Waterworks Reopens for Brunch for First Time since Pandemic

Brunch is back at one of Winooski’s most popular hotspots after a long hiatus due to the Covid-19 pandemic. 

Waterworks restaurant is back in the breakfast business after two years, and owner David Abdoo had much to say about it.

“We actually closed the restaurant.” said Abdoo, “and then reopened, you know, a year, a year and a half in, it was basically focusing on seven nights a week with dinner.”

Abdoo said that now is the perfect time to start preparing his restaurant for serving the big, buffet-style brunches that it used to serve. It’s the perfect time for the reintroduction for a number of reasons, he said.

“Number one, it's the first day of spring, we have a new room we're trying,” said Abdoo, “and we want to get the exercise in,” referring to his staff’s readjustment to working brunch, in preparation for the large holiday brunches that will come later this spring and into the summer.

“Obviously, we're gonna do an Easter brunch, we're gonna do a Mother's Day brunch, Father’s Day, those are definitive,” said Abdoo. “And so we want to get the system back and the team back, and the first day of spring, I thought it was a good one for us to try out.”

As for the menu, and the similarity of the brunch menu pre-pandemic, Abdoo wanted to start out with the buffet brunch, in preparation for the aforementioned holiday events that will use this format. 

There is, of course, eggs benedict, bacon, sausage, potatoes, and fruit, but Abdoo made sure to promote the old fan favorites.

“It's nice having multiple desserts, it's nice having some veggie options and gluten free options that what I've seen people are pretty happy with,” said Abdoo, “then we have the little french toast sticks.”

The place was packed and the food was fantastic during a visit by a reporter on March 20. The eggs benedict was delicious, with a perfectly poached egg, Canadian bacon and hollandaise sauce. The French toast sticks paired perfectly with some fruit and maple syrup, and the pastries were flakey and sweet. 

The desserts might have been the most impressive thing on the menu, with a vast array of cakes and baked goods, and for drinks there were several unique twists on classic brunch cocktails.