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Sausages and Grapes for Brunch at Via

Sausages and Grapes for Brunch at Via on Shrewsbury Street in Worcester, MA

Sausages and Grapes for Brunch at Via on Shrewsbury Street in Worcester, MAAfter not visiting Via for a while I was intrigued when we decided to go to brunch on Sunday. We opted to sit in the outdoor area which was very pleasant and comfortable. A quick review of the menu allowed me to see that there were many other options on their menu besides the standard breakfast fare. To accompany the breakfast menu there was a good selection of beverages and I decided to start my brunch with a tasty Bloody Mary garnished with celery and crispy thick cut bacon and for good measure I added a jumbo shrimp. The wait staff was pleasant and professional and after some further consideration I decided to order a dish called Sausages and Grapes and yes a few jokes came to mind as I ordered my dish. To accompany this I added a side of crispy hash browns. Not knowing what to expect of the dish I was pleasantly surprised when it arrived.

When my meal came out it was a nice size skillet with a base of creamy rich polenta topped with the grapes which had been cooked down into nice rich grape sauce with whole grapes. Topping the grapes and polenta were two juicy yet crispy lean sausage links that were mild yet well flavored and not fatty. The dish had a nice presentation and taste and was definitely a exciting and delicious new dish for me. The pairing of the three items was perfect yet not a pairing that I would have ever thought of together. The side of shredded crispy hash browns were delicious and offered a crunch and salty element to my meal, but as delicious as they were my mind gravitated back to the sausage and grapes which was a delightful culinary experience.

Overall, I found my trip to Via to be a pleasant experience with delicious different offerings for brunch in Worcester. The menu had something for everyone and all the dishes were well prepared with quality fresh ingredients. I will definitely be back for brunch at Via again. My only dilemma for my next trip will be whether I get the grapes and sausages again which I would love to have again or to try a different option.

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Via’s Bacon, Egg and Cheese Sandwich

Bacon, Egg and Cheese Sandwich from brunch at Via on Shrewsbury Street in Worcester, MA

Bacon, Egg and Cheese Sandwich from brunch at Via on Shrewsbury Street in Worcester, MA

Normally, my Sundays consist of catching up on the lack of sleep from the previous week, doing odds and ends around my house and relaxing. However, at the crack of dawn (so to speak), the Foodies found our way to Via’s Brunch around 10:30 am. By this time during the day, the weather was beautiful, with a slight breeze and warming up comfortably. While we sat on the patio and enjoyed each other’s company, there came the ever important item of choosing what we would consume on this lovely morning.

To start, a nice hot cup of coffee and some home-made zeppole ($8) did the trick. These small, deep fried donut holes were made to order and tossed in cinnamon sugar. They were very light and airy and made for a sweet start to the day. Secondly, looking for another traditional item, I shared the smoked salmon plate ($9). The presentation of this dish was excellent as well, coming as a build your own smoked salmon bite with whatever your heart (and taste buds) desired. The dish came on a cutting board with a hearty portion of smoked salmon, Tuscan bread, raw red onion, capers and mustard sauce. Every bite was the perfect combination of texture (the crunch from the bread and the raw onion), the mellowing of the smoked salmon, the saltiness of the capers and the tang of the mustard. All of this adds up to essentially, the perfect bite.

As if I hadn’t eaten enough for the morning, I decided that I needed an entrée. After perusing the menu, I decided on a breakfast staple…a bacon, egg and cheese sandwich ($10). The menu described this meal as an Italian style breakfast sandwich with eggs, bacon and parmesan cheese on a baguette, served with truffled frites. The eggs were mixed nicely with cheese, sautéed onions, red peppers. The bread held up nicely to the sandwich, but I found it was slightly tough to chew through as I navigated my way from one end of the sandwich to the other. I would have liked something that was a little bit softer. The truffled frites might be the best part of the entire dish. They were salty, potato strings tossed lightly in parmesan cheese. I could have sat down with an entire bowl of these frites and eaten all of them…worth the price of admission alone.

At the end of the day, and we had a chance to reflect and digest what we had eaten, it was decided that Via Brunch is a wonderful way to get out and enjoy this nice summer weather and enjoy some of the better food that the City of Worcester has to offer. Brunch was a deviation from the norm for the Foodies and I would welcome additional breakfast venues or brunch restaurants in the future. I am a sucker for any and all things breakfast and this was a wonderful combination of some of my favorite breakfast comfort foods.