We were first introduced to the deliciousness that is Chestnut Fine Foods & Provisions at Uptown Famer’s Market last weekend. After chatting with the lady representing the booth about the farm-to-table practices and how the eatery uses locally sourced ingredients, I was intrigued. Looking at the menu she had available got me hooked, but tasting the delicious, freshly-made-each-morning almond croissant reeled me in! I told her we would be stopping in very soon to sample the menu. Well, we went to the farmer’s market Saturday and decided when we got home that we were going to Chestnut for Sunday brunch.
The casual, relaxed vibe coupled with the bright, airiness of the space makes for a great spot to grab a bite! When you first walk in, you’re greeted by the rows of delicious-looking pastries and a friendly cashier, who will take your order. After you get a number, you can go choose a table. There’s also a fun little play area for kids, which is perfect if you end up having to wait for seating to open up. We got there around 9:30 am, so didn’t have any problems snagging a table.
I was especially impressed at how fast our food was brought out, usually there’s a bit of an expected wait when brunching on the weekend at most eateries. Myles ordered the “Green Eggs & Ham,” a tasty open-faced pepper roll with prosciutto, poached eggs, and fresh pesto, Logan loved his lemon ricotta waffles, and I enjoyed the short rib hash. Everything was delicious! We, of course, had to also have an almond croissant to share.
And for coffee drinkers, Chestnut has a partnership with Mama’s Cold Brew — the delicious organic, homemade iced coffee that’s brewed for 24 hours, mixed with a unique blend of spices and paired with a tasty organic creamer — is a definite crowd pleaser. Chestnut’s house blends don’t disappoint either! There’s also a nice selection of teas. I’ve sampled the “Blue Lady Black” and the “Green Lavender” and liked them both.
After a leisure brunch, well as leisure as you can get with a baby, ha — although, I must say that Logan did let us sit around after eating for much longer than his usual eat-and-get-out-of-his-high-chair routine — we took him over to the play area. There was another little boy a month older than Logan playing, and the two of them had a ball crawling around and getting into all the toys. A funny side note: Myles had been chatting with the boy’s dad, and after Logan and him hit it off, we wanted to pop by their table on the way out and exchange numbers to set up a play date. BUT, we felt too awkward, as the boys had only been playing for 15 minutes or so. Any one else experience this anxiety? Who knew setting up baby play dates with parents you’ve only just interacted with could be so nerve-wracking?! Or maybe it was just us being newbies to the game, ha.
There was something for the whole family at Chestnut, from the food, to the vibe, and entertainment. We will definitely be regulars! Some things to note:
* Chestnut is open daily from 7 am to 3 pm September through May and from 7 am to 2 pm from June through August.
* The earlier you get there on the weekends, the better. As you can imagine, later in the day = more popular and the place will get packed. When we were leaving around noon, there was a line of people at the cashier. It was a colder day, so most people wanted a table inside. However, when it’s nice out there is ample patio seating so then there really isn’t a worry about what time you get there.
* You order before you sit, so feel free to peruse the menu beforehand, that way you have an idea of what you’ll be in the mood for when you get there. But, there’s no pressure to quickly place an order and they do tend to have specials, which the cashier will happily share. There’s also a great kids menu with favorites like: scrambled eggs with mini waffles or pancakes and mac and cheese with whole grain pasta and a homemade cheese sauce.
* Substitutions are no problem. So full disclosure, in the time it took me to get this blog post up, we have since gone back to Chestnut. This time I tried the “Green Eggs & Ham,” and asked for my eggs to be scrambled and subbed bacon for the prosciutto, since it’s one of those things you’re not supposed to eat while pregnant. It was the most delicious! I think that will be my go-to meal whenever we brunch there.
Chestnut Fine Foods & Provisions is located at 4350 E. Camelback Road, Phoenix, AZ 85018.
– Ravelle
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