May 10, 2018

"As a chef, I saw [brunch] as a devil’s bargain in that it was irresistibly profitable but came at the cost of an unhappy kitchen staff."

"As a customer on my days off, I hated it because it was crowded, and my hate was only enhanced by my knowledge of the actual food costs versus the inflated menu prices. Later, as an unemployable drug addict, The only jobs I could get were as a brunch specialist (because no one else at good restaurants wanted to cook eggs) which is why the smell of home fries will always smell like shame and defeat to me... [A]ccess to unlimited mimosas seems to invite a crowd inclined to all varieties of douchery."

Wrote Anthony Bourdain, in email quoted in "Are We Done Hating Brunch?" (The New Yorker).

We were just talking about brunch in an April 28th post titled, "This article is sad to me. It looks like the patrons are mainly women desperate for something that can never be found," about a WaPo article called, "'You can never have too many mimosas’: How brunch became the day-wrecking meal that America loves to hate."

ADDED: Here's my best brunch... or at least the best brunch I ever photographed:

Brunch at the 4 Seasons

Blogged here in 2008.

37 comments:

Michael K said...

He sounds like one of those murderous teens who killed the kid in Georgia for thrills.

madAsHell said...

Mimosas!! Don't ever put fucking orange juice in my champagne!! Who in the hell would think that's a good idea??

Ken B said...

Brunch is a cocktail party Sunday morning. Beats church.

Ken B said...

Madashell: “Who put orange juice in my orange juice?” — W C Fields

gilbar said...

don't people realize, that the only thing that should go it champagne is cognac (or Cointreau)?

Ann Althouse said...

"Mimosas!! Don't ever put fucking orange juice in my champagne!! Who in the hell would think that's a good idea??"

Someone with a lot of shitty champagne.

langford peel said...

He is the most overrated celebrity chef in the world.

Ann Althouse said...

I support putting creme de cassis in champagne — a kir royale.

Ann Althouse said...

And don't forget to garnish the twist of langford peel. You will garner compliments.

gilbar said...

as always, i defer to the Prof

Unknown said...

I enjoyed Bourdain's "Kitchen Confidential" and "Bone in the Throat". Best breakfast/brunch experience I ever had was at Baltimore's Great American Melting Pot - locals called it "Gampy's" Their Illegal French Toast...

tcrosse said...

The French 75 is a nice gargle of champagne and gin with a little lemon and sugar. Gentlemen of taste prefer it with Emma Peel.

madAsHell said...

Someone with a lot of shitty champagne.

Therein lies my problem!! My wife doesn't buy shitty champagne!!

Sebastian said...

"women desperate for something that can never be found"

Ah, the wages of feminism.

Kyzer SoSay said...

Everyone wants to think they're a Gatsby character at an endless party. Hence, brunch, where one wakes up to breakfast food and alcohol and attempts to keep the party rolling until at least mid-afternoon. At which point, everyone is day-drunk, tired, and probably getting a little hungover already from the lack of actual water. It's supposed to feel classy and upscale and "hip", but it's really just drinking from breakfast to dinner and then regretting it the next day.

Sundays are for garage projects, yard work, football (before the dumb protests), and a few summer beers around a grill in the evening. If you really want to brunch and have a day to shake off the alcohol, do it on a Saturday.

RMc said...

"As a customer on my days off, I hated it because it was crowded, and my hate was only enhanced by my knowledge of the actual food costs versus the inflated menu prices. Later, as an unemployable drug addict

Well, that escalated quickly.

sane_voter said...

Sushi for brunch . . . yuk

Edmund said...

@langford peel He is the most overrated celebrity chef in the world.

He would probably agree. He admits he is not in the same league as most of them.

Robt C said...

I met you at that 2008 brunch at the Four Seasons. I had a great line: "Are you Althouse?" And you did this nice little curtsy, which I took to mean yes. Would have stolen my heart, except: 1) Meade and 2) I'm happily married.

Nice brunch though.

Sarah from VA said...

In my opinion (as a non-drinker) the best parts about brunch are the breakfast parts -- eggs, home fries, french toast, fruit -- and all are adequately supplied by inexpensive diners that do breakfast all day. I guess I do occasionally get a yen for FANCY french toast or brunch-y bread puddings or casseroles, but I can just make those at home. Most can even be prepped the night before and then baked at your leisure in the morning.

Actually, now that I have two children who are allergic to eggs (fingers crossed they grow out of it), going out for brunch to have some of that wonderful eggy stuff is a more appealing idea. Still never done it, though.

rcocean said...

"Later, as an unemployable drug addict"

who stopped reading after that?

I've never understood the whole point of brunch. It seems to be a chick thing. A well-to-do chick thing.

All those women in "The Swimmer" - they do Brunch.

Marcus said...

As a former chef and restaurant manager, I can tell you that the reason the staff hates brunch is that when you are scheduled to work it (even though it is easy money), it interferes with the drinking and snorting cocaine after shift on Saturday night into Sunday morning.

Christy said...

I prefer my OJ with amaretto.

I love brunch because Eggs Benedict is a favorite, (Yes, I know) and because it is an opportunity to socialize early in the day when everyone is fresh.

Marcus said...

As a former chef and restaurant manager, I can tell you that the reason the staff hates brunch is that when you are scheduled to work it (even though it is easy money), it interferes with the drinking and snorting cocaine after shift on Saturday night into Sunday morning.

Ann Althouse said...

“I met you at that 2008 brunch at the Four Seasons. I had a great line: "Are you Althouse?" And you did this nice little curtsy, which I took to mean yes. Would have stolen my heart, except: 1) Meade and 2) I'm happily married.”

I didn’t meet Meade until 2009. In 2008 and in the 20 years before 2009, I was very open to invitations from men as cute, nice, and smart as Meade. Where were they?

rcocean said...

mimosas

God, I hate mixed drinks. Either Champagne or Not Champagne, there is no Mimosas.

Supposedly, Jackie O had Champagne and asparagus for Lunch.

Now that's class. Alcoholic Class - i grant you.

L Day said...

You have to properly prepare yourself for a really good brunch, and nothing prepares one like endless days of eating cold food out of tin cans and the debilitating effects of restricted water intake (that shit's heavy) while climbing and hauling from dawn until past dark on the granite walls of Yosemite. Brunch at the Ahwanee hotel is god's gift to big wall climbers. No mimosa's required.

bozonomous said...

"I just don't like brunch." - Typical Donald Trump supporter

Sydney said...

I’ve never been to a brunch that serves alcohol. Seems too early in the day for it.

I Have Misplaced My Pants said...

My church (Episcopal) serves mimosas on Easter Sunday after worship.

I Have Misplaced My Pants said...

We took all of our kids to New York to stay at the Waldorf-Astoria before it closed. Brunch there was $90 a head, excluding gratuity and alcohol. We passed.

Also, we cannot discuss brunch without referring to the Simpsons quote on the topic: "It's not quite breakfast, it's not quite lunch, but it comes with a slice of cantaloupe at the end!"

exiledonmainstreet, green-eyed devil said...

"Supposedly, Jackie O had Champagne and asparagus for Lunch."

I read that her usual lunch was champagne and a baked potato topped with caviar. However, considering how thin she was, I think she probably avoided the starch and went with asparagus and champagne.

Bad Lieutenant said...

Test
Each comment has Reply. Now AA has threading ?

Bad Lieutenant said...

If it's cheap bubbly you wouldn't like it straight.

AustinRoth said...

Sunday Brunch at the Commander's Palace is pretty hard to beat after a late night out listening to jazz and blues in N.O.

Bryan Townsend said...

I don't think there is anyone in the celebrity food world I detest more than Anthony Bourdain.

Bleach Drinkers Curing Coronavirus Together said...

Bagels and sushi? Really?

WTF.