The Spread

Truffle fries are to die for!!! Brussels sprouts, delicious. Two apps, two entrees, 4 drinks all at a reasonable price!

Chef Carlos is the best kept secret on the Gold Coast. Brick chicken is my staple but the veal ricotta is the best $ 16 gourmet you will ever have.

love this place! great addition to the sono scene. super fun place for a date night or any night. food was bomb, drinks were fun (maybe presentation could be improved upon) and waitstaff was knowledgable and fun! will def go back. get the gnocchi, pork belly and Brussels sprouts.

As the New Year begins, just a shout out to the guys at Spread. Service, ambience, food all top notch. From their regular fare to the seasonal to the Sunday brunch – all A grade quality! Looking forward to El Segundo in 2016

The bartenders are always so fun, humorous, and friendly. Since they are the owners, you know you are going to be treated wonderfully. The food is outstanding, and the atmosphere is festive.

I swore I would never return after being asked to give up our table before we were offered a dessert menu however we had friends that insisted we go back and give it another try. So here is my review:
As I said in my first review the food was excellent. We had the braised short rib, grilled octopus, grilled squid, roasted corn, brussel sprouts and the stuffed peppers. My favorite were the short ribs and the corn however all of the dishes were very good. The peppers were the least favorite at our table. The portions are a little small for the price but good none the less. To finish it we had the mint covered Oreo which was extraordinary if you are a chocolate fan!
Our waitress, unlike the waiter in our first experience, was great. She was very friendly and engaging and we had a great time with our friends.

Food is ok, had the salmon Benedict for brunch, nothing amazing. Nice décor. Prices a bit high for what it is.

Party of four post church brunch on ¹⁰⁄₂₄. There was no wait — pleasant surprise and the food was pretty good. Not the best I’ve ever had but enough that we found ourselves discussing the ‘secret’ ingredient in the honey butter pancakes… it was more than honey or butter… Still trying to solve the mystery.
First time attending so our group was a bit taken aback by the cow onesies, but given they matched the creamer dispenser we surmised that it was thematic. As we move on to discuss the creamer. 2 of 4 ordered tea and it took quite some time to come, the creamer was scant for 2 people to share and there was an extended wait for sugar/​sugar substitutes. Wait as it we had to request it and wait for a good while (thus making the hot water less hot and tea worthy). 1 of 4 ordered bottomless mimosa and it was like begging for a re-​fill which given the cost and commonality of such an offering didn’t seem reasonable for the repeat requests and follow ups.
Server was pleasant enough, just took away from the dining experience that we have to move away from our conversation to touch on the shoddy service we were receiving.
Food was ok, but service could stand to improve — or staffing to accommodate busier times would lessen the burden on the patron.

I was asked by Unilocal to rewrite, sorry no I was forced to rewrite my review of The Spread because «it lacked immense details of my dining experience». It also «fell outside the guidelines of Unilocal». What really happened is the boys at The Spread and their friends didn’t like what I had to say.
So, without further ado, here goes… again.
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First Visit
On my first visit to this establishment, I believe it was a cold, starry night. Not a creature was stirring not even a mouse. The bar had around 5 people in it and the dining room about 5 as well, give or take. I was introduced to two of the owners, by a mutual friend. Note, I am not friends with the owners or affiliated with The Spread in any way. I had a meatball sampler, I forget exactly what it was called, but it was cold and not very flavorful. Eh, we all have off nights.
I’ll be darned if there weren’t 3 other restaurants doing the exact same dish. They say imitation is the best form of flattery. So be it.
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Second Visit
Came back to try dinner with several of my friends. Service was kind of all over the place, but it wasn’t bad enough to complain about. On this night we sat mid way in against the wall. For those of you that have never been here the restaurant has windows at the front that are completely open to the street. Sounds nice right? However when you allow smoking directly in front of the building, those big beautiful windows with billowing cigarette smoke coming in can really make you lose your appetite. That pretty much ruined it for me right there.
The GM introduced himself and was kind enough to offer us their Beef Tongue small plate. The arugula was top notch. I’ll leave it at that. I had the gnocchi and my wife had a fish dish but she can’t remember exactly. It was not memorable Unilocal… again sorry. Just a little honesty here. There’s no rules against honesty, is there?
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Third Visit
I was literally dragged back by friends that were wanting to have drinks and apps. I don’t drink so I had an app. More or less I had a couple of tacos, the brussel sprouts and the roasted beet salad. Again, I wasn’t impressed. The dishes were again cold and the presentation was lackluster.
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Fourth Visit
Oh joy!!! It’s the holiday time again and I was invited to a Christmas Party. Guess where it was? My favorite place, The Spread. On this night I believe it was a custom menu, so I can’t really remember everything that was served. And that’s exactly my point. Nothing stood out and nothing was memorable. There were some mini sliders that were good and the only reason I remember them is because Barcelona makes them as well. That’s the restaurant that’s directly across the street from The Spread. The sliders were cold, but at least on this night the service was friendly.
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As for the ambiance it’s a bar with sports playing on two or three televisions to one side and a dining room on the other. It’s all one big open room though. If you’re a real foodie like me, I would not recommend this place. If you like a bar crowd, deejays after hours, cigarette smoke while you eat then this is your place. If you like amazing food, then keep looking.
I’m glad they’re a huge success in Norwalk, good for them. Best restaurant in Connecticut? I don’t think so.
How’s that Unilocal?Detailed enough?
— No Inappropriate content
— No Conflicts of Interest
— No Promotional Content
— Relevance: I believe I was relevant to my dining experience true to my heart and soul.
— Privacy: I did not violate anyone’s privacy.
— Intellectual Property: Lastly, I did not share any intellectual property.
«Criticism may not be agreeable, but it is necessary».

— Churchill

So many amazing things about this restaurant starting with the atmosphere, assorted China plates, Cava on the menu, and the grilled corn is to die for. Everyone that works there is really nice and attentive. Thumbs up.

The best place in Sono, hands down. The staff and food is always amazing. Just recently had a party there and the ambience and dj made it a night to remember. Always a great location to frequent and the décor and atmosphere is hip and welcoming.

Food is really good so is the atmosphere, cool place for a date night! Service can use some better attitude… I made a reservation for 4 people and had to wait over 30 minutes to be seated, for sure wasn’t happy about that and while asking for my table no one acknowledged that fact that was waiting for soooo long!
Never went back since then…

This place was alright. Very cute. Interesting drinks. I ordered a «liquid brunch» which had orange juice and some sort of maple whiskey with a piece of bacon for garnish.
I had the eggs benedict which was good, but mediocre. The eggs could have been cooked a little less, but it was okay. I expected more from the place based on the reviews — but the food is average. Service was super friendly and helpful though!

Another funky little brunch spot in Norwalk. We arrived about 11:45 and were glad we did, the place started quickly filling up around 12:15 and a party of about 10 were seated next to us. They do take reservations however they are for parties of 8 or more so if you want to get some good old fashioned Southern Comfort food for brunch go early.
The free sangria on Unilocal!check in was nice. Very fruity and not overpoweringly alcoholic.
We ordered the eggs benedict and the fried chicken and sausage gravy biscuits. After seeing everyone else’s plates we knew we were in for a treat not only for the way it looked but for how everything smelled.
We don’t know if it was the timing or something on our waitresses fault but it took an incredibly long time for our order to come out and we’re pretty sure another table got our order and we were made to wait. About 40 minutes from ordering was a little long in our books and while the water waiter was very attentive we rarely saw our actual waitress.
They were accommodating for the request of extra hollandaise sauce for the eggs benedict and very quick to bring the check when we were finished.
All in all the food is a 4 star rating, very good in terms of the atmosphere as well. Might’ve been closer to 5 stars had the service not seemed a little off.

The staff was very friendly. Décor hip and spacious without feeling cramped. Great for large groups as well as small. I love the open garage window-​makes it airy.
We ordered a few tapas. Husband enjoyed the steak tartare. The crostinis were flavored which was nice and different.
Brussels sprouts were delish-​smoky grilled and plenty.
The cod fritters were beautiful from the outside but for some reason I felt it was a little too wet or mushy in the inside once cut into. It tasted good.
The meatballs were actually tiny, we had 4 pieces. It was just okay to me. I wasn’t impressed by the sauce either but then I’m not an Alfredo person so maybe that’s why I wasn’t enthusiastic –I forgot what it consisted of.
Complimentary cornbread was really really good! A touch of sweetness but not over the top.
I believe we ordered only 4– but they were filling.
I didn’t find too many dishes that I was personally interested in but again the enviro and décor is great. I didn’t realize there’s parking in the back besides the street parking.

Been wanting to try The Spread for sometime now. We decided to go in for brunch this morning and sit at the bar. The menu was not that enticing. I ordered the Spread Bread — goat cheese, mushroom and fried egg. I was impressed with the perfectly fried egg on top, but it stopped there. It was almost flavorless and in dire need of salt and pepper, which we had to ask for. For 13 $ it left something to be desired. My date ordered the Cajun wrap, nothing special. It came and as soon as he picked it up, it fell apart with liquid under the wrap.
The food wasn’t enough to go back for and the best part of this story is what was going on around us. Three groups of women, two to the left and two to the right and a group behind us were offered free shots of Tequila by the bartender. They graciously took them. Two minutes later, they are offered another shot but the employee working the espresso bar came over and participated. All around us, ‘Cheers!’ We were offered nothing.
Then the third shot came around, something darker brown either espresso or chocolate shots… all free, all not offered to us. It was so undeniably rude that I will never visit the place again. It’s a shame because the host was so warm and welcoming. My date and I are people who have no issue dropping hundreds of dollars a night multiple times per month at dinner.
I get it, offering free drinks to your friends and not offering it to people you don’t know. But three times? Sorry we weren’t part of the clique.

I have been going here periodically since it opened. I have ways liked it but it took me quite a while to figure out their sort of food. They serve European food in a new way. Rather than going to an old, stodgy European place that serves a mostly senior crowd, The Spread caters to a younger and hip crowd. The food is presented on china that doesn’t match (cute). They start you off with some warmly toasted cornbread. Their pâté and their fois gras is fabulous. The gnocchi are like pillows. I love the brick chicken.
The cool factor is that on weekends the place has a different and a night club vibe.
If you check-​in on Unilocal you should get a free sangria offer!
Great place.

This is the go-​to place in Fairfield County for trying creative and fun dishes you will not find anywhere else. I’ve eaten at Spread for dinner, drinks, and brunch about a dozen times over the last two years and have never been disappointed! I would recommend sticking to the small and medium sized plates and trying as many things as possible. (The complimentary cornbread is a great bonus, but try not to fill up!)
Standouts have been the octopus, shrimp and quinoa cakes, and meatballs (omg, that sauce!) I liked the pork belly bites but the maple syrup was difficult to chew — so don’t order it on a first date! Brunch is very good but I prefer the dinner menu, especially the seafood options. I rarely order salads unless they are unique, and the cabbage with truffle and hazelnuts is a must try!
Expect to wait up to an hour or more for a table on a Saturday night. You can call on the way there and they will add your name to the waiting list or if you’re lucky, you can try to score a seat at the bar. The bar runs the length of the restaurant and has a great selection of bottled and draft beer, wine, and specialty drinks.
Go! But don’t take my seat.

If I had reviewed Spread a year ago, I would have given it a much higher review. The food here was imaginative and fresh with a unique twist. Perfect portion size. Very cozy with a cool vibe but still homey feel. It felt like the owners worked hard to make everyone feel welcome. It was the go-​to dinner place for us.
However, over the past year, things have changed. The food and service is more inconsistent– I went with a friend several months ago after raving about it and was quite embarrassed by the experience. The food was mediocre, tough and lukewarm. The service was barely passable. It was so noisy you couldn’t attempt a conversation. I went back again a couple months ago and nothing had changed; it was such an unpleasant experience, I couldn’t wait to leave.
It makes me sad, as I really loved this restaurant… but somewhere along the way they lost their mojo. It feels on one level like they have become a victim of their success. Don’t get me wrong… They are still crowded with 20-something’s every weekend and I imagine doing quite well. But the experience itself has lost its way. Maybe trying to be all things to all people? Maybe forgetting that the dining experience is as important as the food when you’re charging for it? Not sure what went wrong… But for now we have moved on.

Went back last night and it was better than before! The ricotta gnocchi was out of this world! We started with beef tongue and guac and chips and then moved on to the star of the show… Gnocchi! Ricotta gnocchi with veal– literally they were pillows from heaven! And of course served in one of the Spread’s awesome old china dishes, something’s grandma would serve, if she cooked!
Paired with a few martinis, it was perfection!
Also we caught the tail end of HH (4:30−7pm) so we got some deals on the apps. I am never mad at that!