A Guide to Eggs Benedict and Snooze Bennys

Eggs Benedict has a simple foundation: poached eggs, a toasted bread base, something savory underneath and hollandaise over the top.

The classic version uses an English muffin and ham or Canadian bacon, but that basic structure leaves plenty of room to change the dish. Swap the ham for smoked salmon. Add avocado and tomatoes. Change the bread. Change the hollandaise. The result can taste completely different while still being recognizably Eggs Benedict.

At Snooze, an A.M. Eatery, those variations are called Bennys.

The current Snooze menu takes the Benedict format in several directions, from a ham version that stays close to the classic to Bennys built around avocado, smoked salmon and prosciutto.

Why Eggs Benedict Works So Well

A good Benedict brings together several textures and flavors at once.

The bread provides a toasted base sturdy enough to hold the rest of the dish. The savory layer adds salt and depth. A poached egg brings a soft yolk that runs into the other ingredients when cut. Hollandaise adds richness and enough acidity to keep everything balanced.

That combination is also why Benedicts are so easy to adapt.

The bread does not have to be an English muffin. The savory layer does not have to be ham. Hollandaise can be flavored differently depending on what sits underneath it.

As long as the pieces work together, the basic idea survives.

Snooze uses that flexibility throughout its Benny menu.

Ham Benedict III: The Closest to the Classic

If you want to start with the version most closely related to traditional Eggs Benedict, the Ham Benedict III is the obvious choice.

Snooze layers shaved ham and poached cage-free eggs over a toasted English muffin and finishes the dish with house-made smoked cheddar hollandaise.

The structure is familiar: muffin, ham, eggs and hollandaise.

The smoked cheddar hollandaise is where Snooze makes it its own. It adds a deeper savory flavor than a standard hollandaise while keeping the creamy sauce that makes a Benedict a Benedict.

This is a good place to start if you like the traditional dish but want to see how Snooze approaches it.

Smashed Avocado Benny: A Meatless Take

The Smashed Avocado Benny changes the classic in two important ways.

First, the ham is gone. Smashed avocado takes its place.

Second, the standard English muffin becomes a crispy Parmesan English muffin.

Snooze adds seasoned tomatoes and poached cage-free eggs, then finishes the Benny with smoked cheddar hollandaise and everything spice.

Avocado works well here because it has enough richness to stand underneath a poached egg without needing meat. Tomatoes add some brightness, while the Parmesan muffin adds salt and texture.

It is clearly related to traditional Eggs Benedict, but it does not taste like someone simply removed the ham from the plate.

Smoked Salmon Benny: A Different Breakfast Tradition

The Smoked Salmon Benny brings together Eggs Benedict with another familiar breakfast combination: smoked salmon, bread and cream cheese.

Snooze starts with toasted focaccia brushed with olive oil. Herbed cream cheese, smoked salmon and poached cage-free eggs go on top, followed by cream cheese hollandaise, pickled red onions and lemon olive gremolata.

There is a lot happening in that combination, but the ingredients make sense together.

The smoked salmon contributes salt and richness. Cream cheese works naturally with the salmon. Pickled red onions and lemon add acidity, which helps balance the richer ingredients.

Even the bread changes. Focaccia gives the dish a softer, broader base than an English muffin and makes this Benny feel substantially different from the Ham Benedict III.

If smoked salmon is already one of your favorite breakfast choices, this is probably the Benny that makes the most immediate sense.

Bella! Bella! Benny: Prosciutto, Cheese and Balsamic

The Bella! Bella! Benny takes the Benedict format in an Italian-inspired direction.

Sliced prosciutto, melted Italian cheese and poached cage-free eggs are served over toasted rustic bread. Snooze adds cream cheese hollandaise, balsamic glaze and Parmesan-dressed arugula.

Prosciutto fills the savory role that ham traditionally occupies, but the rest of the ingredients move the dish somewhere new.

Balsamic provides sweetness and acidity. Arugula adds freshness and a slightly peppery edge. Italian cheese and cream cheese hollandaise make the center of the dish richer.

It is a good example of why Eggs Benedict has become such a flexible brunch format. The ingredients can change substantially without losing the structure that holds the dish together.

Smoked Cheddar or Cream Cheese Hollandaise?

One of the more interesting differences among Snooze Bennys is the sauce.

The Ham Benedict III and Smashed Avocado Benny use smoked cheddar hollandaise.

The Smoked Salmon Benny and Bella! Bella! Benny use cream cheese hollandaise.

That choice follows the rest of the plate.

Smoked cheddar works naturally with ham and the Parmesan-and-avocado combination. Cream cheese fits the smoked salmon especially well and also works with the prosciutto and Italian cheese in the Bella! Bella! Benny.

The hollandaise is not just the same finishing sauce poured over four different dishes. Snooze changes it to match the other ingredients.

Can't Decide? That's What the Benny Duo Is For

The Benny Duo lets you choose half-orders of two different Snooze Bennys.

That is particularly useful because the four Bennys are not minor variations of one another.

You could compare the more traditional Ham Benedict III with the meatless Smashed Avocado Benny.

Or pair the Ham Benedict III with the Smoked Salmon Benny and compare two completely different combinations of bread, protein and hollandaise.

The Bella! Bella! Benny adds another direction with prosciutto, Italian cheese and balsamic.

Instead of committing to one style, the Duo lets you see how differently the same Benedict format can be built.

What Goes Well With a Benny?

A Benny already gives you eggs, bread, sauce and a substantial savory component, so it pairs well with something that takes breakfast in another direction.

Hash browns are an obvious choice if you want a traditional breakfast side. Fruit can add something fresher.

If the table wants something sweet too, Snooze's Pancake Flight lets you choose three pancake flavors and share them alongside the savory dishes.

That combination works especially well for brunch because nobody has to choose between Eggs Benedict and pancakes.

Coffee keeps things straightforward. Snooze also serves mimosas, Bloody Marys and other brunch cocktails when the meal is heading in that direction.

Find Your Benny at Snooze

The Snooze Benny menu starts with a familiar brunch classic and gives you four noticeably different ways to order it.

Choose the Ham Benedict III for shaved ham, an English muffin and smoked cheddar hollandaise. The Smashed Avocado Benny swaps the meat for avocado, tomatoes and a Parmesan English muffin. The Smoked Salmon Benny brings together focaccia, herbed cream cheese, smoked salmon and cream cheese hollandaise. The Bella! Bella! Benny uses prosciutto, Italian cheese, balsamic and arugula.

Or order the Benny Duo and try two.And if somebody at the table is not in the mood for a Benny, Snooze also serves Pancake Flights, French toast, omelets, breakfast burritos, breakfast tacos, hashes, lighter fare and lunch choices, so everyone can take breakfast or brunch in a different direction.