Photograph by Wes Battoclette
The Baker’s Table, a mom and pop owned by husband-and-wife team Chef Dave Willocks, formerly of Allez Bakery and Salazar, and designer Wendy Braun, seems like a super-cozy place to enjoy espresso, housemade baked goods, and a book on a weekday morning. But if, like me, you show up for Sunday brunch, expect a bustling, vibrant scene (and an hour wait) with a roomful of fellow diners enjoying seasonal, farm-to-table fare in the charming one-room dining area.
Like your brunch boozy? Try the bloody mary, spicy and stacked with pickled veggies, or the Pink Lady, a shiso hibiscus gin cocktail that was floral, fizzy, and proudly pink. The weekday lunch menu brims with savory dishes, such as Catalan seafood stew and a white cheddar–topped burger, but the weekend brunch menu’s gulf shrimp and grits—a bowl of creamy grits mixed with tail-on shrimp, summer squash, and a perfectly poached egg, topped with smoky tomato gravy—shines. My wife raved over her breakfast sammy, which is on both the brunch and weekday breakfast menu: a sunny-side-up egg sandwich with spicy aioli, pickled red onion, and arugula. Hers was on a cheddar-scallion biscuit, but now it’s served on a brioche bun.
I want to check out the weekday atmosphere and other menus soon, but I’m already starting to crave another bowl of shrimp and grits (and round of cocktails) with that Sunday brunch crowd.
The Baker’s Table, 1004 Monmouth St., Newport, (859) 261-1941
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