My wife and I have wildly different opinions on brunch. I think it’s the best idea ever because it makes it socially acceptable to eat breakfast food as late as 3pm and you can drink alcohol.
My wife says that after 11am or so “you’ve missed breakfast” and need to think about lunch food.
Traditionally it was a skillet. But, as more and more indie places close down and are replaced by chains, “skillet” is more likely to be some little ceramic bowl of eggs, meat and potatoes rather than the large value meal offering in a dangerously hot metal ‘bowl’ that it used to be. So, in those places, I’ll probably lean towards some fairly traditional omelette type than the disappointment of a lame-ass pseudo-skillet.
The 2x2x2 with a side of hash browns from IHOP.
Blueberry pancakes. There is a diner in town that used to do a wonderful fluffy plate with an additional topping of a blueberry compote
Now it is a choice of vegan quinoa batter or some other non traditional pancake. I am pretty much done with them
There is a new breakfast place in town with really good coffee and ok omelettes. I like it but won’t wait in line so my options are try my luck or find another place.
Eggs Benedict, because I can’t make hollandaise sauce to save my life. IHOP used to have the most delectable savory crepes with hollandaise. Asparagus, mushroom, swiss cheese, eggs, ham… 
…Or scrambled eggs and bacon, because I hate cooking bacon; and Italian bread toast.
I also love Eggs Benedict or a Croque Monsieur although the latter is much harder to find. I recently noticed the ultra expensive French restaurant near me serves Croque Monsieur in their more casual cafe. I definitely have to try it soon.
You had me until the very last word. Omit the last five letters and I’m right there with you.
Late brunch for me (ie, breakfasty things for lunch). Most likely a vegetarian full English breakfast (full English tends to be an all day thing these days) - not because I’m vegetarian, but because I can’t eat bacon and sausage these days. And not the vegan version, because I want fried egg (and mushrooms, tomatoes, hash browns; and a slice of toast to balance the egg on; and ideally, more mushrooms).
Last time we had breakfast for lunch it was in Cordoba, Spain, and I had an absolutely banging cheese, spinach and mushroom omelet - I’ll take that as an alternative any time.
Now, on those rare occasions that we have breakfast-as-lunch (or -for-dinner, for that matter) at home, we’ve done shakshouka/menemen, a simple Turkish/middle eastern dish that I recommend to you.
j
Crab cake benedict.
Failing that, chicken-fried steak with sausage gravy.
Failing that, two eggs scrambled, sausage links, home fries, white toast, and OJ.
We have a restaurant around here that serves Lebanese, Armenian, Turkish and Georgian food. (Probably some others as well) They serve a khachapuri that is to die for.
We also have a Chinese place that serves up rice porridge, soy milk and fried dough sticks. That’s some good eating in a cold day.
My faves:
Hwe go out for breakfast a lot. I have several favorites:
Eggs and corned beef hash
Omelettes
Eggs Benedict
Rye toast and home fries on the side
Eggs - preferably poached, but will do scrambled.
Mushrooms.
Corn fritters (with the proviso that good corn fritters are great, while bad corn fritters are *********** horrible.
Those are my ‘base’ ingredients to build upon.Add sauces, salads, toast etc.
Biscuits & gravy, hash browns (crispier the better) and sausage for me. All sprinkled with some hot sauce, preferably Tabasco. Coffee w/cream & sugar to wash it all down.
It depends on which restaurant I’m eating at. There’s a place that has great homemade biscuits, and I’ll get that as a side even if it doesn’t come with the dish I ordered (like the MidEast Feast: seasoned grilled chicken, tomato/cucumber/parsley salad, pita and awesome hummus). If I go to a deli, it’s usually eggs and onions with hash browns and a poppyseed bagel or a bagel sandwich. A more middle of the road place I’ll go for something not easy to make at home – waffles, maybe.
I really like a good breakfast burrito, but I’ve never found one as good as the one our corporate HQ cafeteria had. Their chilaquiles were great, too.
If I’m feeling like something more standard I’ll go for an Ortega and Swiss cheese omelette or bacon (very crisp)/hash browns/scrambled eggs/sourdough toast.
Ha, still alive and well at mass market fajita specialists. I can’t remember a breakfast served this way, though.
I also like an over easy skillet (the diner breakfast item) but it’s maybe a once a year type of thing. Greek, Mexican, corned beef hash all have their appeal.
I also don’t crave Tabasco sauce EXCEPT for breakfast where it really hits the spot.
Yeah, I totally agree with this. I almost always use Tabasco if I get eggs.
Oh lord. huevos rancheros. I had that a couple of times in the US, dead set Yum. I wish there was a place anywhere near me that served that.
Interesting reading people’s selections. “Chicken Fried Steak” is not something you get in Australia, the closest would be a beef schnitzel, but you won’t find that white sausage gravy anywhere, nor the biscuits.
shakshuka eggs I’ve had a few times and quite like.
It’s an acquired taste for a lot of people, mother’s milk for others, and some won’t even try it. Most biscuits and gravy that you get in a restaurant is bland and inedible, in my experience, so I can see why it would be off-putting.
I love a grilled ham steak topped with a poached egg, with plenty of white or whole wheat toast. If the restaurant has some kind of homemade preserves, that’s ideal.