Rush-hour redemption: Commuter-friendly breakfasts that won't demoralize

Somewhere between cold cereal at home and a sit-down meal of toast, coffee, and fried eggs, there must be a point of perfect equilibrium. Those McDonald's hash browns make such a slimy, heartburn-inducing descent in the morning, and the average coffee shop's dried-out pastries offer only a half-step of improvement. The A.V. Club scouted out a few Madison breakfast options that offer morale-boosting sustenance for cheap go-getters and early risers.

Bagels Forever breakfast sandwich
A little storefront for manufacturer Bagels Forever (2947 University Ave., 608-231-2427) serves breakfast sandwiches on a choice of bagel topped with egg and cheese, and then a choice of bacon, sausage, or Canadian bacon. This hefty $2 serving both placates and shames the part in all of us that just really wants an egg McMuffin.
With time to spare: Gotham Bagels' (112 East Mifflin St., 608-467-7642; 702 S. Park St., 608-467-7833) “V” breakfast bagel with scallion tofu, roasted peppers, tomato, arugula, and avocado takes longer and costs twice as much, but it's as close as anyone will get to stomaching a salad before work.

Greenbush Bakery donut
Even when Dunkin' Donuts begins its promised 2011 incursion into Madison, Greenbush Bakery (1305 Regent St., 608-257-1151) will likely remain a successful little secret, thanks to its fresh apple fritters, croissants, and donuts: spiced pumpkin, topped with coconut, dipped in chocolate, glazed with maple syrup, dusted with sugar, strewn with sprinkles, filled with raspberry jam.
With time to spare: Lane's Bakery (448 S. Park St., 608-256-6645) always carries big quantities of its specialty donuts, chocolate ring and white iced ring (along with signature jelly-filled Bismarcks, cinnamon rolls, and Danishes).

Scone from Lazy Jane's
That sugary marble bread from Starbucks will eventually lose its novelty after the initial period of sweet denial, so it's a good thing Lazy Jane's (1358 Williamson St., 608-257-5263) rotates in specials like vegan pumpkin walnut muffins alongside its daily selection of scones. The regular scone lineup—including lemon cream, cherry, blackberry, blueberry, and nut—balances the tempting morning sugar-rush with decent prices and an abundance of fiber.
With time to spare: The tiny interior of creperie-coffeeshop Bradbury's (127 N. Hamilton St., 608-204-0474) can get crowded, but visitors who arrive at 7 a.m. can score scones fresh from the oven.