Butchers & Bakers, and Bloggers … Oh My!
Back in June I had the pleasure of attending a special blogger brunch hosted by A Little Bird Told Me over at Bakers & Butchers in Farmington, CT. While this place was a bit of a drive from Danbury, I was excited for the opportunity to try this newly opened restaurant and meet some fellow Connecticut food bloggers! Since I am still familiarizing myself with this state and to the world of blogging, I was not going to miss a chance to explore the diverse food scene with other super-enthusiastic picture-taking and food-loving people. =)
We were seated outside the restaurant on their bright, open patio which was perfect for a summer brunch with a large group of friends. Except that particular day was extra hot with no breeze, so we hid under the sun umbrellas as best we could! We ended up right by the outdoor bar, where there were numerous community tables with fire pit centers that I could just imagine lounging around with a glass of wine or mulled cider when fall comes around.
Cold drinks were welcomed with eager anticipation. I started with the Grapefruit Mimosa, while my husband got the Whiskey Smash, both of which were nicely chilled and super refreshing. There is an “endless” option for their house cocktails, but we opted to try other drinks on the menu. Our second round, he got the sangria while I wanted to check out their Bloody Mary Bar.
Oh. Wow… Now, this was quite the spread. Between the generous pour of Tito’s vodka, the choice of three different types of Bloody Mary base, and so many toppings to choose from, I hardly knew where to start or end! Maybe I was overwhelmed because I’ve only really had one other Bloody Mary cocktail before, but honestly this could have been a meal. Their three Bloody Mary mixes included: original, spicy, and smoky (which was a little spicy anyway). For garnishes they had about ten different varieties of fresh & pickled vegetables, fresh mozzarella, gigantic shrimp, whole hard-boiled eggs, and long strips of crispy peppered bacon.
Although I probably could’ve filled up on those large cocktail shrimp and bacon, I would definitely advise against it in order to save room for all the wonderful offerings on the brunch menu… And there are seriously a lot of great choices to choose from.
We started light with a couple shared plates … The Bakers’ Pastry Basket is a must! Since Butchers & Bakers prides themselves on both their freshly-made baked goods (including their pizza dough) and freshly-butchered proteins, obviously we made it a point to try some of each. Our baskets came with fluffy mini almond lemon pound cakes, iced chocolate chip scones, and super moist strawberry corn bread. All served with a side of house-made whipped citrus butter and berry jam.
We also ordered the smoked salmon toasts, which were very generous portions. Airy thick-cut sourdough bread was the perfect vehicle for the dill aioli, smoked salmon, cucumber, and crumbles of hard-boiled egg. This could easily have been someone’s brunch entrée!
On to the brunchy mains…
Beware the very HOT cast iron skillets: which kept our food ridiculously warm under the noon-time sun! But what came in them were personally my two favorite brunch entrées from this meal. First up: the 4-Cheese Macaroni Carbonara came out with an oozy egg on top that melted right into the cheesy pasta. Pieces of smoked brisket added some extra depth, and horseradish breadcrumbs gave the dish an extra ‘kick’ while helping to cut through all that rich creaminess.
What truly stole the show was their Coal-Fired Dutch Baby Pancake. Bigger than my face, it came out sizzling with a mound of ripe summer fruit on top. The best part though? Bacon. Maple. Syrup… It was the perfect mixture of sweet maple syrup, juicy fruit, salty smoky bacon, and rich eggy pancake. This dish is definitely not for anyone who wants something light, but rather for someone who wants it all.
While the cast-iron skillet dishes housed most of my favorite flavors (even though were were all baking on that very hot day), I definitely can’t say anything bad about the rest of the bites that I was able to try! The House-Made Corned Beef Hash was nice and moist atop fluffy brioche toast. The Elvis married all of the legend’s favorite flavors inside the same fresh brioche; this time made into a sandwich of golden French toast, creamy peanut butter, bananas, and served in a pool of crème anglaise. Their ‘Sunday’s Roast’ changes every week: and this time it was a delicious herb-stuffed porchetta. Beautifully roasted, it was tender and pulled apart easily without the use of a knife. It was served with a side of ‘seasonal potato & vegetable’ which for us was a lovely sautée of fingerling potatoes, baby kale, and Brussels sprouts.
There were many other options on the menu that I would’ve loved to try had I any room left. I’ll especially be back to try their crêpes and their pizza – the dough is made in-house by their bakers (gluten-free crust available as well)! Plus I want to get back there when the weather cools down and I can try their dinner and/or happy hour menu by those cozy fire pits.
Meanwhile, to end our sunny and hot summer brunch, the kitchen treated us to fresh Strawberry-Mint Prosecco Popsicle cocktails… It was the perfect way to toast to the wonderful meal we’d just shared and to all the new food blogger friends we’d just made!
Disclosure: I was not compensated for this post. The meal was free of charge. The opinions contained herein are my own and reflect my experience.