A few days before brunch with Louise, we finally settled on a cafe to have it at. I haphazardly searched for one on Yelp, came across Harp & Crown, and remembered seeing their beautiful garden room on Instagram. Satisfied at that, without even a glance at their menu, we made our plans.
Upon arrival, we found that their only brunch option was a $30 buffet, and so what could we do but accept? We heaped our plates with chicken and waffles with maple syrup, sausages, cocktail shrimp, build-your-own doughnuts, chocolate pudding, coffee cake, walnut bread, s’mores tarts, and went back for seconds. I mean, it was a buffet! We had to!
It’s been quite awhile since I’ve gone to a buffet. I used to loveee buffets when I was little and wondered why we didn’t choose to go to a buffet for every meal out. It seemed like the best bang for your buck, your only limit was yourself (specifically your stomach), and of course, children (me) were limitless, duh. Evil genius child that I was, I firmly believed I was eating these buffets bankrupt! I would eat myself sick and keel over feeling victorious.
At some point, buffets didn’t feel all that fun anymore. Given my aggressive approach, surprise surprise. That combined with an appetite that has been shrinking ever since I started cooking for myself in college, buffets lost their appeal on me.
How many times have you scoffed at the idea of there being such thing as too much of a good thing? But waddyaknow, there’s such thing as “enough.”
I don’t have to eat all the food at a buffet to get my money’s worth, and in fact I’d probably be happier if I didn’t. I don’t have to sit at a cafe all day with one cup of coffee even though I’m starving and need to pee and the a/c is too strong and I’m not even focused on my work anymore to get my money’s worth. I don’t have to eat the whole bread basket and ask for seconds (well, I’m still coming to terms with this one). And really striving for a non-food example here… Reading more books by speed reading won’t actually increase my pleasure in reading.
As consumption increases, satisfaction increases, but at some point, the curve will plateau and maybe even drop back down. Sure, there’s such thing as eating too much food and reading more than you can physically handle, but is there such thing as too much joy?
In the end, the goal isn’t to maximise consumption; it’s to maximise satisfaction. I can eat until I’m full and happy, or go further until I’m sick and bloated; I can immerse myself in my current read and take the time that I need, or I can stress about reading on pace to hit my goal of two books a week, pushing myself to finish one book just for the sake of getting on with another.
Joy is a peaceful thing. Happiness doesn’t have to be extreme.
Imma still take that second bread basket though.
1525 Sansom St
Philadelphia, PA 19102
(215) 330-2800