Chef Scott Pampuch of Corner Table called me on the carpet because I referred to his restaurant’s newly returned Sunday breakfast program as “brunch.” I’d argue that if you’re eating a rich restaurant breakfast at 1pm on a Sunday, “brunch” is the only reasonable thing to call it. Comments or clarification, anyone?
The Definition of “Brunch”
16 Comments
Comments are closed.
Pampuch briefly railed against “brunch” at his recent PR fest/food blogger event. I fail to see what’s wrong with the term.
You’re right on. Unless it’s Perkins or the Copper Dome, breakfast ends at 10am. Everyone needs to take the Puch a lot less seriously. Including himself.
Totally agree. Although I’m aware some people I know think ‘brunch’ requires some kind of buffet, I think most people I know would agree with your definition. Something like “a hearty meal of breakfast foods eaten between 10 or 11 am and 2 pm”.
Agreed. As mentioned by Morgan, the problem is the some incorrectly think “Brunch” = “Buffet”.
Some of the aversion to the term “brunch” (and I’d certainly welcome Chef Pampuch’s comments here) may also relate to Bourdain’s public slaughtering of the meal in “Kitchen Confidential” as an overpriced dumping ground for leftovers.
That said, man, I love a good brunch. Comfort food to nth power.
You are probably right about the term, but damn is this a welcomed development in the Woodman house. If he adds Monday dinner, I’ll make a standing reservation (except for Heidi’s turn to cook night).
We quite frequently have breakfast for dinner, but rarely brunch for dinner, even though the items normally fall into the brunch category.
I’m so confused now.
It is breakfast at Brunch prices…with Muir Glen tomatoes
I think if it’s called brunch there ought to be some “lunch” items, e.g., sandwiches or fries. I guess it depends on whether you read the term as lunch combined with breakfast or as breakfast at lunchtime.
Breakfast: First meal of the day
Lunch: Second meal of the day
Dinner: Third meal of the day
Brunch: Combination of breakfast and lunch food that is eaten between the hours of 10am and 1pm
In all honesty, it is just a thing for me, I am a cook who loves eggs and I feel that if stated we were serving brunch there would be an expectation of what kind of food is served. To me what I serve is breakfast food. We open at 8 am and close at 2pm. The hours were chosen because some people eat their first meal of the day at 8 am and others eat their first meal at 1pm. This is all about food. Not about a label, a description, or whatever. In all honesty, I was just having a little fun with it, and did not think it was such a big thing. If you visit the blog, I will have the full menu listed. We hope to see you soon. Hopefully we can all get back to talking about food.
http://www.cornertablerestaurant.com/blog/
So if I’m eating a massive eggy sausage burrito at 3pm, is that Brinner?
StephMarch – No – That’s BrunchUpper.
Can we call it a “late breakfast”?
StephMarch,
no, it’s just called “awesome.”
The crucial difference for me between breakfast and brunch is that breakfast is that first food of the day that you eat to break the night’s fast and get on with your day, whereas brunch implies a leisurely meal eaten on those days when you don’t have to hop to it. Also crucial: breakfast beverages are coffee, milk and OJ; brunch beverages are boozy and thus not only emphasize the leisurely pace of the meal but the intention to follow the meal with a leisurely day.