BirchTree Bread Company | Page 6 of 9

Welcome to the world of ‘fast casual’ dining where you can enjoy high quality dishes made with fresh ingredients even if you’re under a time crunch. As downtown Worcester transforms into a bustling residential neighborhood, plenty of fast casual options are cropping up.

Take, for example, Techni Mediterranean Grill – The Grid’s spot for falafel, grape leaves, and gyros. Diners can spice things up with tahini, tzatziki, harissa, or cilantro sauce. Guests can order a wrap or bowl on the go, or enjoy their lunch at Techni and its sister cafe, Brew on The Grid. Techni is only the beginning of The Grid’s fast casual empire. In the very near future, The Grid has plans to open a ramen spot called Sticks, Pie & Pint for slices, and a beer garden that will serve pretzels and sausages.

Niche Hospitality Group’s newest venture, Nonna’s Pizza and Pasta, will also embrace a ‘fast casual’ concept driven by the development of the Worcester Ice Center. Customers will be able to order Italian fare in a low stakes environment with high end ambience. Nonna’s will appeal to large groups and offer a beverage program that will set it apart from other grab-and-go options.

It should be noted that BirchTree Bread Company, open since 2014, has thrived in the fast casual market for years. BirchTree’s warm counter service, local ingredients, and enticing ambience define the fast casual genre. Visitors enjoy hassle free pastries, sandwiches, and pizzas that are more reasonably priced than a full service restaurant. With that, the promise of swift service attracts shoppers from on site retailers like Canal District Farmers Market, Crompton Collective, and Seed to Stem.

BirchTree Breakfast Pizza: Topped with strawberry banana jam, almond & coconut granola, and a drizzle of vanilla bean yogurt.

Nothing says leisure like Sunday brunch. Whether you’re looking for day drinks, danishes or a diner special, prepare to be suitably dazzled by Worcester’s brunch scene.

Roast Beef Sandwich – Roast beef, smoked parsnip-potato mash, Gruyere, horseradish hollandaise, a fried egg, served open faced on fresh baked sourdough, side of dressed greens.

Armsby Abbey

144 North Main Street

You can expect a line of fifty people waiting outside of Armsby Abbey every Sunday morning. Aside from serving as Worcester’s primeval boozy brunch destination, please note that Armsby Abbey is also the only place in the great Commonwealth where Hill Farmstead overfloweth. The menu changes every weekend to reflect the availability of farm fresh ingredients and the creative whimsy of a highly motivated culinary team. Pro tip: Bar customers skip the line when doors open at 10 a.m., so pull up a seat and grab yourself a Bloody Mary tailored to your specifications.

BirchTree Bread Co.

138 Green Street

The craft toast trend is alive and well at BirchTree Bread Co. where dough is prepared in a long, slow process with natural leaven and brought to peak fermentation before baking on the hearth. Daily toast specials range from savory Vermonter-caramelized onion bacon cream cheese to sweet ricotta and chocolate chip cannoli cream. Expect live music every Sunday and parents take note: BirchTree is family friendly.

deadhorse hill

281 Main Street

It’s impossible to dine at deadhorse hill without gleaning some sort of knowledge of global cuisine. Brunch makes it even easier. From the Japanese Breakfast bowl, to the Mexican Torta, to the Winter Squash Shakshuka, you’ll have traveled the world without ever leaving downtown. Take a peek inside the highly innovative kitchen for a taste of Jared Forman’s brunch acumen.

Lock 50

50 Water Street

Espresso, Macchiato, Con Panna, Pour Over, Nitro Cold Brew…Lock 50 is Worcester’s premier destination when it comes to caffeine. And, nothing pairs better with a coffee concoction than a delicately executed crepe. Unlike the high volume operations cited above, Lock 50 exudes a lazy atmosphere that encourages patrons to take their time. Bring the Sunday paper, sip your mimosa, and take in the Canal District views through sprawling picture windows.

Here’s to the chefs who brave busy Saturday night dinner service only to wake up at the crack of dawn in honor of Worcester’s fastest growing cult following – those who bow down to brunch. You can also find fresh renditions of Sunday brunch at Bull Mansion, The Hangover Pub, and Sweet Kitchen & Bar (where rumor has it that a new beverage director is about to take day drinking to new dimensions.) Or, visit an old standby at Annie’s Clark Brunch where omelets and home fries will never fade.

Tag: BirchTree Bread Company

Fast Casual Worcester

Worcester Bows Down to Brunch