Tag: Worcester Foodies LII: Brunch at Via Italian Table

With the summer temperatures ascending upon Worcester, patio dining and brunch are always a great way to enjoy a local meal. For June, the Worcester Foodies group decided to enjoy Sunday brunch at Via Italian Table and embarked onto an astrological adventure onto Shrewsbury Street in Worcester, MA.

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Italian Bacon, Egg, and Cheese at Via’s Brunch

Italian Bacon, Egg, and Cheese at Via's Brunch on Shrewsbury Street in Worcester, MA

Italian Bacon, Egg, and Cheese at Via's Brunch on Shrewsbury Street in Worcester, MA

Via, June’s foodies restaurant, was my  choice! With the power that comes with selecting the month’s location (and being married to the boss) I decided to stray from our usual Tuesday evening, dinner-time gathering and switch things up to brunch! Now let me preface, I am a sucker for brunch…runny eggs, bacon, crusty bread, mimosas, bloody Mary’s….I don’t discriminate!

On this Sunday morning, the sun was shining in a robin’s egg, cloudless blue sky. Upon arrival, my fellow foodies were dressed in vibrant summer colors, and were eager to commence the meal. Everyone had an added pep in their step, the type if energy and good mood that comes from waking up on a perfect summer morning!

We were seated on the patio which is lovely on a normal day, but truly stunning on this particular morning given the weather! We were taken care of by two, personable and attentive waiters who immediately took our drink order and brought over piping hot mugs of coffee. After perusing the menu, I decided to begin my meal with the fresh fruit bowl. The fruit was cold and perfectly ripe-a sweet, seasonal combination of watermelon, cantaloupe, honeydew, strawberries, pineapple, and blueberries! A refreshing start!

For my meal, I opted for the Italian bacon, egg, and cheese with a side of fruit (instead if the truffle frites which I heard later were to die for!) The sandwich was a riff on your typical breakfast sandwich served as a scramble complete with perfectly cooked eggs, crumbled bacon, sautéed onions and peppers, finished with Parmesan cheese stuffed into a crusty baguette. The sandwich was tasty but needed more bacon!!! I loved the bread but thought it to slightly overwhelm the egg concoction.

Having dined at Via for both lunch and dinner countless times, brunch by far, has been my favorite meal! I will most definitely be returning!!!

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Steak and Eggs for Brunch at Via

Steak and Eggs for Brunch at Via on Shrewsbury Street in Worcester, MA

Steak and Eggs for Brunch at Via on Shrewsbury Street in Worcester, MA

This month Worcester Foodies went off the beaten path of our usual Tuesday night dining and ventured to Via’s Sunday brunch. Our party of 15 hungry foodies had a fantastic table reserved in their outside patio, which in my opinion is one of the nicest outside eating spaces in the city. That said, I think the ambience in the bar is amazing as well. The Ahlquists did a fantastic job with that building.

Our large group was waited on by two servers who were highly attentive, pleasant and helpful with the menu.

Flight of Bubbles served with a fruit cup at Via's brunch on Shrewsbury Street in Worcester, MAThe Sunday menu has a variety of morning alcoholic concoctions including the usual Bloody Mary, called Smoking Mary, and some unique options like a Flight of Bubbles or the Tangerine Dream as well. I was cooling the engines from the evening prior and chose a French Roast coffee, which to my delight was very good. If you’re going to do Sunday brunch, have a slamming coffee. They did.

For an appetizer I chose the Jumbo Shrimp Cocktail, per recommendation of our waiter. After a very long wait; everyone else had their apps., the server delivered my shrimp and apologized for the wait but said they were waiting for the shrimp to thaw out. Did he really just say that? He did. OUCH! At $19 a half dozen, they were OK, not worth price.

For my entrée I chose the Steak and Eggs, again following my server’s advice. I chose scrambled eggs and a cooking temperature of medium rare for my sirloin. The steak was prepared perfectly with a fantastic lemon pepper aioli drizzled over the pieces of meat, served over a bed of hash browns that were to die for. The eggs were cooked perfectly and were accompanied by a side of caramelized onions that complemented everything on the dish. This dish was excellent… except, it was warm at best, more on the cold side. Unfortunately I think my dish was prepared first and sat on the line while the other dished were finishing up, as my accompanying foodie’s dishes were all hot and very good.

I appreciate the difficulty involved with serving a large party, and so I am overlooking the temperature of my dish and focusing on the taste, the quality, the ambience and the service, all of which were very good. Therefore, I would highly recommend Via’s Sunday brunch, and look forward to trying it again.