Brunch. The origins of the meal are disputed, but most agree it started in Britian as part of fox hunting tradition. It became popular in the U.S. in the 1930s with New Orleans claiming it was first to popularize the meal. Now people flock to the boozy meal in cities across America, but Charlottesville still hasn’t quite caught on.
As someone who moved to the area from the Northern Virginia/DC area a great brunch is one thing I miss most.
First, let’s be clear. Charlottesville has all you’d think any Southern city would need to excel at brunch. It’s a foodie city housing a large, public university. It’s surrounded by wineries, breweries, and distillaries. But it lacks brunch.
And I don’t just mean brunch in name. I mean brunch in vibe as well. Brunch with fantastic cocktails, a few locations with bottomless mimosas, a DJ, brunch with people presenting just as lovely as the menus and drinks.
There are two things that I believe contribute to the lack of brunch. One, Charlottesville is a pretty casual place. Extremely casual. Brunch is a casual meal. It was partially invented to offer a later meal option than breakfast for those who were out late on Saturdays. Even so, the most casual brunch spots inspire fashion and trends. Two, there is lack of resteraunt owners in Charlottesville who understand brunch and seek to attract a diverse crowd that is not only looking for great food, but a great overall experience.
This weekend we offered a brunch experience to our Wine Cave members in conjunction with Renee’s Boutique and Feisty Gourmet Catering. It included wonderful food and drinks, a shopping experience, and a playlist for us!
I wanted to offer Wine Cave members this experience because I feel it’s one they can’t get a lot of places in Charlottesville. Anyone else wishing for a brunch scene in Charlottesville? Would you attend if Black Women Who Wine worked to bring brunch to the masses?
Black Women Who Wine 