Welcome Reds restaurant to Pawcatuck

September 13, 2023 4:43 pm • Last Updated: September 13, 2023 4:43 pm

By Ann Baldelli

The Classic, a rendition of traditional eggs Benedict at Reds (Ann Baldelli)

Reds’ exterior (Ann Baldelli)

Coffee at Reds (Ann Baldelli)

The Country Garden omelet at Reds (Ann Baldelli)

French toast at Reds (Ann Baldelli)

It has been five years since I last wrote about this property, when I reviewed another restaurant operating there, and here is how I began that 2018 commentary:

Seemingly every town has one.

A location where one business after another opens and quickly closes. In Stonington, it’s on South Broad Street in the Pawcatuck section of town near the post office, where a 1,200-square-foot building has housed a variety of eateries over the years, including but not limited to a hot dog joint, a deli, and a breakfast café.

So, excuse my skepticism …

Then I went on to write about the Thai restaurant that had opened there, and recommended that readers give it a try.

Now there is a new tenant at 76 South Broad St., a breakfast and lunch place called Reds, which opened four months ago. The food is very good, and apparently other diners think so, too, based on the number of positive comments I have heard, and the full parking lot most days when I pass by.

We visited about mid-morning on a recent Friday and were greeted as soon as we walked through the door. We picked a seat by the front windows, and before long, the place was full. Our waitress was friendly and helpful, and it turned out she was the owner. Reds, she explained, is named for her. It’s what her husband called her when they first met, and yes, she is a ginger.

She brought coffee, in a super-sized cup, and when we asked for recommendations, she offered a few but said it was hard to single out certain items because everything, in her estimation, is good.

So we decided to try as much as we could. We started with French Toast, $9.50, which was two sliced pieces of brioche bread dredged in egg batter, grilled to a golden brown, dusted with powdered sugar, and served with butter and warm maple syrup.

The brioche wasn’t sliced too fat or too thin; it was the perfect cut and grilled lightly crispy on the outside, but still moist and buttery good on the innards. When it arrived, we agreed we would try a few bites, for the sake of the review, and save room for everything else, but it was so good we consumed every bit. They offer the option to get the French toast on multigrain instead, but I would recommend the brioche.

We also got The Classic, $13.50, a scrumptious rendition of traditional eggs Benedict.

The two perfectly poached eggs arrived resting on thick slices of ham positioned on toasted English muffins, all topped with hollandaise sauce. The ham was a standout. It was the real thing, not those pre-cut rounds you often get on a Benedict.

Also worthy of two thumbs up were the house-sliced home fries. The bite-sized pieces of potatoes were crispy in all the right places and well-seasoned. Best of all, they were piping hot.

We went mid-morning and were treating this meal as breakfast and lunch, so we opted for a third dish to share, The Country Garden, $13.50. This omelet was another winner.

A mélange of sauteed fresh vegetables -- spinach, tomatoes, green peppers, broccoli, and mushrooms -- as well as cheddar cheese, were perfectly encased in a cocoon of beaten and fried eggs. It was a generous portion, accompanied by buttered sourdough toast and those yummy home fries.

We added a side of the house-made soupy sausage patties, which were spicy good, although a tad overcooked.

They have just updated the lunch menu at Reds, and we hope to go back soon to try the fresh daily soups, paninis, sandwiches, and the advertised guilty pleasures – Buffalo Chicken Macaroni and Cheese, or the BBQ Pulled Pork Mac and Cheese, both $14.50.

It is a small space on a busy roadway, and most of the parking is behind the building. Other proprietors have come and gone from the space, but Reds seems like a very good fit. For several months, friends have been encouraging me to dine there. I’m glad we did.