Gourmet brunch and lunch spot opens in Rehoboth Beach
Much like a runny egg, brunch has dribbled into mainstream.
Defined as a late morning meal, eaten instead of lunch or breakfast, brunch was originally conceived for the wealthy upper class. However, over the last century, it has gained popularity among the masses.
By 1939, The New York Times had declared Sunday a two-meal day. Thirty years later, brunch cookbooks began flying off the shelves, and by the 1990s, Americans started brunching on Saturdays, too.
It would be easy to write brunch off as a nonchalant midday meal, made popular by those with disposable time and incomes, but it's far from it.
The country has witnessed brunch evolve from diner food to elaborate egg sandwiches made by James Beard-caliber, white tablecloth chefs. It is becoming a feeding phenomenon, changing how most Americans interact on the weekend.
"It's more than just going out for a meal, brunch is an experience," said Ashley Lewis, 24 of Dewey Beach.
The latest eatery to open on Delmarva dedicated to the brunch movement is Egg, located in downtown Rehoboth Beach. Owner Missi Moore wanted to offer the area something, "completely unique," she said, commenting on the stiff competition along the Avenue.
Many consider Rehoboth Beach the state’s capital of fine dining, widely known for its wealth of eclectic and "cutting-edge" dining opportunities, with more than a handful of award-winning chefs and at least a dozen white-linen restaurants.
But Moore is confident in Egg's potential.
"No one else is doing what we're doing," she said.
Egg, located just before the Rehoboth Beach circle, looks exactly how a gourmet restaurant offering creamed chip beef should look.
The space has farmhouse charm, with a rustic touch that invites patrons to feel comfortable and at home. The dining room is bright and airy, flooded with natural sunlight and pops of color like turquoise coffee cups, red light fixtures and a larger-than-life black rooster, painted by local artist Leah Beach.
"I've been envisioning this for years," Moore said, pointing to the bar's backdrop made out of old shutters and windowpanes.
Aside from the Joanna Gaines-approved decor, everything inside Egg, from the benches and farm tables to the floors and wooden bar, is credited to Moore's uncle, Charlie Murphy.
RELATED: Joanna Gaines turns dreams into reality
"The beauty of this restaurant is owed to him," she said. "He helped me build it from the ground up."
In a recent article published by The Washington Post, Maryland and Delaware were among the top states for brunch interest, as judged by the number of searches on Google. Local restaurant owners, like Moore, are taking notice.
Brunch and late breakfast menus are now being offered more than ever before, giving way to a social experiment fueled by Champagne, eggs Benedict and a slew of Instagram photos.
RELATED: Restaurants dish on Instagram as hefty business tool
Dom Williams opened Brunch n Lunch two years ago in downtown Dover.
His small eatery has mix-matched furniture, eclectic artwork and a menu featuring options like the "Leggings and Uggs" — egg whites, spinach and sharp cheddar cheese on grilled honey wheat bread and "#Hastag the Bae" — bacon, sausage, scrambled eggs, pepper jack cheese and hot sauce on a butter-toasted brioche bun.
In 2013, Patti Tauber opened her breakfast eatery, Breakfast Bum, in the ground floor of Salisbury University's Sea Gull Square. She decided to specialize in breakfast because, "everyone loves it."
Breakfast Bum serves breakfast classics, with a twist, all day long. Her grandson is credited for creating the restaurant's most popular item; the waffle sandwich, topped with a fried egg, melted cheese and grilled scrapple, sausage, bacon or ham.
Egg in Rehoboth Beach has been open just shy of two weeks, but has already been embraced by the community. Business has been phenomenal, with hour-long waits on Saturdays and Sundays, Moore said.
Todd Tewelow, of Rehoboth Beach, a friend of Moore's for decades, is more than impressed.
"I remember her talking about wanting to do something like this for years," he said. "I'm glad she finally did because she nailed it. Egg is exactly what Rehoboth was missing."
The menu offers everything a brunch lover would crave, such as homemade biscuits, loaded Bloody Marys, acai bowls, crepes, buttermilk pancakes and lobster waffles. It also features some old family recipes like sauteed chicken liver and scrambled eggs, sausage gravy and Siracha bacon.
One taste of the Croque Madame, and guests would probably assume Moore has been cooking her whole life. Although kitchen expertise runs in the family, Moore assures she did not inherit her skills.
"Please, I couldn't even boil water for years," she said, laughing.
Her passion for beautifully crafting comfort food came later in life, as she would often find herself immersed in cook books and day dreaming of new recipes. The kitchen, once thought of as an overwhelming place, is now described as an, "adventure every single time."
"I am thrilled to be able to offer the community Egg," she said. "It's been my greatest adventure yet."
On Twitter @hcarroll_1
On Instagram @thesassy_banana