Tinto Brunch Review

This is for a series of posts related to Iron Chef Jose Garces including:

Amada, Distrito, Rosa Blanca, Bar Volver, Buena Onda, The Blue Anchor, PHS Pop Up Garden, JG Domestic, Tinto [1], Tinto [2], Tinto [Brunch], Village Whiskey, and The Olde Bar.

Regular fans know I'm a fan of Tinto. Dinner here offers an intimate setting where you can immerse yourself in the mind of our resident Iron Chef. An added bonus? The Basque-inspired tapas menu allows you to sample a myriad of tastes and textures! Having never tried their brunch, I was excited to stop by with the GF this past weekend.

Pomelo [$12]
Rose cava, grapefruit 

Brunch means bubbly right? We loved the sweet tartness of the grapefruit paired with the dry effervescence of the champs.

Bloody Maria [$13]
Tequila, bloody mix, espelette rim 

Their take on the Bloody Mary had a wonderful tomato essence and some lively kick to it, especially when accented by the sprinkle of espelette peppers! 

Smoked Paprika Bacon [$6]

Can't have brunch without bacon right? Tinto's is housemade, with a smokiness that isn't overdone. Coupled with the paprika, this is a crunchy side that should accompany your meal. 

Prawn Brochettes [$12]
Shrimp, chorizo, tomato

I'm a big fan of the Tinto's prawn brochettes. While I do prefer the head-on shrimp you typically get served at dinner, I had no qualms with these either. The snappy shrimp were nicely glazed, with the chorizo providing some heft and there was some acidity from the roasted tomato. The lemon aioli was a nice counterpoint to savoriness of the brochettes. 

Benedicto [$12]
Chorizo pamplona, brioche, poached eggs, black truffle hollandaise 

Tinto's got a great eggs bene with some Spanish flair as well! Eggs were trembling with fatty folk running through the fluffy brioche, which acted like a sponge. 

Well-cured chorizo slices provided additional luxuriousness to each bite. The black truffle hollandaise was the star for us though, with a richness that could not be denied. So good it should be bottled! 

Desayuno [$12]
Pork belly, piperade, manchego omelet, arugula 

I know Tinto does pork belly right. So I was excited to see there was a bocadillo centered around my favorite ingredient! Bocadillo are literally "small sandwiches," but let it be known that Tinto offers a behemoth of a bocadillo! 

Better than your standard steak and eggs, the manchego omelet was perfectly cooked, with the huge slabs of unctuous pork belly taking center stage. Within the crusty bread, the piperade of stewed onions, green peppers, and tomatoes brought each bite together. 

Torrijas [$13]
Citrus vanilla french toast, fresh berries, vanilla mascarpone 

Need some sweetness for (or - with - in my case!) your brunch? Do get the torrijas, which have a great texture on the citrus-vanilla brioche. Compared to the Olde Bar's iteration, this was slightly more restrained, with more of a focus on the citrus and berries. Delicious. 

So if you want to step up your brunch game or are simply looking to skip the ridiculously long brunch lines at Sabrina's or Green Eggs, book a table at Tinto for an elegant, yet casual brunch. It's the perfect segue to spending a weekend shopping along Walnut Street or daydreaming at Rittenhouse Square. 

FTC Disclaimer: Thanks to Corie from Gloss PR for inviting us. Regardless, my opinions are mine alone and, therefore, unbiased.