How I Feel About Brunch

Brunch is certainly popular these days – seems like you can’t even go a single weekend day without seeing pictures of your friends brunching left and right.  Many of my friends have asked me how I feel about brunch as a culinary professional; they wonder whether or not reducing the number of meals in a day is bothersome to me.
Here’s the truth: I think brunch is wonderful.  I really like brunch for the purpose of having family and friends over for a short time in the mid-day.  Brunch is really nice because it frees up the evenings and isn’t so early that you can’t sleep in.  Also, brunch is a really nice change of pace and a great way to leisurely catch up with friends and family over a good meal.
Here’s the thing I don’t like about brunch: potlucks.  As a chef, I think it’s better that someone is completely in charge of the entire brunch operation from start to finish.  Some people like to assign different dishes to people to bring, but I think that can go wrong unless you explicitly state which exact dish needs to be brought.  The other thing I don’t like about brunch is the bottomless beverages – I think that’s a complete recipe for disaster! When I go to brunch, I generally expect there to be bloody mary’s or mimosas, because that’s just part of the culture.  However, the whole point of brunch is to eat and socialize!  You can’t easily do that when you’ve had too much to drink!
If you’re hosting a brunch for the first time, you should note that presentation is extremely important.  Usually, the brunch items are displayed and served buffet-style.  Therefore, you should try to make your presentation as impressive as possible.  Also, you should note the proper brunch time if you’re hosting for the first time. The best time for brunch, in my opinion, is to start around 11:00AM or 11:30AM.  You’ll usually find people going home around 2:00PM, with some staying a little later and some leaving a little earlier.
Also, one last tip of advice: If you brunch every month, I think you’re doing it too much.  Brunch is meant to be on a special occasion such as Mother’s Day or Easter.  Some people even do it for friend reunions, which is fine as well.  The important thing is to not do it too often but to really enjoy it when you do.
My top three brunch staples are: quiche, salad and eggs benedict.  What are yours?