Brunch at Tinto

Tinto
114 S 20th St
Philadelphia, PA 19103
Neighborhoods: Rittenhouse Square, Penn Center

The last time I was at Tinto the waiter coughed on my food.  I was less than pleased.  But, I had recently heard favorable things about Tinto's brunch from a friend, and thought it would be a great place to celebrate a great achievement - the second completion of the Philadelphia Half-Marathon by a close friend.

I started off with the Jamon Serrano (cured Spanish ham with egg salad and pickled guindilla).  This had a nice balance of flavors and was a good start to brunch.  Next came the Huevos Benedictos (poached egg, brioche toast, jamon serrano, truffle hollandaise).  The poached egg (on both of our plates) was a bit more cooked than either of us would have liked, but it didn't ruin the dish.  As soon as the plate was brought to the table, I could smell the truffle hollandaise so get your nose ready!

Our sides included the piperade (served with more jamon serrano) and maple grits.  The former was good, while the latter should have been on the dessert menu.  After 1-2 bites, the maple grits became too sweet to eat, especially when we were still eating our savory dishes.

For dessert, both the Torrijas (roasted brioche, caramel mousse, creme fraiche sherbert, orange) and Brulee of Grapefruit (with creme fraiche gelato) were good.  Unlike the desserts at most restaurants, these two had just the right amount of sweetness such that we didn't feel like we would fall into a sugar coma afterwards.  Will be back for seconds and thirds!