping. I knife-and-forked my way through most of her. It was slow going, but in a good way. The bread had a bit of burnt crust on the edges; the rest was soft and chewy.

In all, the Croque Madame was the very definition of savory. The ham, several slices worth, provided saltiness but took a backseat to the cheese, which lent a hint of sharpness. The ingredients blended well, making for an indulgent meal. The thick fries were soft on the inside, with an authentic potato flavor.

LA CROISETTE

The pink building is situated on Beach Boulevard at the western edge of the Corey Avenue Shopping District. We arrived at 1:30 Wednesday, 30 minutes before closing, amid a light rainfall that glistened the pavement.

La Croisette has an elevated diner vibe. Three black-clad female servers hustled around the small(ish) dining room, which was nearly full. Dana, the GM, similarly dressed, pitched in. The women gave the place some zing.

The unfussy interior design consists of simple tables and booths under a white drop ceiling. We made ourselves comfortable in a booth next to a window. I ordered my Croque Madame ($14) on sourdough with the egg sunny-side up and home fries as the side (with onions, for an 80-cent upcharge).

Appearance

Expectedly, this Croque Madame had a more diner-style presentation than the one at Cognac. The most notable difference was the lack of cheese slathered atop the sandwich. The home fries had a decidedly reddish hue.

Taste and Texture

In general, this Croque Madame was more polite than the competition’s but was not a sandwich to pick up and eat. So, back to the knife and fork. The cheese coated the bottom piece of bread, muting its presence and pushing the ham forward. The egg was cooked a tad past “easy” and therefore the yoke did not run onto the plate. The bread was nicely toasted.

The home fries were exemplary. Paprika and some other secret spices (according to Dana) gave the potatoes their red tint and a tinge of unique flavor that set them apart from your basic ham ‘n’ egger versions. The pieces came in various shapes and were ideally sized. Adding the onions was the best 80 cents I’ve spent in a while. Perfectly cooked, they added a welcome level of crunch.

These were the kind of fried taters than I could eat as a meal.

And the Winner of Croque Madame Madness Is …

Cognac.

It boiled down to a matter of preference: a thick coating of cheese on top — or not. I preferred yes, Bonnie went with not. (But her “vote” is purely ceremonial.) The runny egg yolk at Cognac played a key role in my decision.

La Croisette won the battle of the sides. I must remember to eat more home fries at lunch — and dinner.