Spice Company

Now closed and replaced.

At the recommendation of a coworker I trust, we went to their Sunday brunch just yesterday. I was looking for someplace we could go with my boyfriend’s parents, that had a buffet, and some booze thrown in. I got exactly what I was after.
The place wasn’t very crowded (which I liked, but some might take as a bad sign), so there was plenty of seating, and no real line for food. The buffet had your standard omelet station, which was good. Nicely cooked eggs and enough melty cheese to make me happy. The carving station featured lamb and turkey. I didn’t try the turkey, and instead went straight for the lamb, being a huge fan. It was okay. Not as tender/​rare as I prefer, but others might like it.
Chafing dishes featured items such as roast pork loin in some sort of appley sauce (didn’t try), gumbo with chicken and shrimp (tried, didn’t finish it), french toast casserole (went back for seconds, thank you very much), the standard bacon, sausage, home fries, and one with an Indian vegetable curry full of cauliflower (enjoyed very much).
Next up were the salads, mixed green, bean salad, pasta salad. I tried the bean, but wasn’t really in the mood for it. There was a roasted vegetable platter, which pleased me, but it was slightly dry and could have benefited from a drizzle of oil or some sort of sauce. Still, I ate it and enjoyed. A bowl of hummus was next to a stack of what appeared to be very oily fried pita chips. I passed on that, but my b/​f said the hummus was fine, just nothing to write home about.
Next up, smoked salmon with dill, chopped eggs and capers. Oh yes, I had some of that. And some very good chilled shrimp cocktail, and the shrimp were cooked and seasoned very well.
The desserts/​bread table had some various cheesecakes, danish, some fluffy looking biscuits, english muffins, bagels, cream cheese, butter, and jam. And a toaster, for your toasting pleasure.
That last station was for drinks. A bottle of Grey Goose vodka on ice, along with 4 bottles of champagne. A do it yourself drink bar. They had a set up for glasses, and pitchers of bloody mary mix, which was actually good, cranberry juice, orange juice, and a small bowl for horseradish, limes, and a vase full of celery sticks. I love the option of making my own drinks.
The atmosphere was pleasant, with a really nice dining room. We parked on the street, but there is a garage under the building, where you can pay. The staff was for the most part friendly. Our waiter didn’t say three words the whole time, but really, I wasn’t there to talk to him.
So what does all this run? $ 19.95 per person, from 11:00 — 2:00 every Sunday. Overall, it was good and I had some dishes I truly enjoyed. Sure, there were a few that didn’t grab me, but hey, it’s a brunch buffet, so who cares. If I loved everything, I wouldn’t have been able to roll out of there, much less walk.
If you want a nice, quiet place to linger over cocktails and food with your friends or family, I’d check it out. The dishes weren’t overly ambitious, just good, warm brunch.

First, the bad news. The appetizers and entrees were mediocre. We got the oyster stew, calamari, chilean sea bass puttanesca, and the short ribs. The short ribs came in a broth (filled to the rim of the bowl), which was strange because there were mashed potatoes as a side drowning in it, getting mushy. The broth also made it difficult to eat the ribs because I was worried about splashing it on my clothes. The chilean sea bass was really plain. The broth for the oyster stew was tasty, but it was overpowered by the amount of celery and carrots in the bowl. We spent over $ 100 with tip on the meal and most of it was absolutely not worth it.
The best part of the dinner was the tiramisu which was probably the best I ever had. The other nice part was the atmosphere. The dining room of the Spice Company is truly beautiful. I wouldn’t mind going back to enjoy the dining room, but maybe to order some burgers (which they had on the menu). Burgers are hard to mess up! And a lot cheaper.
I’ve been on Thursday for Happy Hour in the bar– also a nice atmosphere and they have $ 5 martinis.