Brunches are lost on me. The massive display of food items, the alcohol-fueled, mid-morning weekend gorging are not my thing. And kind of ruins the whole idea of a resful weekend. The idea of a brunch, a combination of lunch and breakfast, sounds good at first. Eating at a reasonable hour, having a choice of anything to eat, and spending time with loved ones, family, or friends. Not to mention, brunch is usually served in a very nice hotel and environment. How could anyone not like that?
Easy, that is if you don't like to eat a lot. Having 16 choices of dishes, rashers of bacon, sausage, or ham, and piles and plates of pastries, fruit, side dishes and Mimosas galore is about as appealing as facing the freeway during rush hour. Love the idea of eating mid morning mind you, however too much food and too much drinking do not always lead to a good result. My personal problem, though it's not really a problem is I don't like to eat that much food. Preferring small portions, and much lighter food than is usually found at a brunch, I find it hard to face the prospects of a brunch invitation. Also, if I did drink with my meals, I wouldn't want to get sloshed at 10 or 11 on a Sunday morning. Something about that feels all wrong to me. Partly because it is traditionally Sabbath time, but more so because its' too early to drink alcohol. For me, a glass of alcohol in the morning would not go down well. And sitting at the brunch table with people who are overeating and drinking, can only end badly.
Are my opinions based on never having experienced the joys of a brunch? Not at all. Mine are based on my own experiences. When I used to go to brunch with my husband or with friends, I would initially be seduced by the aromas and artfully arranged pork products and the handsome chefs making omelettes to my exact taste. I would sip a Mimosa or two, and that would lead me into a haze of feeling bloated and woozy. Normally, I'd pile too much food on my plate, and then not be able to eat more than 3-4 bites of anything. Worse than not liking brunch is hating to waste food. Throwing out food is painful to me, because I think of all the starving people. I heard about them at my dinner table growing up (There are people in China starving who'd be grateful for what's on your plate) and I witnessed them myself on the streets and at the end of the month when my cupboards are as bare as my wallet. No, wasting food is high on my list of priorities of what not to do.
Too much food, too many choices, and too much waste. Often any alcohol is too much, especially at mid morning. That brings me to the residual fallout from brunches. The experiences that come to mind are none too pleasant. On one occasion, my husband (#1) and I were invited to play tennis with a couple who we thought were our friends. We met at their house for brunch, at which we were served Screwdrivers (the early version of Mimosas without the sugar). On the tennis court, we were beaten soundly...the result my husband declared of them "gettng us smashed before we hit the courts". Whether that was true or not, I will never know. At my 50th reunion, I didn't bring it up when I met the wife of that couple. Her husband had just died, and I didn't think it was the proper time to bring up old grievance.
Another chilling brunch event stands out in my mind. My husband (#2) and I used to enjoy driving out to the 'farmland' where a Hilton or Sheraton was on Sundays for the brunch. Normally, it had been fine. The day before he was set to leave the country for a stint in the military, we made the mistake of going to brunch. Due to the impending gloom of the separation that faced us, we both had too much to drink and probably weren't that interested in food, feeling instead the need to say everything we had to say before we ran out of time. Big mistake. All I remember is walking out on the golf course with him, taking my shoes off, and crying. I doubt I would have ended the brunch like that had alcohol not been involved. I'm such a lightweight when it comes to alcohol. Two small glasses of anything is way over my limit, so I abstain from drinking most of the time now.
When the topic of brunch appeared, I had no trouble coming up with examples of what a disaster brunches have been. I love going out to breakfast however, where I can pick and choose what I want without feeling any guilt. If by brunch you mean a late breakfast, then I think some of my favorite meals have been brunch, sans the buffet, sans the alcohol. The Park Pantry by Cherry Park in Long Beach used to have the best Huevos Rancheros. I have not found a place since that beats their wonderful breakfasts. Going out to breakfast with my Daughter has always been a favorite pastime. Going out with her family now still is. Better yet, making breakfast in the kitchen together and eating around our table, is the best place for any means. Brunch may be nice for many if not most, but for me, it's just not my cup of tea. Rather fix that cup of tea at home, and enjoy the ambiance of my own table or that of my family.
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