Spanish River Grill

If their Sunday Brunch is any indication of their overall food quality, Spanish River Grill will be around for along time. My friend and I were in New Smyrna Beach for their Arts Fiesta recently. After perusing all the arts and crafts--and making a few purchases as well, we decided to try Spanish River Grill. They are normally open only for dinner, but on Sundays also are open for brunch. This was lucky for us! 

We were promptly greeted and seated. Though they were not packed, there was a decent crowd there, and all seemed to be having a good time. Our waitress, Charlene, was very pleasant and helpful and willing to offer suggestions--though telling us it was "all good" didn't help narrow down our choices. I suspect she was telling the truth, though.

We started out with mimosas (at a buck apiece, how could we pass up that deal). I had first a mango mimosa, and later guava--the later was my favorite.

For an appetizer we ordered the Shrimp Grits and Toast--even though I know my friend Tommy does not like grits (but I do!). It arrived in due time. A bowl of delicious cheesy shrimp grits was topped by a lone shrimp and served with two pieces of hearty toast. Though Tommy does not like grits, he did like this dish--it was awesome. Only two minor disappointments. In my first bite, I got just a bit of shell. That did not happen again. And the shrimp that topped the dish. while delicious in taste, was definitely quite overcooked. Not quite rubbery, but danged close. But, the tastiness of the grits make up for these two small missteps. It was awesome. Rich and creamy, cheesy and with a hint of shrimp. And, it had a nice but subtle smoky flavor--I'm sure it's due to smoked paprika. These were awesome. 

For an entree Tommy had the Blue Crab Benedict. Two crab cakes on toast were topped with hollandaise and poached eggs. The poached eggs could have been cooked just a slight bit more, but overall, the flavor of this dish was spot-on. The hollandaise was obviously fresh and homemade--you can't get that good flavor from a bottle. It was a very good dish overall--I know, I had a taste--and Tommy managed to eat the whole thing.

For my main dish I had the Roasted Chicken Pasta. This was linguini served with roasted chicken and with sauteed mushrooms and green beans, and topped with some shaved parmesan cheese. I thought the green beans a bit different--but not in a bad sense. The flavors and textures worked well together and it was a very good dish. I wonder what it would have been like with asparagus in place of the green beans? Nonetheless, it was a fantastic dish with a rich and meaty flavor. I would not be surprised if there was a bit of wine in the sauce, though most of the meatiness probably came from the mushrooms--they were delicious.

We only had brunch here, but also had a chance to peruse the dinner menu. It looks fantastic. We had a hard time choosing what to have for our lunch, there were so many good sounding choices. Dinner appears to be the same. Though it's a bit of a drive, I know for sure we will be back for dinner some night--our food was that good. The attention to detail as well as the presentation show that this Chef knows how to deliver top quality food and he succeeded with our lunch, that's for sure. My recommendation: if you're anywhere near the New Smyrna Beach area on a Tuesday through Sunday night (or bruchtime on Sunday), consider stopping at Spanish River Grill. I do not think you'll be disappointed, and I'm sure you'll find some good eats here.