Brunch at Il Casale in Belmont, MA

I love brunch. Who doesn’t, right? I also love getting out and spending time with other adults. My kids are great and all, but it’s nice to enjoy a meal where you’re not responsible for anyone else’s table manners but your own. Il Casale in Belmont, MA, recently hosted a brunch for some bloggers to sample the menu and get a sense for the ambiance. Honestly, I cannot wait to go back.

Il Casale Brunch – Location and Ambiance

If you live in the Boston area and haven’t been to downtown Belmont, you must. It’s full of cute little boutiques and yummy food. There is plenty of parking and it’s a lovely way to spend an afternoon with friends. And if you’re there on a Sunday (trust me, you want to be there on a Sunday), you can enjoy a divine brunch at Il Casale from 11:30am-2:30pm.

Right in the middle of all of that Belmont charm lies Il Casale. With exposed brick walls and a wall of windows, it’s warm and cozy. They had live Jazz playing (on a marimba!), but it was never too loud or overpowering. As the weather gets warm, they open up their outdoor seating area so you can people-watch while you eat. Seating was a combination of booths and tables with plenty of flexibility for various grouping sizes.

The Brunch Menu at Il Casale

The menu for Sunday Brunch at Il Casale offers nice variety of dishes, each with an Italian spin. From traditional brunch offerings like pancakes, french toast and eggs (all gussied up, of course)to seafood and pasta dishes, there is enough of a mix to please a range of palates.

I am a brunch purist, so I opted for “toast…alla Francese,” described as “brioche French toast, cinnamon-vanilla batter, butter gelato, crispy pancetta.” The French toast was delicious, crispy, and lightly spiced. I could eat that every day. And crispy pancetta? Come on. It was only a bonus that it was served in cute little crunchy circles. I had mixed feelings about the butter gelato, though. It is exactly what it sounds like: gelato with bits of butter in it. It never quite melted onto my French toast and I didn’t take to the combination of textures.

We had a chance to sample some of the appetizers and other dishes as a table. The “macedonia di frutta” fruit salad was fresh and a nice counterpoint to my heavier main dish. Splurge on the prosciutto. It’s worth it. They had a crab take, which I didn’t sample as I’m not a fan of crab. And I believe they offer all of their brunch guests some complimentary biscotti.

The Il Casale brunch was simply lovely. Wonderful food in a comfortable, conversation-friendly environment. I believe we were at a table for 8, so there is also room for a good-sized family.

Il Casale Cuchina Italiana & Bar
50 Leonard Street
Belmont, MA 02478
617-209-4942

Disclosure: We were provided with a complementary brunch tasting for the purposes of this review. No other compensation was provided and all opinions are my own.