Adorably delicious brunch with Alex from Sunday Diners! Volta, Stamford

If you haven’t been following the exciting eating adventures of Alex from Sunday Diners, you’re seriously missing out. Oh, did we mention that he’s just 10 years old?  Yep! He and his dad, James, hit up Connecticut diners and breakfast spots and write about the food, the people,  the experience, and, oh, the bathrooms…but more on that later. Always a fun read, we love seeing where “the boys” (James is a kid at heart) have gone. And, lucky ducky us got to sit in on one of their dining extravanganzas at Volta in Stamford with mom / wife Ann who runs the increasingly popular Fairfieldista. Here’s our adventure…and here’s his on Sunday Diners.

BOW BEFORE ALEX, HOLDER OF BACON!

We got settled in to our table and enjoyed some nice Sunday morning conversation about the weather, places we’ve traveled, and restaurants we want to try. But soon we moved on from  the small talk and got down to the real business of the day: getting our grub on with some delicious crepes! For Alex, ordering was easy:  the Nutella crepe.   He had already been drinking up a healthy and freshly made juice concoction of carrots, apple, and ginger.  How cool is Alex drinking all his fruits and veggies…a 10 year old food blogger who is more adventurous with food than most adults.   He took out his notepad in preparation for the food arriving, then took a quick look around as if he was looking for something.   For Alex, his Dad explained, it’s not all about the food… it’s also about the bathroom! You’ll learn why soon.

Goat cheese crepe is Kristien’s little piece of heaven

After a short wait, our food arrived.   We all took some pics like good bloggers then commenced eating.   Alex devoured his Nutella crepe and really enjoyed it (which was easy to tell by the Nutella that made its way onto his face like a good 10 year old kid)! He especially loved the contrast of the sweetness with his side of crispy, perfectly cooked bacon.  Yeah, this kid does it right!   Kristien had her usual, the goat cheese crepe (extra goat cheese of course), which had a nice and gooey sunny side up egg and some mushrooms, mixed greens and spinach. She dreams about this crepe on Sunday mornings.   Dan had the prosciutto crepe, also his usual, which was excellent with plenty of mooz (that’s mozzarella for you non-Italians) and prosciutto inside and a fresh mixed greens salad on the side for that added contrast of flavors.   James had a stuffed croissant sandwich with bacon, eggs, and cheese and Ann had the Black Forest crepe (ham and swiss cheese) that they both really enjoyed as well. And, because it’s brunch (duh), the adults enjoyed some tasty rossinis (that’s champagne and fresh strawberries) and a bloody mary.

3 scoops of yummy gelato…it was devoured within seconds

During the meal, Alex had been eyeing the gelato like a tiger on the hunt.  So of course, Dan and James (the big kids) and Alex (the real kid) had to order some gelato after we were done with our crepes. Who says you can’t have dessert with breakfast? Psh!  Collectively, they tried caramel sea salt, lemon, Oreo, pistachio, dulce de leche, and more to list.  They all enjoyed their creamy, freshly made gelato, but we enjoyed the conversation even more when we  snuck in a quick interview with Alex. Here’s probably one of the cutest and most wickedly awesome interviews OmNomCT has had the pleasure to do… oh and you finally get to find out what’s up with Alex’s bathroom obsession.

What’s your favorite thing to eat for breakfast?

Pancakes (there was no hesitation at all, btw)!

What kind of pancakes?

Any kind at all really. With blueberries, chocolate, bananas, and syrup.

And, who makes your favorite pancakes?

The strawberry shortcake pancakes at Olde Bluebird Inn are awesome!

How did you end up starting Sunday Diners?

I’ve been having breakfast with my dad on Sundays since I was 2. After a while, we talked and I decided to start Sunday Diners so the good restaurants could be rewarded and people would know where to go.

Aside from eating some great food, what have been some other great things about staring your blog?

Checking out the bathrooms (we all laugh). No really. If they keep the bathroom clean, it shows if the kitchen is also clean. It’s also been nice meeting so many new people. For the record, Volta scored well here.

What kind of reactions have you received from friends, family, and fans?

It feels really good that people know about Sunday Diners.  Sometimes we’ll go out and a chef or owner  will say, “Hey, you’re Alex from Sunday Diners!”  That makes me feel really comfortable at the restaurant when that happens. (James later told a story about Chef Michael Young of Valencia and Bodega recognizing Alex on a ferry.)

What else do you do besides eat and write?

Well, I go to school, I play baseball and basketball, do karate, play violin and viola, and I play Minecraft.  (Apparently James and Ann think that Alex has a slight problem and might be a bit addicted, but we’re no one to judge.)

We then started a lightning round of questions that forced him to think fast:

Dog or cat?

Cat (but he almost seemed shocked that he said cat). But, I love dogs too! (He has a pug, actually and would love a cat.  Mom and dad?  Hmm, not so much.)

Book or Kindle?

Book.

Taco or burrito?

Taco (he seems interested in trying beef tongue tacos for some reason, someone hook a brother up).

Pizza eaten in the hand or cut with a fork?

(In an astonished, shocked, and dumbfounded kind of way) Uh, what? Obviously in the hand.

Favorite drink?

1% milk. I like chocolate milk, too.

Saturday or Sunday?

(After thinking a while) Saturday.

Dan or Kristien?

Dan…JUST KIDDING…Kristien! (ouch)

•••

So overall, we really enjoy Volta as we always do.   If you’re looking for crepes, a juice bar, some lighter choices, and a great brunch, this is the spot.   Plus, we love how we don’t ever spend too much money here as opposed to going to Meli Melo in Greenwich.   Yes, they don’t have as big as a variety, but we like what we’ve had there consistently.   When the weather is nice, this place is hard to resist, especially because they are kind to doggies, giving them bowls of water.   The only bummer is when we went with Alex and family (and at some other times, too) we experienced some slow service, having to wait a while for our coffee and especially our check.   That being said, this is a European kind of vibe and things are a little more hands-off at times.   So, we’ll keep coming back for the good eats, the chill vibe, and the great drinks… and hopefully we’ll share more adorably delicious Sunday Diners experiences with Alex and family!

Volta Gelateria Creperia

Noms: 3.75

Cost: $$-$$$ depending on what your order

Address: 30 Spring Street

Stamford, CT 06901

Phone: 203-883-8841

Website: http://volta.us/

Here are some of the great reviews that Alex has written on Sunday Diners:

1. Volta Gelateria in Stamford
2. Valencia Luncheria in Norwalk
3. Dish and Port Coffeehouse in Black Rock
4. Little Pub in Rigefield
5. O’Neills in Norwalk
6. Alex cooks up his own goat cheese scrambled eggs
7. The New Stationhouse in Redding
8. Rosie in New Canaan
9. Whistle Stop Bakery in Ridgefield
10. The Olde Bluebird Inn in Easton
11. Lorca in Stamford

And here’s where to find Alex:

His blog

His Twitter

His Facebook