Every Season for Brunching

A special holiday or event is an excellent time for hosting a brunch. If you’re like me, sometimes just getting the house cleaned can be motivation enough for getting a social gathering together. Here are some tips that I like to use for hosting brunch at home and in restaurants:

Make your home beautiful and inviting: If your guests compliment you on your home, you can use those words for making positive conversations. You might even tell them about a home-project you’re involved in. Sharing opinions and experiences can turn a brunch into a memorable event.

If your guests drink coffee, make two pots, regular and decaf. I brew a fresh regular pot of coffee before they arrive, and hold off on turning the decaf on until I get some interest. Have tea available for them, and also make a picture of orange juice. For those who like to drink alcohol, Mimosas are often a brunch favorite. 

Place fresh flowers into a vase and put them on display. I’m a big fan of putting some music on in the house. If the party gets lively, you may want to put on some danceable tunes.

Egg-bakes, French Toast, pancakes, bacon and sausage can be left in a warm oven for eating when ready. Covering the dish or wrapping it in tin-foil can help it from drying out. Syrup can be heated in a microwave-safe pitcher or put into a warm-water-bath in a small sauce pan for heating it as well. Also, use a dish towel for taking syrup out of the water to prevent burning yourself.

A“pot-luck brunch” for friends and family can be easily thrown together. When you ask your guests what they’d like to bring, give them a few choices. That way, if they like to cook, they may choose one of the  more complex choices. If they are less inclined to “make” something, give them choices that are simple to pick up; things like orange juice, sweet breads, flowers, ect.

PS, I like to acknowledge people for bringing something, it’s a polite thing to do. It also reinforces “adulting.”

Restaurant for brunch: Meeting people at a restaurant for brunch can be very gratifying for a number of reasons: 

First off, each person in the party will be able to select their own preferred dish.

Secondly, when it’s time to settle the bill, It is now fairly common for attendees to use their own debit card to pay for their own meal (if paying “Dutch”**). Tell the server about your intentions. Many servers have figured out they'll usually make more tips that way than with one single check. Each person in the party needs to be aware of the amount they owe, plus “ball park*”amount for tax and tip. 

Lastly, good manners are required at restaurants, but cleaning up and doing the dishes are not.

*ball park - close but not specific

**Dutch - each person in a group pays for their own expenses