If there one thing I love it is brunch, and if its another, its philanthropy, combine both with my affinity for patio dining, add a group of young and active Austinites and you have my idea of a perfect day. You also have how I spent last Sunday afternoon, which was at CharityBash’s Spring Brunch hosted at the infamous Austin restaurant, Paggi House.
I have heard a lot about Paggi House, and I try and attend as many Charity Bash events as possible, so when I found out the two were coming together, it was only natural to send my RSVP as soon as possible. For those unaware, Charity Bash (now just one of three initiatives of The Citizen Generation) is a great organization whose mission is to help change the fact that Austin is one of the least philanthropic cities of its size is the nation. They do that by instilling the desire to be a giver in young professionals across the greater Austin area with the idea of making giving fun. They started out by having happy hours at different bars around town, where the donation you paid for entry went to their chosen beneficiary of the night. All you had to do was hang out with your friends, enjoy a few cocktails, listen to a great DJ and hopefully at the end of the night after those 3 martinis, give a little bit more money. They have since branched out into more events such as a Date Auction they hosted last fall, and a black-tie Masquerade Ball that took place this spring. To date, in the past 2 years since inception they have raised nearly $250,000 for the charities they choose to help.
This time, it was to raise money for Austin Wildlife Rescue, an important organization if you ask me due to all the wildlife now in such an urban area. This brunch was a new concept, and one I have to say, I fully endorse and hope they throw more in the future. The theme was for the ladies to wear hats. Of course when I was speaking to my mother about this event she was taken aback how there was no suggested dress code for the guys and said they should wear bowties. Naturally Esteban and I took my mother’s advice on that one (which ended up being loved by everyone in attendance at brunch). However Austin being Austin, it is still hard for people to follow a suggested theme, therefore there were not as many hats as should have been. Nevertheless, Esteban, our friend Dianne, and I enjoyed our brunch which was Paggi House’s signature brunch buffet, consisting of things like french toast, fresh fruit, scones, house made sausage, and the star of the show for Dianne and me, lox. However those are just a few of the many choices. We also enjoyed a mimosa or few, people watched, took a few pictures, talked…a day in the life. The food itself, while not amazing, is good, and while I am anti-buffet for brunch, I could see myself going back there one Sunday.
Esteban also took part in the wine toss they had, where if you got a ring on a bottle of wine you got to take that bottle home. He made sure to win, to say the least.
It was a great way to spend a Sunday afternoon and I do hope they decide to have more brunches in the future. For those of you that haven’t heard of CharityBash (Citizen Generation), you should definitely check out their website. The next event is in June and is their tried and true drinks and mingling at Lucy’s Retired Surfer Bar & Restaurant. I’ll see you all there.
