7 ways you’re doing brunch wrong, according to culinary experts

If there is any subject that divides the United States besides politics, it’s brunch. Many Americans view it as a world of tabletop dancing, notably loud, Instagram-obsessed citizens that is incomplete unless it’s preceded by the word “bottomless”. Others see it as the world’s most social meal, an opportunity to eat runny eggs, bacon and day-drink spicy Bloody Marys with an afternoon to recover, or to prolong the party.

The year’s biggest brunch holiday is Mother’s Day. The National Restaurant Association reported that 92 million Americans dined out last Mother’s Day; a quarter of them went to brunch. (Mother’s Day is the No 1 sales day for local restaurants around the country, according to the small business software company womply.com, with venues experiencing a 64 per cent increase in sales.)

New York is a famously brunch-obsessed city, and many regard Bubby’s as the best location in town. Chef and owner Ron Silver opened the flagship location in Tribeca in 1990, offering only breakfast and lunch. “My first customer was Isabella Rossellini; my second customer was Blondie [Debbie Harry], and my third was Cindy Lauper,” recounts Silver. “The next day, my first customer was [John F. Kennedy Jnr]” Bubby’s remains a brunch destination for such people as Chrissy Teigen, who took husband John Legend there and applauded its chicken and pancakes.

Mother’s Day is certainly the biggest brunch day of the year for Silver and his wife Melissa: They serve about 950 guests in Tribeca and 995 at their High Line outpost (about 100 people more than on average Sundays). Experts that they are, the Silvers hereby offer a list of “dos and don’ts” to help guests avoid trouble at brunch.

1 . You arrive hungry

Unless you’ve set an alarm so you’re sure to be the first inside when the doors open, you probably won’t sit down immediately at the best brunch spots, which often do not accept reservations. “Our average wait for brunch between 11am and 1pm is 45 minutes. We offer seasonal refreshment: hot cider in the winter, maple water in the spring, pink lemonade in the summer. But if you’re hung over, that waiting time feels multiplied. So bring nuts.”