HOW TO ACT AT BRUNCH BROUGHT TO YOU BY SWEET CHICK

by Jessica Pilot

John Seymour knows his brunch. For the New York City native and co-owner of Sweet Chick, it’s not just a meal—it’s a lifestyle. “Brunch is like the weekend—everyone looks forward to it,” he says gleefully, eyeing the big plate of bacon and decked-out double order of buttery, fluffy blueberry pancakes in front of him in the Lower East Side branch of the restaurant (their other location is in Williamsburg). Famous for their chicken and waffles and bacon-garnished Bloody Marys alike, Sweet Chick has cool cred and a male-heavy following, including members of the Wu-Tang Clan. Inspired by the hungry masses of men who are taking over what used to be a traditionally feminine landscape, we’ve asked Seymour: What is the proper etiquette when brunching as a dude?

What time is brunch over? Four o’clock sharp.

If 10 guys meet for brunch, and five of them had twice as many drinks, how are you supposed to take care of the bill?Just divide it by 10, and add the gratuity on. Who cares who had two cocktails? That shit drives me insane. Keep it simple.

What’s the male equivalent of a mimosa?Here, it would be a Skysicle. It’stequila or mezcal, pineapple juice, lemon, spicy agave. You’re not gonna drink it with your pinkyin the air.

On a scale of one to 10, how OK is it to take a one-night stand to brunch? If a guy is taking a girl to brunch after a one-night stand, he might be looking for a little bit more than that one night.

Tell us one clothing item that is more than welcome in your establishment. Sweatpants.

How about a no-no?Sandals is always a don’t for me, for guys. Like flip-flops. Don’t wear your flip-flops here.

Instagramming? Hell yeah, take that picture, I’m fine with it. We get such great feedback that way.

What are some ideal talking points for brunch? Everybody’s still kind of open, so you’re going to say whatever happened the night before. One of the greatest things I’ve heard, personally, was a friend getting arrested, getting out that morning, and coming straight from central booking to brunch.

Say you’re out at a restaurant at 1 P.M. on a Sunday. What needs to be on the table for it to legitimately pass as brunch?Pancakes, bacon, eggs, some type of Benedict.

Can you wrap bacon in bacon?You can wrap bacon in anything. I don’t know why I’ve never thought of that. Fucking genius.

So you can wrap bacon in eggs and waffles in bacon and just keep going, like an endless bacon cycle?Yeah. If Budweiser is the king of beer, bacon is the king  of food. It’s my favorite food, bacon.

Words by Jessica Pilot.