Tell me if this sounds familiar…
You’re out with some buddies and a few drinks turn into a few more and when you wake up the next day, you feel a bit off. You head is hazy, maybe you have a headache, your stomach isn’t sure if it wants food or hates it, but you know you need something in it. You gather your compadres and decide that you should all go get breakfast at your favorite spot. You all order coffee, maybe that one friend orders a mimosa or bloody mary (we all know who that one friend is), but the overall consensus for food is, “we should order benedicts.” Did you know that there’s an entire family history behind that?
The main character of this story is known as Lemuel Benedict. Working at a stock broker in New York in the late 1800’s, the story goes, he was hungover but still very much in the mood for breakfast and sought it out at the Waldorf Hotel at Fifth Avenue and 33rd Street. Arriving at the hotel he reportedly ordered buttered toast, two poached eggs and a pitcher of hollandaise, building the classic breakfast that is mirrored to this day. Now, I will say that there are claims that a couple, Mrs. And Mr. LeGrand Benedict, may have founded the dish with the use of English Muffins as we do now, but they do accredit the creation to the story of a “young man” who was hungover at the Waldorf Hotel. Their story, however, reported this young man as Samuel, not Lemuel. There’s a whole lot of “family name being cleared up” and “we’re going to open a restaurant” that succeeds this story, but I’ll let you look up the details yourself. It’s an interesting read!
Anyway, it’s so fun that there’s this widely accepted notion that if you’re hungover, an eggs benedict is a good breakfast choice AND that the history behind it reflects that! So if you’re feeling a bit hungover, or just want a filling & rich breakfast meal, Avenue Bread on James Street and Avenue Bread in Lynden have you covered. Check out their creations by selecting “Menu” at the top of this site and selecting either café.
Benedict to the right is the Florentine!
Available at James Street Cafe 7days a week.
Stuff you should know about our benedicts!
Hollandaise sauce is always made in house and fresh daily. Our Hollandaise consists of unsalted butter, cage-free/organic egg yolks, fresh lemon, sea salt, chipotle tobacco and cayenne. When you order your benedicts, you’re asked how you’d like your eggs poached; soft, medium or hard. If you’re unsure about it, your staff can explain to you what the textual difference is to help you decide. The eggs we use are also cage-free and organic! Next, you’ll be asked what kind of Avenue Bread English Muffin you’d like to enjoy your benedict on. We offer Plain, Rosemary (the most popular), Eight-Grain or Gluten-Less. If you’re feeling extra buttery that morning, you may also ask to have it prepared on a croissant for an extra charge.
No matter which benedict you decide to enjoy, prepare to slip into a food-coma of happiness.
A nap is also highly recommended.