We find ourselves dining out for brunch more often. We recently tried out The Spread located in the heart of historic South Norwalk and had an amazing experience. The chill spot is typically open for dinner, but serves Sunday brunch from 11-4 featuring classic brunch items along with dishes found on their dinner menu.
For starters, we ordered a Cabbage Salad off the lunch menu. This was not coleslaw. Served in a China bowl was finely shredded cabbage, truffle, hazelnuts and shaved parmesan cheese. After we had a few bites, co-owner Chris Hickey stopped by to chat with us. We admitted we had to take a long break from truffles because other restaurants would go overboard with it and put too much of it in a dish. The chefs at The Spread have nailed it and used the right amount of truffle in the salad. It’s not too overpowering and complements the other ingredients in the dish. The hazelnuts added a nice texture and flavor to the dish.
Harissa Mussels
Harissa Mussels was a tasty dish. The harissa added spiciness to the mussels. Each mouthful was savory and packed with flavors. It was served with bread with garlic aioli spread on it which was great for dipping into the sauce.
Ham & Gruyere sandwich
Oh, here comes the yolk food porn. I’d like to describe The Spread’s Ham and Gruyere as a sexy Croque Madame. Instead of the usual fried egg was a poached egg. This sandwich alone can fill you up, but we split it just so we could try more things on the menu. Each bite was so delicious with the ham, cheese, béchamel and toasted bread, I was practically having foodgasms. (Alright, that’s the first time I used that word in a review).
Frittata
The next item we tried was the Frittata made with mushrooms and ricotta and topped with mixed greens. Whenever there’s brunch, I order an omelette or frittata. The Spread’s frittata was excellent. Almost like a thick omelette, it was filled with mushrooms and topped with fresh, creamy ricotta.
Cocktails…what’s brunch without a cocktail? Well, we had a couple. On the menu was a selection of 25 drinks – from the classics to The Spread’s special concoctions. You’d figure that a restaurant opened by 4 bartenders would have a book of cocktails to choose from, but Chris explained each of them have contributed their own creations. We started out with the classics – a Bloody Mary and Bloody Maria. Why? I like mine with vodka, Jay likes his with tequila. One sip of each just kicked us in the face with the spiciness and alcohol. By far, the best Bloody Mary/Maria we’ve ever had.
Why hello… Bloody Mary and Bloody Maria
I giggled a bit (not because of the alcohol) when I ordered Jay The Tea Bag. It sounds bad, but when you get your head out of the gutter, it’s actually a delicious drink made with tea-infused bourbon, smoked lemonade, mole bitters and club soda. Yes, they smoke the lemons over cherrywood. The drink smelled so good. You could practically taste it with your nose. The Peach Palmer was a light and refreshing drink. Something I could easily have glass after glass of on a lazy Sunday. It’s an Arnold Palmer mixed with Ciroc Peach vodka. The last cocktail we had was The Res. Pit made with Don Julio Reposado, St. Germain, grapefruit juice and club soda.
French Toast
On to dessert. After all that food, we saved some room for French Toast and Brutella and a strong cup of French pressed coffee. The French Toast is not your typical French Toast. It’s brioche bread with frangipane topped with berries. It’s a little on the sweet side which makes it great for dessert.
The Spread’s Brutella was outstanding. Such a clever name for a hazelnut crème brûlée. It was a rich and creamy. Think of a jar of Nutella turned into a custard. It was so delicious I could not let any of it go to waste even after all the dishes we consumed.
Brutella
We highly recommend The Spread. Laid back. Amazing food. Great for foodies and baby friendly. Yep, Kai had a great time ba-ba’ing with the staff and co-owner Andrey. We look forward to stopping by for happy hour, where you can get a delicious cocktail and small bites, and dinner (have you seen the menu?).
The Spread
70 North Main Street
Norwalk (SoNo), CT
Tel: (203) 939-1111
www.thespreadsono.com
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