It’s a simple equation: breakfast + lunch = brunch

However, in researching the topic, I found that the concept of combining two meals into one is almost exclusively American. Brunch doesn’t translate into any other language; and the Chinese meal of dim sum is really the only foreign custom that is comparable to our late morning/early afternoon indulgence.

So how did we come up with this meal in the good ol’ USA? Brunch first became popular in post-WWII America, when church-going became a lot less common and Sunday turned into a day of leisure. And what’s more leisurely than sleeping in, stuffing your face with your choice of breakfast items and/or lunch entrees at the same time, and then washing it all down with a mimosa or a bloody mary?

Once again, it’s simple: Sleep + food + booze = good. We Americans aren’t tough to please.

So, Denverites, where should you “do brunch”?

If you’ve never heard of Snooze, then you must not live in Denver. And if you’ve never been to Snooze, your life is incomplete.  While keeping the traditional breakfast foods on their menu (eggs any style, eggs benedict, pancakes), Snooze really puts a twist on these staples.  There’s three locations in town (Ballpark7th & Colorado, Southglenn), so you have no excuse not to go. There’s also a location in Fort Collins. You’ll have to wait for a table, but it’s worth the wait. Plus, they have a full bar and a variety of brunch cocktails. Check out their super unique menu here.

Another one of my all-time favorites is Lucille’s Creole Café. Did you really think the New Orleans native turned Denverite was going to pass this one up? They’ve got beignets, shrimp and grits, red beans and rice,  gumbo, etouffee, and the best gigantic buttermilk biscuit I have ever tasted, topped with homemade rhubarb jam. Their blood marys will clear your sinuses, and are served with a Creole-themed skewer stacked with olives, okra, and a shrimp. There’s 4 locations: Boulder, LongmontFort Collins, and Denver (Wash Park).

Hop over to the other side of I-25 and visit Coral Room in the Highlands for another quirky menu: smoked trout eggs benedict, a mac and cheese omlette, and PB&J pancakes! (And by the way, the mac and cheese entrée on its own will knock your socks off.)

Other notable brunch spots to check out:

Randolph’s at the Warwick Hotel (NEW! – Fried Chicken and Waffles, Smoked Salmon Benedict, Rocky Mountain Chorizo Skillet and a blood mary bar)

Bistro One (benedicts, burgers, and Frosted flake French toast)

Lola (coastal Mexican cuisine – huevos rancheros, green chile hash, pineapple pancakes)

The Buff Restaurant (omlettes, home fries, rustic skillets, and 99 cent mimosas and bloodys)
(Boulder)

Braserrie Ten Ten (French cuisine – Croque Madame, beignets, croissants)
(Boulder)

Some recommendations from 303 Magazine’s own George Peele:

Table 6 – Live DJ every Sunday! The food: lox and tots, lamb bacon, and the double-eyed Susan: two eggs stuffed inside brioche and topped with roasted mushrooms, creamed spinach, and hollandaise.

Dixon’s Downtown Grill – an array of Southwestern breakfast inspirations like the Green Chili Omelet, huevos rancheros, and the Bandito Special – eggs, jalapenos, tortilla chips, pico de gallo, and white cheddar. Their menu also includes traditional omelets, French toast and waffles.

Paul McCartney and Jimmy Fallon sing about “Scrambled Eggs”: