The definition of "brunch": Obligatory social occasion for which one must stand in long lines for overpriced eggs on a pre-packaged English muffin. Although it seems so very New York, the mash-up of breakfast and lunch actually originated in England around 1896, when Punch magazine informed readers that "to be fashionable nowadays, we must 'brunch.' " How things change, and how they stay the same. It's appropriate, then, that our favorite new brunch is served by British gastropub The Clerkenwell, where you can choose a very fine full English breakfast, bangers and all, or bubble and squeak (fried patties of mashed potatoes and cabbage) decorated with a fried egg.