Golden Spoons Review: Spread Urban Bistro

(CNS Foodie): Newly opened Spread Urban Bistro is located in the Margaritaville Beach Resort on West Bay Road. Touted as a “neighborhood deli”, it offers an array of local retail products, coupled with a selection of artisan and made-to-order sandwiches, gourmet salads and snacks.

While out running errands on my lunch hour, I decided to drop in for a bite, confident that I would be in and out quickly. The restaurant is at the northern end of the recently renovated hotel, taking up the full wing of space, with a smaller section dedicated to a connecting touristy retail store. The bank of floor-to-ceiling windows allows for a full view of the goings on inside, while also providing patrons with a well-lit environment.

Upon entering the establishment, you come upon a busy ‘island’ of activity, where the focal point is the open-view food prep area/cashier/deli. Planted in the middle of the room, this ‘in-the-round’ service area features a variety of ovens, coolers and display cases as the staff work busily to prepare food and take orders. A sign hanging from the ceiling instructs you to “Please Pay Here” so I walked around to see how things worked.

A line suggested that orders were being taken, so I joined it and waited my turn. On a wall was a large hand-written menu of options – with signature spreads (sandwiches) and greens (salads), each including a complete list of ingredients. I chose the “420” ($8.50), a BBQ chicken sandwich with gouda, bacon, carmelised onion, roast red pepper, arugula and smoked tomato on a pressed ciabatta bun. There was also a display of cubbies and baskets offering snacks to accompany the meal. I grabbed a bag of Cool Ranch Doritos.

At the cashier, I was told to take a drink from the large refrigerator nearby and asked if I would like something sweet to round out the order. I helped myself to a rather large bottle of sparkling water, which would have quenched the thirst of at least three people, finding it odd that they didn’t have single-serving-size bottles. I also allowed myself to check out the desserts on display and settled on the marble cheesecake. After I paid, I was told to take a seat and my food would be delivered.

The seating options included several two-seater tall tables towards the centre of the room, as well as a number of sofas against the bank of windows, for a bit more relaxed dining and conversation. Those were all occupied with bigger groups, so I grabbed a table near the bar, which was closed (it was only 1pm). The adjacent wall featured a selection of bottled wines for sale, presented in an orderly and attractive display that added to the décor.

Music pumped through the overhead speakers – jazz, today – loud enough to be enjoyed, but not competing with the conversations at each table. It was lively and pleasant. The room was an eclectic but muted arrangement of textures and colours. Mostly earth tones, with brick facades and wooden finishes, it was tasteful but not dark or overbearing. All of these factors earned it high marks for ambience even though it was a simple cafe. I found the place relaxing and upbeat as I waited for my food to arrive.

And arrive it did, in a very short time. The cheesecake came first (that was simply a matter of placing it on a slab and smearing some mango and strawberry puree in a cutsie design). As tempting as it was to want to dig in right away, I decided to be an adult and save it for after the main course. My sandwich showed up just in time, as my resolve had begun to wane.

Served in a plastic basket with signature paper, my meal looked appetizing and size appropriate. I quickly bit into one half of the sandwich, savouring the sweet and tangy BBQ dipping sauce. It was an explosion of flavours, all fresh and true. The chicken was shredded from an actual bird, not frozen or processed. The gouda was a perfect addition, a favourite of mine. I finished the first half before realising that I hadn’t opened the chips.

The meal did not stand a chance and was devoured in minutes. I enjoyed every bite – truly an artisan production. Then it was on to dessert. Using the plastic cutlery provided I took a bite, which proved a bit of a shock as my taste buds adjusted to the shift from savoury to sweet. And it was very sweet …maybe too sweet. The texture was a bit curdled, not as firm as I would have liked, but it was definitely a cheesecake. But oh, the sugar. I took two more bites and put the fork down, unable to finish without the threat of an insulin reaction.

The server returned to clean the table and was very courteous and pleasant as she bid me farewell. In fact, I found the staff very attentive and engaging throughout so rated them highly. The meal was over in minutes and I was out the door to continue packing too many errands into an hour.

Overall, it was a great spot to grab a quick, freshly prepared meal. With only a few but varied options, and a great and convenient location, you can really be in and out without delay.

The total bill was $19.04 (no gratuity).

Spread Urban Bistro website

Recent Golden Spoons Reviews

Tags: Café style, Casual dining, Seven Mile Beach, Spread Urban Bistro

Category: Golden Spoons Review, Lunch