n. The universally acknowledged pleasure that is sitting down to a sweet and savory meal aided by copious amounts of beverages (usually caffeinated or alcoholic). Example: the following recipes, tips, and attire.
The best thing since sliced bread: buttermilk biscuits at Tasty n Sons in Portland, Oregon. Stop by any time of day (even happy hour) for a Bambino Plate with scrambled eggs, bacon, honey butter, and chef Kyle Prewitt’s flaky baked goodness, or try to recreate the biscuits at home.
Get the recipe.
For inspiration, pick up a copy of Sundays Are for Lovers, from publisher Lines & Shapes. Curated and conceptualized by art director/stylist Maria Vettese, it’s a charming collection of stories, photographs, and expressions of how indie artists, designers, photographers, and writers (selected by Vettese) spend their Sundays.
Available at linesandshapesconnectus.com, $30.
Since it’s technically two meals, brunch should stick to your ribs. We consulted with chef Tanya Holland of Oakland’s Brown Sugar Kitchen for a soulful meal that’ll have you rejoicing.
Get the recipe.
Since eggy can equal messy, wrap your mitts around a sweet cotton and linen apron or dishrag. Bonus: When it’s time to throw in the proverbial towel, each item is 100 percent compostable.
Available online at etsy.com, $15-$96.
Chicago-based food fanatic Melissa Skoog Dunagan gave us a classic recipe, and then she did us one better: a vanilla-orange Grand Marnier sauce that is all the better to drizzle with.
Get the recipes.
Steps to an artistic brunch: Use celery stalks to stamp floral patterns onto napkins. Drape said napkins over each guest’s lap. Ply with eggs and booze accordingly.
Get the directions.
Even at brunch, the cheese needn’t stand alone. We turned to Norbert Wabnig from the world-famous Cheese Store of Beverly Hills for some eggcellent selections. Get a couple (Vacherin Fribourgeois, Sottocenare al Tartufo) shipped to you and look out for the rest at your local cheese shop.
Find out more.
The simple, shin-dusting apron has an extra-large pocket to keep cooking tools directly on your person. Plus, any splattered egg blends right into the sunny yellow plaid.
Available online at shophorne.com, $55.
It may be small, but don’t worry: A tiny lime green espresso server will get you (and guests) more than a little caffeinated.
Available online at surlatable.com, $229.
You might not have a repertoire of delicious brunch delicacies at your fingertips, but you know how to ask those who do. Brooklyn-based food-styling duo The Jewels of New York share their recipe (achievable with your own two hands) for soft-boiled eggs with savory cheese-flecked ramp and mushroom toast.
We’re already fans of the healthy baking mixes, and now new, vegan, gluten-free granola is the building block for the perfect parfait. Have a crunchy good time with pumpkin fig, cranberry pecan, or original.
Available online at purelyelizabeth.com, $8.
Jacaranda’s online boutique is filled with sustainable items from Mexico and Central and South America. Our most favorite (so much so we were hesitant to share) are the Otomi fabrics. Available in orange, teal, yellow, pink, navy, and lime green, they make beautiful tablecloths, coverlets, and upholsteries. Other notable wares include traditional El Palomar dishes, which undergo two firings and are then painted with pretty designs.
Available at jacarandahome.com, $18-$512.
Send guests off with a bag of almond kisses from Blackbird Bakery chef Karen Morgan. The gluten-free treats are made with only five ingredients, so they’re simple enough to bake at home but don’t sacrifice on taste.
Available at borders.com, $17.
Traditional tea service is refined, but your serving set need not be. Portly teapots and cups from Swedish designer Jonas Wagell in jaunty yellow or classic white don’t require pinkies in the air.
Available online at aplusrstore.com, $39-$99.
These all-natural blueberry chicken sausages ring in at a mere 60 calories each and are full of smoky ground chicken breast, wild blueberries, and a hint of pure Vermont maple syrup. They’re a little sweet, a little salty, quite juicy, and still savory enough to qualify as meaty. Serve them as a side dish or use them in breakfast pudding.
Available at costore.com, $5.
The single-origin loose leaves from Damn Fine Tea come in tins with cool screen-printed labels. Head to the site for explicit instructions on how to best serve each varietal.
Available at damnfinetea.com, $48 for three tins.
Replace ordinary condiments with a bowl of spicy sauce by Nathan Anda, curemaster behind Red Apron Butchery. Those bland, soggy eggs won’t know what hit them.
Get the recipe.
For a relaxed postsleepover meal, opt for Mulmul, a new, all-white line of loungewear that’s comfortable, pretty, and can easily pass as street clothes. Embellishments — beading, embroidery — show up throughout. Just make sure to layer.
Available at mulmulstore.com, $65-$385.
Drop a wild hibiscus bud into a champers-filled flute and watch tiny bubbles stream off the opening petals. Down your drink, and you’re left with a beautiful bloom you can eat. (Really. It tastes like raspberry and rhubarb.) You can also put the buds in cocktails, soda water, and lemonade.
Available at wildhibiscus.com, $11-$35.
Portland, Oregon-based ceramicist Lisa Jones takes a clean, modern approach to handmade, turning out a nearly all-white collection of indoor and outdoor delights. The glazed sugar and creamer add simple elegance to your breakfast table.
Available at pigeontoeceramics.com, $84 for the set.
No one makes French toast like she does. But you can sure as hell try. (She may have borrowed from Cooking Light, but who’re we to judge?) Try her recipe and taste for yourself.
Put the phrase “good enough to eat off of” to shame. Your culinary creations will fight for prominence on any of the platters recommended by foodie blogger Melissa Skoog Dunagan of On My Plate. They run the gamut from ornate to modern.
See her picks.
You know what really spoils an elegant brunch? Accidentally hitting someone in the face with the cork as you open a bottle of bubbly. Don’t take chances. Watch our video tutorial starring Patrick Watson, owner of Brooklyn Wine Exchange.
For classy affairs, meet guests at the door in Samantha Pleet’s floral frock from the aptly named dress boutique Sunday Brunch. The site’s selection includes pieces from some of our favorites: Rachel Antonoff, Lorick, and Heidi Merrick.
Available at sundaybrunchdress.com, $379.
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