We have to believe that we are not much different than most of our readers. Like others, we enjoy a good meal, and trying new restaurants is usually a fun experience. During the winter, we find ourselves having brunch more often. A good example was a stop in Room 39, located at 1719 W. 39th Street. This farm-to-table eatery has been serving Kansas City diners for about 15 years. They offer an upscale dining experience, but their breakfast through lunch meals is a bit more laid back. As we sat there enjoying the moment, it made us contemplate why winter is brunch season.
Cold Starts
I guess the best way to approach discovering the answer is to look at how winter differs from the other seasons. The shorter daylight hours mean that sunrise is delayed. With fewer sunshine hours, it takes longer to warm up. Now that we have gone over the basics that everyone already knew, we need to figure out how that is impacting our lives. The colder mornings make us hesitate to leave our home, so the first meal is often postponed. Of course, we have no issue partaking in our morning coffee ritual. This helps us suppress our hungers a little longer.
Late Morning Crowds
Eventually, the pangs of hunger will drive us out of the house, but by then it is usually brunch time. Even with a sunshine-filled morning, often the temperatures struggle to move the thermometer very far. Moving quickly from home to car to restaurant, we try to limit our exposure to the winter atmosphere. It’s not that we are afraid of the cold, we just prefer to face it on our terms. As we entered Room 39, we noticed that the delayed start of the day was being observed by lots of others. This cozy spot was filled with the buzz of locals eager to see the return of warmer weather.
Getting Our Coffee Fix
Yes, I did say that we had already started our morning with coffee, but there is always room for more. We sat sipping our go-juice and continued thinking about the reasons why winter is brunch season. Since it was fast approaching the noontime hour, we were ready to eat. Having such a late start to dining meant that we would likely only eat twice that day. Since wintertime can bring an urge for partial hibernation, we find the amount of calories needed has decreased. Two main meals provide plenty of nutrition and keep us from having so much bodywork to do in the spring.
Avocado Toast
Since brunches have become more popular over the past few years, we have been discovering more and more restaurants jumping on board the ‘Brunch Train’. This is a winning situation for all of us local diners since now we have many new options. We are finding eateries offering this late morning option at various price points. Some are serving up brunch buffets, which usually include a smorgasbord of dishes, but we have always leaned toward the more traditional meal design. This approach will tend to yield plates that were made fresh to order.
For this meal, Crystal chose the Avocado Toast. This is a dish that she will often select since it offers a nice amount of protein. At Room 39, they add their unique twist to this meal. The combination of flavors comes from blending the avocado with lemon and cilantro. A healthy dose of this is piled high on a slice of grilled ciabatta toast. On top, they sprinkle Grana Padano, which is a flavorful cheese from the Parmesan family. The tower is topped with a poached egg, which adds another boost of protein.
Oven Eggs
There is a well-established dish named Toad-in-a-hole. Some of you may be familiar with it, and I’m guessing a few of you just Googled it. When I spotted Oven Eggs on the menu, it had a reminiscent sound to it, so it became my choice. I was also aware of the need to have plenty of protein if we were going to limit our intake to just two meals that day. The dish is quite simple, yet filled with complex flavors. A thick slice of toast is topped with Genoa salami and Gruyere cheese. This combination offers a salty, yet slightly sweet component. Plop a couple of eggs down, before baking, and you have a robust final product. With distinct dishes like these, it was apparent to us why winter is brunch season.
Why Winter is Brunch Season
So we hope this article has helped shed a little light on why we find ourselves enjoying brunch more frequently in the winter. Fortunately, we have found plenty of brunch options lately and hope you have enjoyed some of these, as well. While we are always ready for warmer weather, we plan to take advantage of these colder days to explore more brunch choices all around our city. We highly recommend you give some of these a shot, too.