I Excel at Brunching

One of my very favorite things in the world is brunch. It’s not a meal. It’s a lifestyle. My last relationship actually started after one particularly memorable brunch with friends.

Flourless chocolate cake at Chez Oskar, my favorite summertime brunch spot

I love everything about it. You can eat breakfast foods and lunch foods and usually quite a bit of booze is involved. More than the food itself, what makes brunch one of my favorite occasions is the pace of the meal and sharing it with friends. On a Sunday morning, there are few things I enjoy more than quiet time around a table with close friends catching up with them and hearing about their weeks (and even more interesting weekends).

Some of my brunches have gone on for eight hours. It starts with the meal at the little French bistro then moves to a bar and ends at another restaurant over more food and drinks. The wee hours race to catch us. Even while going our separate ways home, we devolve into fits of giggles over texts with inside jokes and catchphrases from the day.

Me being broke and two friends who wanted to brunch equaled the perfect scenario to have people over to my new apartment for an impromptu get-together today. I moved into a garden-level apartment a few weeks ago, and now that I have a beautiful kitchen and a backyard, I’m really excited to have my home be the place where everyone loves to visit.

New Kitchen/Living Room and door to backyard

I let friends on Facebook and Twitter know my doors were open for brunch at 1:30 today and that it was potluck. It couldn’t have worked out better.

Arriving first was Emily, who I met through my friend Katie a couple of months ago. Since then, Emily and I have bonded over our love of cooking. She also lives in my neighborhood. She came bearing cold brewed Gorilla coffee, cupcakes and a delicious quiche.

Next my neighbor Rima came over. She brought all the fixings for pancakes, an espresso machine and a board game. I spent much of brunch obsessing over her moonboots.

My former roommate and friend Guilherme arrived with tons of sweet strawberries and blueberries for a fruit salad, and then he popped out to pick up some prosecco for us at Olivino, my neighborhood wine shop.

Katie came with everything you need to make brunch right, namely orange juice. She also brought crackers, goat cheese, honey and the essential eggs and bacon.

Topping off our bring-whatever-you-want brunch menu were the chocolate Donettes and two different kinds of bacon my friend and neighbor Patrice brought.

I scrambled the eggs and tossed the bacon in the oven so I didn’t have to constantly tend to it, and within minutes we had a full spread on the table and settled in for some conversation.

Happy Brunchers

It was wonderful to have everyone over and relax. Today was another example of not needing money, even in an expensive city like NYC, to have a great time. All you need are people whose company you enjoy, great food and enough time to really appreciate both.

Throw My Brunch

Soundtrack: “Hang On Little Tomato” by Pink Martini

Quiche: “Seriously Good Quiche” made by my friend Emily

Cupcakes: “Chocolate, Whiskey & Beer cupcakes” made by Emily, recipe by Smitten Kitchen

Libations: Ombra Prosecco

Dresscode: Sweatpants. (My favorites are these from Abercrombie & Fitch.)

That was my Sunday. How was yours?