McMuffin Inventor Dies

Herb Peterson

LOS ANGELES - Herb Peterson, who invented the ubiquitous Egg McMuffin as a way to introduce breakfast to McDonald's restaurants, has died, a Southern California McDonald's official said Wednesday. He was 89.
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He began his career with McDonald's Corp. as vice president of the company's advertising firm, D'Arcy Advertising, in Chicago. He wrote McDonald's first national advertising slogan, "Where Quality Starts Fresh Every Day."
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Peterson came up with idea for the signature McDonald's breakfast item in 1972. He "was very partial to eggs Benedict," Fraker said, and worked on creating something similar.

The egg sandwich consisted of an egg that had been formed in a Teflon circle with the yolk broken, topped with a slice of cheese and grilled Canadian bacon. It was served open-faced on a toasted and buttered English muffin.

The Egg McMuffin made its debut at a restaurant in Santa Barbara that Peterson co-owned with his son, David Peterson.
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Ahh memories..McDonalds was my first job. I worked at the one in Oak Park on Madison and Taylor and I remember them bringing in the Egg McMuffin a month or so after I started. Seemed weird that we would be serving breakfast at that time. Look at their freaking menu now!
Keep in mind we didnt even have a dining room or drive-up either.

Strangely enough, short of water, an egg mcmuffin is one of the healthiest things on the McDonalds menu.

and no one goes to McDonalds to eat healthy either

Cathy2 wrote:Herb PetersonHe began his career with McDonald's Corp. as vice president of the company's advertising firm, D'Arcy Advertising, in Chicago.

This doesn't make any sense to me. Who begins their career as the vice president of a major ad agency?

I don't necessarily doubt the D'Arcy connection (but I'm skeptical), but when I worked on the McDonald's account at NH&S, the only other agency we ever heard about was LeoB ... except for the many regional agencies.

His first connection with McDonald's was probably as the advertising executive for that account.

This story brought a tear to my eye. As I've confessed in person to a few folks around here, I love Egg McMuffins and generally have one every Friday for breakfast. They are, by far, my favorite item at McDonalds and pretty much the only one I eat.

Separately, from what I understand, McDonalds has plans to roll them out (along with their full breakfast menu) on an 'all day' basis later this year. Still, I'll try to limit myself to one per week, especially since I do -- from time to time -- make a rather unhealthy modification and sub out one of the muffin halves with a hash brown and make it into a personalized, breakfast demi-jibarito.

RIP Herb Peterson

=R=

I'm more of a Sausage McMuffin with Egg guy myself. Pretty much the best hangover cure ever.

Even though I am boycotting McDonalds, this is one of the 2 items(the other beign a Big Mac) I sometimes crave and makes my boycott tough at times.

RIP

Growing up, my folks loved to travel with us, but budgetary constraints meant that most family vacations involved driving cross country (this being the days before $4 gasoline). As such, all of my childhood vacation memories start out with me, bleary-eyed in the backseat of the car at the crack of dawn, the old NPR morning news musical sting playing on the radio, Egg McMuffin in hand. Because of this, though I'll grab a lunch or dinner there on occasion for convenience's sake, like Ronnie, the Egg McMuffin is the only item at McDonald's for which I possess genuine affection. I don't start a road trip without one.

Cathy2 wrote:He "was very partial to eggs Benedict," Fraker said, and worked on creating something similar.

I'm also an Egg McMuffin and hash browns fan, but I do think it's a pity Peterson decided to dispense with the hollandaise sauce.

I also have a sentimental connection to the Egg McMuffin, or as my brother and I call it, the "Eggamoofin," which is how it was requested by the members of Mexican landscaping crews who came into the Highland Park McDonalds first thing in the morning, the summer that my brother and I worked the opening shift there.

Rest in peace, Eggamoofin Man, and thank you.

A brief ode to the Egg McMuffin, by restaurant critic Phil Vettel

http://www.chicagotribune.com/dining/ct ... story.html

Posting here because it's as good a place as any -- Serious Eats' recipe/technique for a home-cooked Egg McMuffin, while kind of defeating the purpose ("Cook what you can have in 15 seconds at the drive-thru in 15 short minutes at home!"), is great.

Meh. Breakfast Jacks are 100% better, IMO. McMuffins are too starchy.

Your starch problem is easily solved in multiple ways.

Take off the top muffin portion. If you use the paper wrapping as a holder this remains a clean one handed eat.

Order with an extra egg for about 90 cents.

Do both of the above.

This is much quicker than driving three hours to get to the nearest JITB.

I am entirely with Phil Vettel here. I tell everyone I know at least once that I think the Egg McMuffin is perhaps the greatest fast food invention ever. I don't get to have one as often as I'd like --though maybe now with McDonald's serving breakfast all day, I could fix that.