Who Should We Thank For Eggs Benedict?

Eggs Benedict - Who do we thank?

Who should we thank for Eggs Benedict? Was it the ask of Mrs. LeGrand Benedict for something new, Lemuel Benedict’s search for a hangover cure, or Commodore E.C. Benedict’s personal taste that led to the invention of this brunch favorite? 

Eggs Benedict is one of the most popular American dishes. Thanks to the Hollandaise sauce on top, it is a creamy, lemony, buttery delight. Not to mention that it is a quick dish to make, making it an ideal choice for busy mornings.

Credit for inventing the dish is subject to some confusion. There is the Delmonico Restaurant Theory. The story goes back to the 1860s. The story has it that there was a lady, Mrs. LeGrand Benedict, who dined at the Delmonico restaurant often and became tired of the menu. She wanted something new. So, she consulted with the chef, Charles Ranhofer, about new options. The chef then created Eggs Benedict for her to try. Delmonico claimed that their restaurant was the first to use printed menus, the first to hire women, and the first to serve Eggs Benedict.

The chef’s entree was written up in a cookbook called The Epicurean around 120 years ago. This cookbook helped other chefs learn how to make the dish to serve at their restaurants. It was first called Eggs á la Benedick but is now referred to as Eggs Benedict and served in restaurants worldwide.

There is also the Hangover Cure. This story was set back in 1942, when Lemuel Benedict, a retired Wall Street stockbroker, visited the Waldorf Hotel in search of a cure for his morning hangover. Lemuel ordered a combination of buttered toast, poached eggs, crisp bacon, and hollandaise sauce. The Head Chef Oscar Tschirky was so impressed with this combination of elements that he refined the dish by substituting Canadian bacon for salty, crispy bacon and used an English muffin in place of the buttery toast, giving it the name Eggs Benedict. As a side note, Tschirky is also the inventor of the Waldorf salad.

Then there is the Pass The Parcel theory. In 1967 an article was published in The New York Times by Craig Claiborne. It talked about the story of Eggs Benedict and its history. Craig had received a letter from Edward P. Montgomery, an American living in France. He mentioned that Commodore Benedict created Eggs Benedict. He provided a recipe for the dish. However, the ingredients in the recipe are less common in this version than the Eggs Benedict that we have come to love. Perhaps it was because of a lack of available ingredients or personal taste but no one can be sure because Commodore passed away in 1920.

So, which theory do you believe? Who do you think we should thank for Eggs Benedict? I say, let CoastAL Orange Beach make mine for me!

If you want a delicious variety of Eggs Benedict, stop in at CoastAL Orange Beach for breakfast where there are three different varieties of the dish. First, they have the CoastAL Traditional Eggs Benedict with ham, poached eggs, and a rich hollandaise sauce on an English muffin. If that doesn’t fit your bill, try the CoastAL Crab Cakes Benedict. With house-made crab cakes, poached eggs, and their classic hollandaise on an English muffin. And, if that still isn’t quite what you are looking for, you can try the CoastAL Country Benedict. This version is served with sausage patties on a biscuit with sausage gravy with poached eggs. Try any of them, try all of them! They won’t disappoint. 

CoastAL Orange Beach is open at 8:00 AM for breakfast daily! Go have breakfast on the beach!