Whither the eggs benedict? The New York Times investigated the origins of eggs benedict, the brunch dish that has saved many a Philadelphian from a painful hangover. Who first came up with the idea of poached eggs and Canadian bacon on an English muffin, topped with hollandaise sauce? The Times thinks there might be some historical truth to the story of the dish’s invention by dandy stockbroker Lemuel Benedict (best known for wearing a raccoon-skin coat and carrying a hollow, liquor-filled walking cane to Princeton football games). Alternately, the dish could have been born at the Delmonico where it was frequently ordered by a Mr. and Mrs. LeGrand Benedict. Then there was Jack Benedict, a descendent of Lemuel Benedict who became the world’s first (yup) eggs benedict historian. MenuPages’ quite awesome find-a-food search has literally dozens of restaurants offering eggs benedict. Personally, we’re fond of the cajun eggs benedict at the Tenth Street Pourhouse and the high-end, seafood-laden take on the dish at Jake’s in Manayunk, but this city is full of great brunch spots. Check as many of them out as you can.
Eggs Benedict [Wikipedia]
Was He the Eggman? [NY Times]
Tenth Street Pourhouse [MenuPages]
Jake’s [MenuPages]
Jake’s [Official Site]
