I started brunching almost 4 years ago. It was a shy start - the discovery of a kind of meal I had never considered before and I found myself enjoying quite a lot.
It picked up slowly - some Saturdays with friends, somewhere convenient near wherever we were going to hang out, maybe a lazy Sunday here and there. I liked it more and more and, when I met my partner, it just exploded.
For the last couple of years, there hasn’t been a weekend without at least one brunch. There have been weekends with more than two.
There have been poached eggs on toast and full English-es, Turkish-inspired, Mediterranean-influenced, wholeheartedly Scandi. There have been granolas and shakshukas, smashed avo on sourdough, hard boiled eggs with bread soldiers, breakfast waffles, crêpes and stacks of pancakes, rostis, omelettes and a brutal amount of hash browns. Lots and lots of cake.
I reviewed each and every one of the places I went to until they started to pile and now I play catch-up, but I still sit down with my phone, check the pictures to upload the best ones (captions and all) and write long-ish, pondered reviews about the things I value when I enjoy this best-of-the-meals-that-ever-were-or-will-be.
Why? Because local places deserve it. Because I don’t want a world of big, corporate franchises without character or variety. And because I like to help people find places they’ll enjoy and remember just as much as I do.
I value friendly, helpful staff first and foremost. The kind of people that make of a new place a familiar hangout. People that enjoy their work, being around clients and colleagues, laid back, no-rushed, attentive without being overbearing. Happy.
I value places that are accessible to everyone, or that try their best to accommodate different mobility needs and diets. Places that care about local produce, in-house baked bread or cakes, own coffee blends, sustainable ways. Places that feel cozy and warm, spacious, well lit. Hygge.
I value good food prepared with passion. Exciting combinations of flavours and textures, good old classics with a twist, perfect poached eggs, crunchy hash browns, scrumptious cakes. Seasonal menus that change regularly but know to keep well loved dishes in. The kind of bites that make my chef best friend and I nod an ‘oh, man’. Lush.
I want people who value these things to find places they already love but they haven’t yet found. I review them on Google, because I love a great brunch.