A brief history of brunch

When I was growing up, Sunday morning brunch was something I eagerly anticipated. It was always a family affair, when my mom would whip out the electric griddle and fry up bacon or sausage and pancakes, while hashbrowns crisped on the stovetop. Eggs of some sort always made an appearance, along with stacks of toast. Brunch happened at a reasonable hour, unlike the rushed madness of the weekdays, when a bowl of cereal and glass of juice was I all had time to hurriedly eat before the school bus came to pick us up.

Brunch has remained popular since the practice of the leisurely weekend meal was invented in the late 1890s, along with the portmanteau of breakfast and lunch. The term brunch was first mentioned in print in 1895 by Guy Beringer, a British writer who penned an article titled “Brunch: A Plea” in Hunter’s Weekly. He was a fan of the mid-morning repast, saying that brunch “is cheerful, sociable and inciting. It is talk-compelling. It puts you in a good temper, it makes you satisfied with yourself and your fellow beings, it sweeps away the worries and cobwebs of the week.”

Brunch’s popularity grew during the 1920s, especially during Prohibition, when it was easy to disguise alcoholic beverages with fruit or vegetable juice (mimosas and Bloody Marys). Although first considered only as a Sunday option, by midcentury the practice had expanded to Saturdays as well. Not everyone loves brunch, and chefs generally dislike the meal. As Anthony Bourdain said, “Buzzword here, ‘Brunch Menu’. Translation? ‘Old, nasty odds and ends, and 12 dollars for two eggs with a free Bloody Mary’.” I still enjoy Sunday brunch, although I prefer to make it myself instead of going out for what is often an overpriced affair.