Is Coffee Your Favorite Dish at Breakfast Restaurants?
Is a cup of joe your go-to dish at breakfast restaurants?
While it is generally agreed upon that eating breakfast is the best way to start your day, many might argue that the best dish at breakfast restaurants or at home is a mug of hot coffee. The numbers seem to agree with this idea when you consider that that 65% of the total coffee consumption in America takes place during breakfast hours. The first literary reference to coffee being consumed in North America was in 1668 and the rich, aromatic beverage quickly became the drink of choice.
It is no secret that Americans are addicted to coffee. We spend $18 billion dollars a year on specialty coffee in this country. Not only do we love the caffeine kick-start, the drink has become a ritual and experience all on its own. Just how much do American love coffee? Here are a few statistics to think about while enjoying a cup at breakfast restaurants, at home or on the road.
- 54% of Americans over the age of 18 drink coffee every day
- The average drinker consumes 3.1 (9-ounce) cups per day
- 30 million daily drinkers consume specialty beverages (latte, mocha, etc.)
- 60% of American coffee drinkers claim to need a cup to start their day
- 54 % of coffee drinkers say it makes them feel more like their self
- 68% of coffee drinkers have a cup within the first hour of waking up
- 30% is consumed between meals
- $4 billion a year is spent importing coffee into the United States
- 65 % of coffee drinkers add cream and/or sugar
Food Battle: Bacon vs. Breakfast Sausage
What is better, sausage or bacon?
When it comes to the battle of the breakfast meats, bacon vs. breakfast sausage, which team are you rooting for? When you take into account that 908 million pounds of bacon were sold in 2015, you might think that Team Bacon comes out on top. However, a 2016 Harris Poll conducted for the National Hot Dog and Sausage Council found that a majority of Americans, 89% of the respondents, favor sausage overall. The poll found a wide variety in the types of sausage that American diners prefer – Italian and patties tied for favorite among respondents at 20% each with breakfast links at 15% and bratwurst at 12%.
But let’s not diminish the role that bacon plays in our hearts and on the table. 2015 sales of the cured meat totaled $4.21 billion, according to the North American Meat Institute. This was a 5.4% year-over-year increase in sales. And in a survey conducted by pork supplier Smithfield, 65% of people said they would support a petition that declared bacon as America’s national food.
Going back to Team Sausage, from 2011 to 2016, sausage consumption in America steadily rose from 231.88 million consumers to 246.81 million, according to a 2016 Simmons Profile Report.
When it comes to the bacon vs. breakfast sausage battle, at The Original Pancake House in Denver we won’t choose sides because we love them both. We offer a number of delicious choices including honey cured bacon, turkey sausage, and our special recipe sausage patties and links. Visit us soon to taste them and pick a team if you dare!
Veterans Day - Honoring Those Who Serve
What is Veterans Day? Veterans Day falls on November 11 every year. Originally called Armistice Day and marking the end of World War I, the date was first observed in the US on November 11, 1919 on the first anniversary of the end of the first World War. In 1926, Congress passed a resolution to change the name from Armistice Day to Veterans Day which is the national holiday that we observe each year on November 11.
Here are some interesting facts about Veterans Day:
- Whereas Memorial Day serves as a day of remembrance for those who died in service, Veterans Day is a day to honor those who served honorably, both living and dead.
- Veterans Day occurs on November 11 every year in the United States.
- In 1954, President Dwight D. Eisenhower officially changed the name of the holiday from Armistice Day to Veterans Day.
- Great Britain, France, Australia and Canada also commemorate the veterans of World War I and World War II on or near November 11th: Canada has Remembrance Day, while Britain has Remembrance Sunday (the second Sunday of November).
- In Europe and Great Britain it is common to observe two minutes of silence at 11 a.m. every November 11 as World War I formally ended on November 11th, at the 11th hour.
- Arlington Cemetery hosts a memorial ceremony on Veterans Day each year to honor all who died in war.
- Today there are about 24 million veterans living in the United States.
- Of those veterans, 35% served in the Vietnam War and 8% are women.
At The Original Pancake House in Denver, we are so thankful for the service of all our Veterans. On November 11, we will honor our Veterans and salute their valiant efforts to protect our country. Here’s to you, Veterans! Happy Veterans Day!
Green Chile: The Darling of Denver Restaurants
Menus at Denver restaurants aren’t complete without this local favorite.
No matter what breakfast restaurant you go to anywhere in America, there are some dishes that will undoubtedly appear on every single menu. Pancakes, French toast, waffles, and omelettes, to name just a few. But every breakfast restaurant is bound to have a few signature dishes that are local or regional specialties. If you dine out at Denver restaurants, you know that you will find green chile on a lot of menus. Green chile (or chili) is a specialty of New Mexico, and by proximity, the Rocky Mountain region. No menu at Denver restaurants is complete without at least one item featuring this delicious, spicy concoction. If you order huevos rancheros in Denver, you can bet the eggs will be smothered in green chile. As will your breakfast burrito. When you come to The Original Pancake House, you’ll find it on top of the Green Chile Eggs Benedict, along with tomato, avocado, chorizo sausage and pepper jack cheese.
Chile peppers, both red and green, are a staple of New Mexican cuisine. While red chile in its sauce form is generally used for covering enchiladas, burritos and more, green chile is hearty and often doubles as both sauce and as a soup or stew. Chile peppers, which are technically a fruit, have been around for thousands of years. They were used by the Inca, Mayan and Aztec civilizations in both culinary and medicinal applications. It is generally believed that Columbus first encountered chiles in the Caribbean and the curious spicy pepper was brought back to Spain by the ships doctor Diego Alvarez Chanco, who first wrote of their medicinal properties in 1494.
Today chile peppers are a major industry in New Mexico and the Hatch Valley is renowned for its production of the Hatch chile, a hybrid of the Chile Negro, Chile Colorado and Chile Pasilla. It was created by horticulturist Fabian Garcia after 10 years of experimenting to find the perfect chile and was originally known as New Mexico Chile No. 9. Chile-heads around the globe owe Mr. Garcia a great deal of thanks, as do patrons of Denver restaurants when they dig into a bowl of green chile, or enjoy something smothered with the iconic sauce.
