WCCO Viewers' Choice For Best Eggs Benedict In Minnesota

HUTCHINSON, Minn. (WCCO) -- It's one of the most popular, and indulgent, meals you can order for breakfast: Eggs Benedict is salty, savory and satisfying. So we wanted to find the best Minnesota has to offer.

You voted for McCormick's Family Restaurant in Hutchinson.

Emmet McCormick is living life on the sunny side, according to his son Joe.

"I've never seen him have a bad day, honest to God," Joe McCormick said. "He wakes up every morning excited about the day. Imagine if everybody lived that way!"

Most of those days start at McCormick's Family restaurant, which he owns.

"When he's here, he goes around and meets everybody and gets to know their story. They come to see him. They love our food, but they enjoy talking to my dad," said Joe McCormick.

"Everything is homemade here, including me," Emmet said.

They've been serving wholesome, homemade food in Hutchinson since 1981. That includes the eggs Benedict - voted best of Minnesota. It's the classic recipe: toasted English muffin, thick cut of ham, soft yolk eggs and the most important ingredient: hollandaise sauce.

"We don't just drizzle the hollandaise, we cover it. Every bite you get hollandaise," Joe said.

"It is so good," Emmet said. "If they have hash browns, they'll put it over their hash browns, and it is really good. We use real butter and we make it fresh every day. It isn't something carried over. It has no preservatives in it."

At 81 years old, Emmet pours himself not only into his restaurant, but his many other businesses, too.

"I was in the farming business for 50 years. I was in the John Deere business for 40 years. I worked in the chemical business for six years," he said. "I know you're going to say, 'That adds up to a lot of years!'"

But few businessmen get ahead without taking risks, like when Emmet and his twin brother joined the service.

"This is the first time I was in a plane. I had to jump out of that plane right there," Emmet said, pointing to a picture. "I was in the Army paratroopers and Army Rangers. That taught me a lot. That set me up for life, because it disciplined me."

Running his businesses has its challenges, but losing his twin brother was perhaps his biggest test.

"I used to say 'God, you're the only way I'm going to make it.' And I did," Emmet said.

Emmet hasn't stopped taking leaps, but now they are leaps of faith in business and in life.

"I always say I've never worked a day in my life because I've had fun," he said.

McCormick's Family restaurant serves eggs Benedict all day, every day. They also have a bakery on-site.

Your other favorites are at Fat Nat's Eggs in New Hope and Good Day Cafe in Golden Valley.