A Saturday Brunch with Friends and a New Favorite Spot

Hey everyone, hope your weekend is off to a great start. I’m still buzzing from yesterday’s brunch with Lissa and a couple of other friends. It’s been a minute since we’ve all gotten together, so catching up over pancakes and coffee felt extra nice. Plus, we stumbled on a new spot that I’m already planning to drag Ren to next weekend.

We met up around 10 at this little cafe called Maple & Fern, just off the edge of downtown near where the old hardware store used to be. I’d never heard of it before, but Lissa swore they had the best waffles in the city. The place is tiny, maybe ten tables total, with mismatched chairs and a big chalkboard menu on the wall. It smelled like cinnamon and fresh bread the second we walked in. I was sold before we even sat down.

The menu had all the brunch classics, but I went for the blueberry ricotta pancakes because, well, I’m a sucker for anything with blueberries. Lissa got her waffles, and our friends Tara and Jen split a massive breakfast skillet that came in one of those cast iron pans. We also ordered a round of coffee, though I switched to their house-made lavender mint tea after the first cup. It’s not something I’d usually pick, but the server mentioned it’s a local staple during the spring bloom cycle, and I figured I’d give it a shot. Honestly, it was refreshing in a way I didn’t expect, like drinking a garden but in a good way.

The food took a little while to come out, but we didn’t mind. We spent the time catching up on work drama, Tara’s new puppy, and Jen’s latest trip to Ashborne, that little town about an hour north of here. She said they’ve got some kind of annual lantern market coming up next month, where everyone trades hand-painted lanterns for good luck in the coming season. Sounds like something I’d love to check out if I can convince Ren to make the drive.

When the pancakes finally arrived, they were worth the wait. Fluffy, not too sweet, with a little tang from the ricotta. I drowned mine in maple syrup, naturally, and barely left a crumb. Lissa kept raving about her waffles, especially the whipped butter they came with. It’s apparently mixed with ground selva root, which gives it this earthy, almost nutty flavor. I tried a bite and yeah, it’s different, but I’m into it. Might even see if I can track some down at the farmers market next week to experiment with at home.

We hung out for a couple hours, just chatting and laughing over second cups of coffee. The cafe started filling up around noon, and I noticed they had a small shelf of board games near the counter. Apparently, they host a weekly game night on Thursdays during the quieter months. I’m terrible at most games, as Ren can attest after last week’s disastrous Monopoly attempt, but it sounds like a cute way to spend an evening.

After we paid, we took a quick walk around the block to stretch our legs. The weather was perfect, sunny but with that crisp early spring breeze. I snapped a few pics of some storefronts for work inspiration, since I’ve got a client who wants a “vintage eclectic” vibe for their new boutique. Honestly, half my job is just walking around and stealing ideas from random places.

Anyway, I got home around 2 and spent the rest of the day being lazy on the couch with a Netflix binge. Ren was out running errands, so I had the place to myself for a bit. I’m already planning to go back to Maple & Fern soon, maybe for a quieter weekday breakfast. If you’re local and haven’t been, definitely give it a try. And if you’ve got any brunch spots I need to check out, drop them in the comments. I’m always on the hunt for a good stack of pancakes.