For once, a respectable article on brunch, the poor stepchild of real restaurant cooking. There are a suspicious lot of Next Iron Chef people in the piece--how did that happen? Though i was glad to single out Doug Katz of fire food and drink--who really does an excellent job. You know a restaurant does a good brunch when the chef owner is expediter.
Published: · Modified: by Michael Ruhlman · 16 Comments
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Unfair! That's at least a 10 hour drive for me.
doodad
Brunch is a fine meal. Especially on a Sunday morning. Whether church has been attended early or not, it puts a great start towards a day of football in place. Belly sated, the fan can gather later goods with an anticipation of kickoff and nothing but debauchery and snacking in the near future.
FoodPuta
Ahh Brunch, The Taint of meals.
Usually means two things: You just finished and evening of merriment, or are preparing for one.
The Professor
Nice "shout out",as the kids say, to to your "homie" Doug Katz. The article was very nice and you got yourself namechecked several times. Actually your contibution is quite good...but the whole idea is the direct opposite of what is said in Bourdain's (Kitchen Confidential) book, but you are asking for discussion on places that are not germ pits to be avoided...right?
Lester Hunt
It occurs to me that the only times I have ever, and I mean *ever* had a meal I called brunch, it was in a restaurant. I infer that, as an institution, brunch is unlike breakfast, lunch, and dinner: brunch is somehow an artifact of the restaurant industry.
alison
Having read Bourdain's KC, I will never eat brunch on Sundays, or seafood on Mondays in any restaurant. However, brunch is my favorite meal at home. We sleep late and tell the kiddies that we intentionally skipped breakfast and lunch is early-and bacon is involved...it's the best family meal of the week.
John
Ruhlman,
Your assault on the prized money-making gimmicks of shlock American "cuisine" will not be tolerated.
You are hereby sentenced to working brunch @ Shoney's for the next two weekends.
"Pulling One Bacon for B-Bar!"
I just had a book idea for you. Reverse course. Go through an orientation/training to work at, like Bob Evans.
When I was in my twenty's I worked in Corporate. It is literally like an indoctrination camp.
I could tell you stories..
Met you at the Regulator in Durham, NC. Wish I had recorded the speech. Good stuff. Have you seen the Coverage that Bryan is getting?
Tell Bourdain I said "Hi"
John
Bob delGrosso
Brunch for me is, and will always be, a great opportunity to get rid of stuff I did not sell at dinner and lower my menu's food cost by selling lots of eggs and waffles etc. Otherwise I hate it, hate it.
And Sunday brunch is the coldest slap in the face any cook must endure on a weekly basis; the pits.
Sara
Why do cooks/chefs hate brunch so much? What is so awful about a morning slinging around omelets and eggs benedict (mmmmm, eggs benedict) and pancakes and waffles. Easy food, not fussy, and tasty tasty tasty! I mean, I guess I'd not be please with getting up super early on sunday morning to cook eggs for five hours, but there are worse things I can imagine...
Claudia
Brunch is always improved with the inclusion of industrial-strength Bloody Maries, I feel. Oh, sure - for the customer,TOO!
Vinotas
I love brunch at home, it's an excuse to splurge on bacon and my French omelettes (runny, baby, runny!), with some fresh bread from the local bakery (ok, it's just Pain Quotidien, but compared to what I get in my 'hood in NYC, it's pretty good).
It's a great way to beat a hangover into submission and prove to the world that I survived another night (usually Saturday night).
Also, I figure the grease from brunch will push out the alcohol from the previous evening. So far, seems to be working.
Cheers!
Doodad
Oh, man I read the whole article. A Bloody Caesar? Michael, the campaign may be going too far. Tell me there is no version with fried pork belly garnish on the rim.
Big Red
Like it or not, Brunch is a huge money maker for those of us that have to actually make a living. I made 3xs as much on one sunday brunch as I would all week at my greasy spoon. It is cheap, easy to do so I could have the idiot college students do it with little supervison, and with the inclusion of a Mimosa or a Bloody Mary you got yourself a bunch of very happy people, who then tip the waitresses better, making them work harder, which makes us cooks more efficient. It may not be haute cuisine, but it pays the bills.
French Laundry at Home
Brunch is the Ruth Buzzi of meals. Oh wait... I didn't mean to insult Ruth Buzzi.
Snoozer
There's brunch and there's BRUNCH. I've had a lot of lackluster overpriced brunches where I could do better at home; I can sling an omelet and cook bacon, and fer god's sake serve it to me HOT. But there's a DC restaurant, Georgia Brown's, which does a heavenly brunch. An enormous buffet of desserts, incomparable bacon, incredible sausage, grits to die for, potatoes, ham, sausage gravy, biscuits, made to order omelets, and more other things than I can name. THEN you get your entree which you ordered from the menu. Most people are too full to touch it and just have it packed up to take home. They clearly take pride in the brunch and make it special, not just a place to park leftovers. I haven't been in a couple of years, though, I hope it's still as good as I remember...
Scotty
To me, brunch is best prepared and served at home, surrounded by family and while watching Bill Moyers on PBS. This is a weekly occurrence when I am not tailgating at a Bills game. While Eggs Benedict is a superior choice, we prefer lox on an everything bagel (my preferred accoutrement's are thinly sliced purple onion, capers, a sprinkling of Kosher Salt, and of course cream cheese) along with a mimosa. I can't wait to try it with homemade lox this fall!