By Michelle Moskowitz
Sentinel Correspondent
What was once home to the popular Barcelona Wine Bar has now evolved into a bustling new hotspot in town – The Spread – located at 18 West Putnam Avenue.
For those who were regulars at Barcelona, Greenwich resident Sean Longyear and local Andrey ‘Drey’ Cortes, were the magic behind the bar during those crowd-pleasing years, greeting patrons with friendly smiles, serving up one of their specialty cocktails or tapas in hand.
The two bartenders became very good friends, immersed themselves on the inner workings of the restaurant/bar scene, and created their own venture, along with Chris Hickey, Chris Rasile (also former, local bartenders) and Executive Chef Carlos Baez.
In 2012, the team opened its first restaurant, The Spread, in South Norwalk. Its select menu, comprised of American comfort food and specialty beverages, served in a hip, yet inviting spot for patrons, proved to be a winning platform.
In September 2016, the team opened its second eatery, El Segundo, also in SoNo, offering global street food culled from 28 countries, which Cortes described as, “Having a variety of gourmet food trucks together under one roof.”
Now, thrilled to be open in Greenwich (where the idea for the budding franchise first germinated), The Spread has quickly earned an impressive footprint as a hip, local venue, providing a great place to spend time with friends, right in the heart of town.
“People were just waiting for the next place to open [after Barcelona closed], and since day one, we have hit the ground running,” said Cortes of the restaurant, which opened last December.
“People come to The Spread to relax, enjoy great food and a really great night life as well,” said Cortes. “No one forgets a good time, and when this space became available, we just knew it was meant to be.”
Earl Nemser, a long-time Greenwich resident and Vice Chairman of Interactive Brokers, was so pleased that The Spread would be opening in town that he jumped at the chance to become an investor in the venture.
“It was a real loss when Barcelona closed because our offices are right around the corner. Behind the bar, Sean and Drey provided the perfect combination of engagement and discretion,” said Nemser.
“That’s why I was thrilled to learn they were re-opening as The Spread, and even more so when I was invited to become one of their investors. I grabbed the opportunity,” said Nemser.
Aside from its convenient location in town, The Spread offers a menu with a vast and hearty offering of meant-to-share-plates that accompany its wide assortment of specialty cocktails, wines and craft beers.
Executive Chef Baez, who was born and raised in Mexico City, incorporates global influences from all over the world, including French, Moroccan and Japanese, which he has harnessed throughout his 18 years of culinary experience in the U.S.
Chef Baez attributes his lifetime of passion for cooking to his parents, as he worked at his family’s taqueria in Mexico City growing up.
“Chef’s don’t cook for themselves, they cook for others,” said Baez with a broad smile.
He recounted a recent dinner at The Spread when a man celebrating his 90th birthday requested to “see the chef” after finishing his meal and told him it was the best Bolognese he ever had in his life!
Refreshing salads to start with include the massaged kale with avocado and goat cheese, shaved cabbage with toasted hazelnuts, and the marinated beets with shaved fennel and lemon honey vinaigrette.
Small plates, such as the veal ricotta meatballs, black pepper crusted tuna, and the goat cheese, wild mushroom, truffle oil “spread bread,” is designed to share easily or perfect for a light nosh.
For those in search of heartier fare, medium plates include the shaved foie gras, curry mussels, and burrata, and large plates include the pan seared pork chop, tagliatelle verde (the pasta is made fresh in-house) and the brick chicken with lemon white wine demi-glaze.
The restaurant’s sleek décor embodies a rustic, industrial design, offering guests an open-air space with which to unwind, whether grabbing a seat at the lengthy, 70-foot bar or securing a high-top table in the dining room.
All plates, regardless of size, are served on delicate, mismatched china, providing a unique presentation of its bites and nibbles – a definite crowd-pleaser when presented at the table.
But aside from tasty (and well-proportioned) spreads made-to-share, whether at the bar or at a table, the team’s vision from the get-go was to provide an engaging hotspot where locals could stay for the duration of the night, long after dinner or drinks.
On Thurs., Fri. and Sat. nights, at around 10 p.m., the high-tops are cleared away and the dining room is transformed into an ample-sized dance club when the DJ starts to spin tunes for the crowd.
The Spread has a sizable staff of 30 people, many whom are local, including General Manager, Helen Deluna, who worked at Morello’s on Greenwich Avenue for 9 years.
Open 7 days a week, The Spread has a three-course prix-fixe lunch Mon. – Fri., and is open for brunch on Sundays, which is perfect if you have a craving for lobster and waffles, a breakfast burger topped with a fried egg, or eggs benny.
Sunday brunch is accompanied by bottomless mimosas or draft beer, for $18, and guests can become their own mixologists and partake in the Bloody Mary bar, spicing up their bloodies with specially curated condiments, 40 different sauces and fix-ins.
Also, on-site and quite affable is Pastry Chef Lauren Taranto, who crafts savory specialties, such as the apple bread pudding with candied walnuts and a milk chocolate mousse perfectly balanced on a peanut butter crunch. However, her admitted favorite pick is the freshly baked donuts filled with vanilla bean cream, accompanied by a bourbon caramel sauce.
The Spread offers a full catering menu, including party hors d’oeuvres, entrees, salads and desserts, requisite with specialty bars and party themes such as the foie gras bar, the shucking station and raw bar, and a Cinco De Mayo fiesta.
There is also a private dining room available for parties or events that can house upwards of 70 people, who can partake in the after-hours dancing if they so choose.
While the team members are all locals themselves, they in turn support working with local farmers and markets, such as Horseshoe Farm in Ridgefield and Wave Hill Breads, an artisan micro-bakery in Norwalk.
At any given time, one or more of the partners is on site and it is evident that their easy going, enthusiastic rapport with one another not only contributes to the team’s success, but permeates throughout the local establishment, and they refer to many of their guests as friends.
When asked to select a favorite plate on the menu, each of the partners took a moment to ponder and, not surprisingly, no two choices were the same, perhaps offering insight on how a great team can work so well together:
Cortes – the brick chicken
Longyear – the Kobe burger
Hickey – the shaved foie gras
Rasile – the grass fed short rib
Chef Baez – the ricotta gnocchi
“We are always friends first,” said Cortes. “We always hear each other’s opinions with respect, and we are all hands-on.”
Restaurant hours for lunch are Mon.– Fri., 11:30 a.m. – 3:30 p.m. Dinner/bar hours are Sun. – Thurs., 4:30 p.m. – 12 a.m., for the bar, 5-10 p.m., for the kitchen; Fri. and Sat., 4:30 p.m. – 2 a.m., kitchen 5-11 p.m., and Sunday brunch from 11 a.m.- 4 p.m.
Visit thespreadgreenwich.com for more information or to book a table.
