After searching on Google for “Brunch spots in Milwaukee” and receiving 1,280,000 entries, it was obvious that I was going to need a bit of help. Enter Dan Sidner, Founder and Co-Owner of the Black Shoe Hospitality Group. They run Blues Egg, Story Hill BKC (See photos), and Buttermint Fine Dining.
So how did this brunch idea start?
Dan explains, “It’s decidedly an American term. Southerners lay claim to it, and New Yorkers lay claim to it. New Yorkers say it came out of coming off of big nights of partying, and the later meal that was both kind of a start and end to the day. Southerners talk about how it was coming off of fasting and that after church, people would have the meal. There’s also an argument that it had to do with some of the hunting traditions.”
As for the term, according to the Smithsonian, the word “brunch” the blending of Breakfast and Lunch—first appeared in print in an 1895 Hunter’s Weekly article by British author Guy Beringer. He suggested an alternative to the heavy, post-church Sunday meals in favor of lighter fare served late in the morning.
That has since evolved to less a “lighter fare” meal to an all-out food extravaganza!
I had brunch at Story Hill BKC and it was truly wonderful. Black Shoe Hospitality has moved away from the familiar Brunch Buffet and gone with more of an a la carte format, but it’s not lacking for quantity or quality. Make sure to have the quintessential Mimosa or Bloody Mary if you stop by.
Happy Mother’s Day!