Coffee and a Conversation
As Told Over Brunch is a home for intelligent discourse from the twenty-something perspective - so the stuff you gossip about over mimosas on Sunday morning or over takeout on your friend's couch when happy hour ends too early. We love chatting about our lives, whether it be the relationships we’re building (or destroying), lessons we've learned at work, struggles at school, growing pains we've felt, or even the food we’re talking over.
It’s time for us to come together for our restaurants.
Our restaurants, who accepted us as the disheveled, hungover messes of our early twenties. Our restaurants, who hosted us as we celebrated countless birthdays. Our restaurants, who have supported our charitable endeavors, donating food, money and time to charities like VCU Massey Cancer Center.
Read MoreWho's on first?...Yes...I mean the fellow on first?...Who.
That is my first impression of Lunch. I told people we were going to Lunch, and then we went in circles until everyone finally figured out that we were in fact going to brunch at a place named Lunch.
Confusion -- and a major hangover -- aside, the trip to Lunch for brunch was excellent. First off, who knew such a quaint and delicious haven was so close to my house? I didn't. We got there at the perfect time, with one table left right in the center of the restaurant for us.
The restaurant itself was tiny, but perfect. There was a big pig made of license plates above us, with a little bar to the left and just a few tables circling us. What a great, central location for someone who thought their head was exploding. Anyways, the waitress was great and kept my adorable mason jar of water full at (almost) all times.
Read MoreA few weeks ago, I got invited to a networking event. For the first hour, there would be an open bar. Of course, there was no liquor, which is my weapon of choice, but red wine would do. I needed to meet people.
The end of the hour drew near. I made my way back to the bar. The bartender had gone missing, but I noticed two glasses by the register—a glass of red and a glass of white.
A friend drew my attention. By the time the conversation ended, the hour had passed. The bartender asked for my credit card. I spotted the two glasses still there.
Read MoreI just got back from The Fresh Expo. There were all-natural dog food places, organic juice stands, nutrition stuff, workout supplies and bicycle safety materials for kids. While it was not my typical 'scene', I did get lots of swag and some food. A lot of the booths seemed to be selling herbal, all natural, organic, witch-doctor (kidding -- at least I don't think I met any witches unfortunately) stuff.
Read MoreBack in September, I said I was going to use every spice in my fancy new spice rack. As of the conclusion of 2016, I had not yet started that project. So I made a resolution to make a recipe once a month with one of the spices.
While I was good at googling recipes that included celery salt, I had a tough time remembering to buy those supplies once I got to the store. Instead of letting this set-back ruin my goal, I took matters into my own hands. I made my own recipe, cleverly titled 'Sara's Soup Recipe,' from my research that celery salt is good for dumping into soups.
Read MoreFor a recent blog post, I asked my friends for times I have said too much in a conversation. My friend Justin responded, “When don’t you? You need to blog about all the times you’re a cheapskate.”
I decided he’s exactly right. After all, I went to Copenhagen, Denmark for $470 and refused to purchase a seat assignment or luggage, meaning I only brought 11 lbs. onto the plane with me just because I didn’t want to pay the additional fares. At $470, I think I could have afforded fees.
I doubt I’m the only twenty-something who still insists on pregames. But I really should stop calling them pregames. It’s more like, “This is the game.” At the bar I never get a drink.
Read MoreIf any of you are How I Met Your Mother fans, you know about Barney's perfect week. For those of you who don't, the perfect week is Barney having sex with a different girl every day for a week.
Having sex with seven different men in one week sounds disgusting to me, but I can envision the perfect week... of food. No diets included, this is the week of perfect food that I would plan for myself in Richmond.
Read MoreWhen I moved from Connecticut to James Madison University, there were a few foods I really, really missed. As in, I was almost as homesick for certain foods as my family. But now, I too can appreciate some Southern food.
Sometimes in my dream world, we live in a world where my Northern favorites can co-mingle with my Southern favorites. If that world existed, it would feature the following delicacies:
Read MoreThere’s nothing better than getting a text from a long-lost friend asking you to come to brunch. However, there’s nothing harder than picking the perfect spot for the reunion. Our requirements were: cheap alcohol, decent food, large enough for an eight-top and preferably as far away from the UCI bike path as possible.
After a ton of debate, we ended up planning to meet at new Buddy’s around 12:30 PM. I was rather excited about this choice, as I used to love old Buddy’s and have yet to make it to the new one.
Read MoreOur reservation for Sunday brunch was at Paul's Homewood Cafe, which as conveniently located .3 miles from my grandparents apartment. My first impression of Paul's was that it was a pretty small establishment, with an odd parking situation. We were right on time for our reservation, and got one of the two big tables in back. We were, after all, meeting a few of my grandparent's friends (how cute!).
The waiter was patient with us as we swapped seats to ensure everyone's maximum enjoyment, and was friendly and joking with us all. He also used the phrase, "complimentary mimosas," which put a bit of extra sparkle in my eye for the entire meal.
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