Recommended Brunch Menus
Brunch is a flexible and fun way to gather - a meal that encourages guests to slow down, savor and enjoy!
Traditionally, brunches tend to involve heartier and more fun options than breakfast while incorporating elements people love about breakfast into lunch - win-win!
Got guests who need to catch that flight? We'll make sure we have options on the ready or can pack up a delicious brunch "to-go".
Catering brunches can occur across a wide range of events - some of the most popular we see include:
We love to welcome guests with some fun brunch bites and brunchy cocktails and then build the main meal menu off of a gorgeous buffet - adding interactive stations or displays for variety and flow. The cocktails should be a part of the experience - build your own bloody mary bars, a beautiful mimosa and bellini bar with beautifully presented fresh juices, bubbles and garnishes, with fun options for guests who prefer to skip the alcohol.
Brunch allows for fun food and drink - it's also a great opportunity to highlight local food and flavors! For LA's diverse food scene this could be anything from Korean breakfast tacos to an avocado toast bar. We are also happy to work any themes you might have in mind - we've seen everything from a couple's honeymoon destination shaping the menu to the couple's favorite sports teams. Let's get creative!
Catering a brunch in a venue, home, or office has a number of different design considerations that vary significantly from hosting in a hotel or restaurant with an established dining room / set-up. Typically smaller groups (less than 20) are going to find a set-up that works for them in a hotel restaurant that is as simple as making a reservation and taking advantage of the existing menu, format, options, set-up, existing dining room, etc. The trade-off is that you have to do that within a set timeline and you will be more limited for set-up time and time spent together. Hosting privately generally means more control over the timeline, menu, decor and event and allows for a more relaxed experience that you shape. This approach also comes with more choices, design decisions and set-up (e.g. rentals) that may require more overhead on a per person basis to host a restaurant-level experience in a private setting.
Download PDF: Brunch Bites
Download PDF: Brunch Stations and Displays
Download PDF: Brunch Buffet
As you evaluate your options, your location and that venue's set-up will significantly impact what is easy to do versus what requires a heavier set-up (e.g. tables and chairs, power, kitchen, etc)
We generally see that items like omelette, waffle or pancake bars (that seem so easy to do at a hotel) require a lot more thought for a more intimate group (e.g. room for a station that won't trigger fire codes, a dedicated chef-staffing ratio that meets your timeline without forming lines, power, etc). Whereas selections that don't require a la minute preparation allow for more variety with fewer logistical and staffing requirements. Generally with high quality food and drink options designed for smaller groups (e.g. a brunch buffet or a smoked salmon and hanging bagel bar) we find that hosts hosts are able to host a great event without having to pull on an extravagant budget. For those who have that budget, we can design those elements in a way that is much more compelling than what you would see in a hotel or restaurant setting.
A timed event can create a number of different considerations for a brunch. Some of the most popular stations at a brunch, like an omelette bar, have a limited capacity (in the case of an omelette bar, a chef can handle 3-4 omelettes at a time). Making sure that there's either enough chefs at that one station or creating a mix of stations to eliminate the queues is where the design against the event timeline matters (1 station at 24 omelettes an hour can create a frustrating expectation/ experience for 200 people on a 1.5 hour brunch break).