The Morris restaurant in Washington Square recently started serving brunch on Sundays, and last weekend my girlfriend, Brena, and I met up with our friends to check it out (after seeing a TikTok about it, because where else do you source restaurant recommendations?).

We chose to sit in their heated and covered outdoor patio,  which was very well-insulated. We were quite warm despite the chilly day. The patio is gorgeously decorated with foliage and flowers along the ceiling and light fixtures, creating a really lovely and bright atmosphere.

It was uncrowded when we went, which was surprising, because the food was delicious! Maybe the public just hasn’t caught onto this place serving brunch yet. I ordered the Cafe Bustelo cold brew,  which was pretty good (though I wish there were more customization options, because I prefer oat milk), and the French toast,  which was truly decadent. My girlfriend and I also shared a side of breakfast potatoes.

While the food was good, the best part of The Morris was definitely the atmosphere of their patio. I always like trying new brunch spots, and I’d recommend checking out The Morris if you’re also looking for some new Sunday brunch locations around Center City.

After getting brunch, I insisted we visit Giovanni’s Room, a historic LGBTQ bookstore in the Gayborhood that I adore. Brena and her friends had never been, and I truly love nothing better than to show people this place because they have such a great selection of specifically LGBT books, as well as used books and some used clothing.

I think all of us ended up buying at least one book—I walked out with Paul Takes the Form of a Mortal Girl by Andrea Lawlor, which I’ve heard really good things about from my Goodreads friends, and Brena bought Gay Bar: Why We Went Out by Jeremy Atherton Lin and All the Young Men by Ruth Coker Burns. I’m hoping to borrow them from her when she’s done because they both looked so interesting, and I love learning about queer history.

I would very highly recommend Giovanni’s Room to anyone in the Philly area. It’s my favorite bookstore in the city and is run by Philadelphia AIDS Thrift, a nonprofit that benefits local organizations involved in the fight against HIV/AIDS. If you ask me, there is nothing better than justifying book purchases with the reasoning that they’re for a good cause.

— Hannah Gruen, administrative coordinator