Chefs from The Black Tie Co. in Portland won the Incredible Breakfast Cook-Off on Thursday.

Avery Richter and Ashley Small of The Black Tie Co. are the Incredible Breakfast Cook-Off 2019 Champions. Photo courtesy of The Black Tie Company

The winning dish, prepared by executive chef Avery Richter and pastry chef Ashley Small, was a savory breakfast balsamic cream puff with gruyere and smoked bacon.

The event, held annually at the Sea Dog Brewery in South Portland, marks the start of Maine Restaurant Week and raised $5,500 for the Preble Street Resource Center, a social services agency in Portland.

A dozen restaurants competed, dishing up both sweet and savory dishes for 250 breakfast fans to taste before voting for their favorites.

The first runner up was Isaac Aldrich of the Bon Appetit Co., which runs food services at Colby College. Aldrich, a past winner, made a toasted croissant with scrambled eggs, buttered lobster, mascarpone creme, chives and citrus caviar.

The other competitors were Baristas + Bites in Portland; BlueFin, the restaurant in the Portland Harbor Hotel; The Brunswick Hotel & Tavern; Congdon’s Doughnuts in Wells; Congress Squared in Portland; Miss Portland Diner; Rick’s Lobby Cafe in Portland; Sea Dog Brewing Company in South Portland; Sebasco Harbor Resort in Phippsburg; and Shade: The Eatery at Higgins Beach Inn.