Brunch.

Madison.

Easter. It's an excuse for either brunch or large cuts of lamb. This year, it was brunch. And brunch, as far as I'm concerned, is the best sort of meal. Why?

• Brunch lends itself to lazy mornings. You don't really have enough time beforehand to get anything serious done, so you might as well sleep in, watch cartoons, do the crossword puzzle, etc.
  
  
• Brunch is also a lazy meal. There's no reason to sit at the table for any less than an hour, unless you're getting up to for a coffee or juice refill. Food tends to arrive in slow waves, and the conversation drifts casually. And unlike Thanksgiving, you know you have the bulk of the day ahead of you, so you don't slump into naptime. Coffee also helps.
  
  
• It's an excuse to gorge on comfort foods, but with a little elegance. Just a shade. Quiche looks and sounds fancy, but it's really not much more than an omelette in a pie crust. Fresh fruit and pastries. And bacon you can eat with your fingers, and no one cares. Salty and sweet elements really dominate - breakfast meats and muffins/pancakes/french toast - and yet, no one feels bad. As if a bowl of fruit salad makes it all healthy.
  
  
• The gorging, of course, requires a social atmosphere. You can't have brunch without a big group, gathering, talking, and eating. If you can all fit around a big table, it's perfect.
  
  
• With the social atmosphere comes the opportunity for booze. You're limited to breakfast-related drinks like mimosas and bloody marys, but they're also the sort of low-intensity drinks that won't get you terribly drunk. Especially given the copious amounts of food and caffeine you'll also be consuming. Should you manage to pound down a few too many, you've got the afternoon to recover and avoid the hangover.