Rise and shine, friends – it’s the early hour of twelve noon; time to seize the day! Shake off that Saturday night hangover, crack open an egg or two, and make yourself that latte. Because today is Sunday, and Sundays are for brunch.
Brunch is more than a meal or a time of day. Neither breakfast nor lunch, but a delectable common ground – a happy medium comfortably in the middle of the two that calls for our attendance at the start of each week.
Indeed, we go for the food: warm bagels and croissants, soft waffles and pancakes oozing with maple syrup, fluffy golden omelets, steaming coffee, and OJ (with a generous splash of champagne mixed in if you’re feeling adventurous). But, we stay for the conversation, the company, and the presence of those around us engaging in the same weekly ritual.
Whether dining with family or toasting with friends, eating in bed with the Mr. or Mrs., or feasting solo – Sunday brunch is a time to converse and connect, with others and even with ourselves.
On this day each week, we’re given the chance to see loved ones around the table, meet fresh faces in line for coffee, and to even spend time refreshingly on our own – to soak in the last bit of the weekend and to reflect upon the coming of the new week.
Regardless of who we’re breaking bread with, food is our common ground, a universal experience that transcends any distinctions that lie between us. While, naturally, we all eat on every day of the week, Sunday brunch in particular elevates what would normally be an ordinary meal to a special event, presenting us with an occasion to come together.
Sitting at Sant Amrboeus West Village today, I looked around and saw multiple exchanges being made between a variety of people as they brunched under the same ceiling: a mother and father trying to get their baby twins to eat (and to stop crying), a couple intimately conversing in a corner booth by the window facing West 4th Street, a group of girlfriends clinking glasses, and a man on his laptop at the bar peacefully sipping on his mug while making small talk with the bartender.
Ultimately, behind the butter, jam, and bottomless mimosas, are people – people with their own distinct stories that come from different backgrounds, cultures, homes, and walks of life. But as it seems, Sunday Brunch leads us to engage in the same, unified activity collectively.
So, with that – bon appetite and bottoms up! Here’s to a fresh day and a new week, to the savory dishes we eat, and the conversations that come along with them that bring us all together.
Sant Ambroeus West Village – 259 West 4th Street, New York, NY 10014
