Why Brunch is for Suckers

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I'm not really a breakfast person. Rather, I am not a going out to breakfast person. Nothing irritates me more then waiting on line, early on a weekend morning, to eat overpriced eggs and cold toast. Like Peter Meehan wrote today, "I think there’s value in putting money aside to go out to a place that's doing something cool rather than overpaying for a meal that's better at home." He was talking about homeburgers—hamburgers made at home—but he could just as easily been talking about pancakes, fried egg sandwiches and home fries. But it's spring, the time of year when brunching experiences an upswing brought about by sunny mornings, Easter, Mother's Day and the like, so it's worth exploring ways you can make breakfast at home every bit as exciting as its crowded cafe counterpart.


You could do worse then to lay in a supply of griddle cakes from John Campbell's Irish Bakery, which Tasting Tablelovingly described some weeks back—as of three days ago, the Richmond location has been joined by a second in the Marina (3101 Fillmore St., 415-563-1519, johncampbells.com).

But what about breakfast meats? Yes, of course. There are plenty of worthy local brands, but I'm a huge fan of Nueske's bacon, which you can buy at Golden Gate Meats in the Ferry Building. Want a tutorial on cooking the perfect strips? Here you go.

Jam? That would be nice. Pick up a jar of the superlative apricot variety from We Love Jam, which can be found at Rainbow, Bi-Rite, Harvest Market and some of the Whole Foods around town.

For those who prefer their morning meal more savory then sweet, I'd recommend pre-ordering some curry kashi pan from Sandbox Bakery—I'm fairly hooked on the sweet brioche knot with its savory filling. Let me reiterate: pre-order. Very important, unless you like to harsh your Sunday morning mellow wading through the crush of dogs and strollers at the entrance.

Should you prefer to go British-style, you can order bite-size ginger scones from Bar Kleine. The baker, Trease Ewing, also supplies her nubby little treats to Blue Bottle Coffee.

Should you be in the market for a breakfast cookbook, stop by Omnivore Books, where you can also score some fresh-from-the-farm eggs up at the register, country-store style.

And last but hardly least, hash browns are important. Since Sam Sifton has already done a deep dive, I'll just send you over there to read for yourself.


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