People once at breakfast for dinner, but didn't discuss that choice with friends and neighbors. The idea that someone might prefer morning foods to the hearty eats of nighttime was, if not controversial, than a revelation ripe for the tut-tut-ing.
But breakfast-all-day fans are tut'd no more. The pancake's profile is on the rise, from maple syrup perfumes to savory versions dotting the rosters of tony restaurants (and that's not even counting the continued reign of the scallion pancake, a stalwart of the classic Chinese appetizer menu).
IHOP, however, has always been in the pancake's corner, and in the corner of those who love free pancakes, too, as well as helping others. The country-big pancakery hosts a National Pancake Day every year, but this isn't just a catchy name to catch eyes: IHOP gives away free pancakes.
Note we said "pancakes" there, as in plural: You will indeed get a free short stack of pancakes, plural, as in multiple, if you go to any participating IHOP restaurant on Tuesday, March 3 "while supplies last."
If ever a phrase could inspire someone to rise earlier, for most any good giveaway, it is that one: while supplies last.
But March 3 isn't just about you, a short stack of pancakes, and your unopened wallet. It's about helping out, and always has been with this promotion. You'll get your gratis pancakes, but you'll also be asked to donate to the Children's Miracle Network Hospital and other children's hospitals as well as local charities.
The goal for 2015? Some $3,500,000 raised. "(N)early 16 million" has been raised "to support charities in the communities in which they operate" in past years.
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National Pancake Day started in 2006.
And if you're wondering if that short stack is buttermilk, of course it is. We live in an age of broad thinking where breakfast is concerned — breakfast for dinner, maple syrup perfume, and so forth — but sometimes that classic batter just hits the spot, regardless of the time of day you're pancaking it up.
