Anatomy of a Dinner Party: a day in the life of a hospitalityaholic
 

brunch

...now browsing by category

 

Brunch Boards!

Monday, December 4th, 2017

Good Morning Darlings!

Happy Monday – the first Monday of December. Which means lots of celebrating is around the bend.

If you’ve been with me a while, you know brunch is one of my favorite ways to entertain. Whether in the morning or the wee hours after a black tie gala, bacon, eggs and brunchy foods make everyone happy.

I love this new article by Kate Williams at Southern Kitchen telling you how to put it all together. Visit her here to learn how you can do the same!

Brunch works anytime of the day!

Now get to brunching, my loves!

xoxo, Patti

Gato

Monday, September 4th, 2017

Good Morning Darlings!

I have been remiss. Busy is not an excuse.

From now on, I promise to post at least 4 times per week. Even if it’s just a photo.

This weekend Eric and I had breakfast at Gato. I probably shouldn’t be sharing this because it’s one of Atlanta’s best kept secrets. So if you want to find more info, you are going to have to Google it yourself.

I had The Slam which was cheesy eggs with duck fat potatoes, bacon and a glorious ginger cilantro sauce. OMG.

Eric had the Huevos Rancheros. I seriously could go back again today. But I won’t. So you can have my seat at the bar. 🙂

The Slam

Huevos Rancheros

Today, we are going to cook out and mow the lawn. Not in that order. What are you up to?

xoxo, Patti

Feeling Golden

Tuesday, June 27th, 2017

Good Morning Darlings!

The sun is finally shining in Atlanta.

Madea and me are loving this weather.

In honor of the sun shining, I am posting gold things today.

I bought these gold beauties on a recent shopping trip in Tampa with bestie Holly (we saw U2, too, but that’s another story).

There’s no place like gold…

And Eric and I finally got around to bottling up the limoncello that has been brewing for months in the pantry (note to self: don’t let it sit so long next time).

The homemade stuff is on the left.

 

Here’s a fun recipe for a yummy cocktail to make with your limoncello. Limoncello Gin Cocktail with Grilled Thyme.

What’s making you feel golden this summer?

xoxo, Patti

 

Venkman’s

Thursday, September 8th, 2016

Good Morning Darlings!

If you know me, you know I love Bill Murray. Love love love.

This weekend Eric and I popped over to the brand new eatery in town, Venkman’s. Named after Bill’s character in Ghostbusters. Because these people must be awesome.

They are. The brunch was fabulous.

PICS!

Big Ass Sticky Bun. Yes, that's the name.

Big Ass Sticky Bun. Yes, that’s the name.

 

Duck hash. OMG.

Duck hash. OMG.

Eric's breakfast sammie with homemade sausage. Nom nom nom

Eric’s breakfast sammie with homemade sausage. Nom nom nom

 

Esteban took amazing care of us. We got there way late for brunch and they didn’t even try to kick us out. We kept ordering mimosas and they all smiled kindly and kept ’em coming.

Go – order everything and say hi to  adorable Carrie at the hostess stand and Adam the badass sous chef. You’ll love it.

“Who you gonna call?” Venkman’s!!

Oh! And they have a PUPPET BRUNCH!! I have no idea what that is, but I’m going next time.

xoxo, Patti

 

Brunch Time

Monday, August 24th, 2015

Good Morning Darlings,

Brunch is my favorite meal. And since it really only makes sense two days out of the week, you can really make it special.

At our house, brunch can turn into a 7 hour affair that can become quite raucous. But we like that kind of thing.

What to serve? Champagne is a must. Cava and prosecco are perfectly budget conscious replacements. Just think bubbly. Then you can add orange juice for a mimosa, peach puree for a bellini and anything else that strikes your fancy. A bloody mary bar is always appreciated, too. Fill bowls with olives, onions, stalks of celery and let your guests build their own. Add worcestershire sauce as well as salt and pepper or hot sauce to top off the fun.

This is the time to break out your best everything – china, wine glasses, flatware, napkins. You can arrange some pretty flowers around the table, making sure not to create an arrangement that is so high your guests can’t see each other from across the table. Hydrangeas set in a pretty bowl would be nice this time of year.

Lovely hydrangeas

Next – what will you serve? I like to try and keep it simple, with a make ahead menu that will allow me to spend more time chatting with my guests instead of feeling like a slave in the kitchen. A few weeks ago, this is what we served for a group of 6:

Mimosas

Starbucks Coffee Cake (it’s so easy and delicious!)

Chipotle Candied Bacon

Hashbrown Casserole

Fresh Strawberries

Coffee

Notes on the menu:

Coffee Cake: Next time I make this (and I WILL make it again – it is so good) I will line the pan with aluminum foil so it overlaps the edges and I can lift the entire cake out. Not lining the pan caused the cake to stick to the bottom because it was so moist. I know, first world problems. I also made this the day before the party.

Chipotle Candied Bacon: I prepped two pans of the bacon, set on cookie racks sprayed with Pan and then wrapped them in plastic wrap and put them in the fridge the night before. The next morning, I took them out so they could come to room temperature and popped them in the oven with the casserole.

Hashbrown Casserole: Not sure what went wrong, but I’m thinking I didn’t cook it nearly enough as the potatoes weren’t particularly crunchy, which I would have liked. My guests were super polite and ate it anyway. Lol.

Brunch is such a fun and economical way to get friends together. If everyone brings a bottle of bubbly, your cost goes way down, while the fun stays waaaaay up. If you don’t bake, pick up a coffee cake or bagels from the store.

It’s all about having fun. Don’t stress out. 🙂

xoxo, Patti

 

Magical La Hacienda

Monday, September 15th, 2014

Good Morning Darlings!

Eric and I have been so busy this summer that there’s been no time for a getaway.

We remedied that this past weekend at La Hacienda.

Our sweet friends, Ed and Tera Hattaway, are the owners of this Shangri-La.

Define Shangri-La:  Shangri-La has become synonymous with any earthly paradise, and particularly a mythical Himalayan utopia — a permanently happy land, isolated from the outside world. In the novel Lost Horizon, the people who live at Shangri-La are almost immortal, living years beyond the normal lifespan and only very slowly aging in appearance.

My view from inside the pool!

My view from inside the pool!

Because you are my darlings, I am willing to share La Hacienda with you. Brand new, magical, marvelous. Step in and allow time to slow down. We spent over 6 hours between the pool and hot tub and at the end of the evening, we fell into the deepest sleep in the most comfortable bed. When the sun rose, Ed and Tera were in the kitchen whipping up a delicious mexican brunch of machaca. What’s machaca? It is a yummy beef dish, topped with a sunny side up egg. Refried beans, fresh fruit and piping hot coffee completed the meal.

This could be your breakfast!

This could be your breakfast!

I almost hate telling you about this slice of heaven. Less for me…but more for you!

xoxo, Patti

Still Dreaming of the Beach

Tuesday, July 31st, 2012

Good Morning Darlings!

So, we took a look at what I envision the beach vacay to be. Now let’s talk about what to make to eat.

What says ‘beach food’ to you?

Holiday Shopping at Ross

Thursday, December 22nd, 2011

Good Morning Darlings!

The lovely people at Ross Dress For Less recently sent me a $25 gift certificate and let me have at it.

And so I did.

What did I get?

Celebrate the Season at Livingston

Saturday, December 3rd, 2011

Good Morning Darlings!

My sweet friend Kate is keeping me up to date with the happenings around town for the holidays.

What should we do first?

Get Yer Motor Running…

Wednesday, September 14th, 2011

Good Morning Darlings!

What do you envision when you think of rolling mountains, green grass, bubbling brooks and big comfy rocking chairs?

The answer might surprise you!