For most of us, brunch is a morning bliss filled with mid-day drinking, a shared plate of French toast and a few slices of crispy, hangover-curing bacon. But how do the kitchen staff feel about it?
It is better to visit restaurants that are specifically built to serve brunch, because it is possible (not an accusation!) that a restaurant that is classically set up for lunch-dinner does not put so much value on brunch and wants to get away with it “cheaply”. After all, it only has to offer bacon and eggs to the hungover hordes.
Let’s leave this attitude aside, you will read the opinions of real brunch experts below: Insider asked chefs for their top brunch dishes.
Pancakes are the ideal brunch treat
“Restaurants have big, wonderful griddles in the kitchen that allow them to make monster-sized fluffy pancakes, which are hard to replicate at home,” said Natasha Feldman, private chef and cooking-show host.
Enjoy plates with hollandaise sauce
Eggs Benedict is a breakfast hero. Creamy hollandaise coats savory ham and rich egg with a fluffy English muffin soaking up the yolk and sauce at the bottom. Equal parts savory and decadent, this dish is perfect for lazy Sunday mornings.
“Hollandaise is a pain to make,” said Rachel Amiralian, cook and cofounder of delivery service WECO Hospitality.
Brunch is the perfect time to order waffles
Waffles can be a pain to make at home. They require getting just the right batter consistency and storing a single-use cooking appliance. Instead, it’s easiest to get waffles from a restaurant.
“Waffles are the perfect dish to let someone else make for you,” said Feldman. “They’re made to order, usually come perfectly crisped, and you don’t have to worry about cleaning the batter that spills out of the waffle iron.”
English breakfast – a lot of components
“None of the components of a griddle meal are hard to make on your own, but there are always lots of dishes when you’re done. It’s also usually a good value for the price,” said Feldman.
The English breakfast is also very popular in Cosy Café, if you’re interested in its origins read this historical summary: The Full English Breakfast History