Where Does Eggs Benedict Come From? | Colony Diner (2024)

Where Does Eggs Benedict Come From? | Colony Diner (1)When you sit down for breakfast at any diner across the country, you will likely find eggs benedict on the menu – Colony Diner included! Due to the popularity of its original recipe, variations of the classic runny egg with creamy hollandaise sauce have emerged over the years, from Florentine benedicts with spinach to California-inspired benedicts with avocado.

Yet as with many classic American dishes, there are disputes surrounding who invented it. Learn about the origins of eggs benedict.

What Is Eggs Benedict?

The classic dish begins with an English muffin, toasted but still soft on the inside. From here, Canadian bacon or ham is layered on top, then a poached egg is added to each half of the English muffin. Hollandaise sauce over everything is the finishing touch.

Origins of Eggs Benedict

Multiple individuals and restaurants claim to have introduced eggs benedict during the 19th century.

Delmonico’s Restaurant

Delmonico’s defined American cuisine well into the 20th century, unrolling staples like Baked Alaska and Chicken à la King. As such, introducing eggs benedict to the American public seems like a no-brainer. However, this lower Manhattan institution has two stories regarding the origins of this dish.

First, chef Charles Ranhofer created a custom combination for regular customer Mrs. LeGrand Benedict in the 1860s, who was looking to try something new. She told him to create a dish out of poached eggs, ham, hollandaise and truffles. However, Ranhofer claims to have invented the dish himself and published it as his own recipe in his 1894 cookbook.

The Waldorf Hotel

In 1894, stockbroker Lemuel Benedict requested the components of eggs benedict – this time with buttered toast and Canadian bacon, plus a pitcher of hollandaise on the side – after a night of drinking. Chef Oscar Tschirky, credited for the Waldorf salad, whipped up the dish with an English muffin but Benedict supposedly assembled the combination by himself. Tschirky was so inspired that he kept the dish on the menu for breakfast and lunch.

In the 1940s, Lemuel Benedict backed up this story, telling New York Magazine that he thought up the combination as a hangover cure.

Commodore E.C. Benedict

In 1967, the New York Times published a story about a letter from Edward P. Montgomery, which credited banker and avid yacht sailor Commodore E.C. Benedict with creating the now-popular breakfast dish. The letter included a recipe, supposedly developed by Commodore Benedict’s mother. The recipe included toast and ham but had over-hard instead of poached eggs.

Stop by Colony Diner for all-day breakfast, including classic eggs benedict and newer New York, Greek and Polish-inspired takes on this classic. View our menu today.

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Where Does Eggs Benedict Come From? | Colony Diner (2024)

FAQs

Where Does Eggs Benedict Come From? | Colony Diner? ›

Delmonico's Restaurant

Where does egg Benedict come from? ›

Another famous New York City location is also credited as being the possible place where Eggs Benedict was first created. Retired Wall Street stock broker Lemuel Benedict told The New Yorker in 1942 that he ordered the first Eggs Benedict in the Waldorf-Astoria in 1894 to help his hangover.

Where did the Eggs Benedict Royale come from? ›

Origin and history

There are conflicting accounts as to the origin of eggs Benedict. Delmonico's in Lower Manhattan says on its menu that "Eggs Benedict was first created in our ovens in 1860." One of its former chefs, Charles Ranhofer, also published the recipe for Eggs à la Benedick in 1894.

Where did eggs Blackstone come from? ›

Eggs Blackstone is an adaptation of Eggs Benedict, which has as many recipes do, a number of different origin stories. About the only sure thing is that it was probably invented in New York City. Eggs Blackstone works well for breakfast, brunch, light lunch or dinner.

What is the origin of the name Benedict? ›

Benedict is a masculine given name of Latin origin, meaning "blessed". Etymologically, it is derived from the Latin words bene ('good') and dicere ('speak'), i.e. "well spoken". The name was borne by Saint Benedict of Nursia (480–547), often called the founder of Western Christian monasticism.

What restaurant invented Eggs Benedict? ›

Delmonico's Restaurant

First, chef Charles Ranhofer created a custom combination for regular customer Mrs. LeGrand Benedict in the 1860s, who was looking to try something new. She told him to create a dish out of poached eggs, ham, hollandaise and truffles.

What is the origin of Eggs Benedict Florentine? ›

While some consider eggs Florentine a simple variation of eggs Benedict, the dish is thought to have originated with Catherine de Medici, the Florence-born wife to France's King Henry II. Legend has it the young queen was particularly enamored of spinach.

What is the difference between eggs royale and Eggs Benedict? ›

Eggs royale is similar to Eggs Benedict or florentine but uses smoked salmon instead of ham or spinach. Using cold butter rather than warm, melted butter means the sauce takes a few extra minutes to come together, but there's far less risk of it splitting – worth the time we think.

What does Eggs Benedict mean in the dictionary? ›

a dish consisting of toast or toasted halves of English muffin covered with a thin slice of fried or broiled ham, poached eggs, and a topping of hollandaise sauce.

What is so special about Eggs Benedict? ›

The English muffin provides a crispy, buttery base for the dish. By contrast, Canadian bacon or ham adds a salty, savory flavor. The poached egg adds a rich, creamy texture, and the hollandaise sauce provides a tangy, buttery flavor that ties everything together! Eggs Benedict is also an excellent source of protein.

Where did beet eggs come from? ›

A variant historically associated with the Pennsylvania Dutch is the pickled beet egg where whole beets, onions, vinegar, sugar, salt, cloves, and (optionally) a cinnamon stick are used as the brine. The eggs take on a pink or even purple color from the beets and have a sweet and sour taste.

Where did the name deviled eggs come from? ›

In the 19th century, the adjective "deviled" came to be used most often with spicy or zesty food, including eggs prepared with mustard, pepper, or other ingredients stuffed in the yolk cavity. Similar uses of "devil" for spiced foods include deviled ham and fra diavolo sauce (from the Italian word for "devil").

Where did the name Blackstone come from? ›

Blackstone Surname Meaning

habitational name from Blakeston (Hall) in Norton (Durham) from the Old Norse personal name Bleikr + Old English tūn meaning 'Bleikr's estate'. topographic name for someone who lived by a dark (boundary) stone from Middle English blak(e) 'black dark' (Old English blæc) + stān 'stone'.

Is there a Benedict in the Bible? ›

Nothing, there is no name Benedict in the Bible. Benedictio, a Latin noun, is to do with blessing. At the end of a traditional Christian worship service, the leader pronounces a 'benediction'.

What does benedict mean in Italian? ›

Benedetto : Italian: from the personal name Benedetto from Latin Benedictus meaning 'blessed' (see Benedict).

Who is Benedict in Christianity? ›

St. Benedict was a religious reformer who lived in Italy in the late 400s and early 500s. He is known as the “father of Western monasticism,” having established a Rule that would become the norm for innumerable Christian monks and nuns. He is the patron saint of Europe.

Who invented the Eggs Benedict? ›

It was invented at Delmonico's Restaurant

It's said that chef Charles Ranhofer came up with the combination in the 1860s when Mrs. LeGrand Benedict, one of his regular diners, grew tired of the menu and wanted something new. His recipe, which he dubbed Eggs a la Benedict, was published in his cookbook in 1894.

Did Benedict Arnold invent Eggs Benedict? ›

And don't worry, the infamous Benedict Arnold had nothing to do with creating this dish, although he may have enjoyed it for breakfast.

Where did hollandaise originate? ›

Popular theory places its origin to a town in Normandy, France called "Isigny-Sur-Mer", known for its high-quality butter. According to history, France couldn't produce its own butter during the First World War and imported it from Holland – which led to it being known as Hollandaise.

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