So there I was, laying in bed listening to the rain and wind lashing at the windows, drawing the doona up around my chin, snuggling closely with my girl, daring each other to be the first to jump out and turn on the heater. The one imperative racing through my mind was the all important weekend staple - Brunch!
So many styles, so many flavours, so many options. So there we lay, procrastinating about the heater, figuring out our priorities for our soon to be fabulous dining experience. It's not just about the food. It's not just about the service, or the atmosphere - of even the coffee (but that's often a deal clincher!) but on a day like this, it's also the warmth, the cosiness - and how embracing a place can be.
I've little doubt that the places I think of at a time like this wont even enter my mind in six months time when I'm wanting a fresh breeze and openness, but that's despite the point! The all important matter with any good Brunch - is the here and now. I want to be on my way there within fifteen minutes of braving the non-doona world of Melbourne in the winter. I want to be there in spirit, if not body while I'm warming up in the shower - and I want to be drooling at the thought of holding that (almost) painfully hot cup of coffee in my hands, absorbing that wonderful aroma.
This - this is what brunch can, and should be! Of course it's a lot to live up to, and unfortunately there are too few places that can deliver on all counts. But I'm here to share with the hardcore brunchers out there - you know who you are! - in the hope that not only can I lead you onto a new place of worship, but also so that I can categorise and list my favourite places for future reference - because laying in that warm, snuggly bed on a cold and wintery Sunday morning, the brain doesn't work too well!
