Pincho y Pincho Offers Delightful Escape for Breakfast or Brunch

ST. PETERSBURG - Tucked in the building, at the corner of Central Avenue and 1st Street downtown, Pincho y Pincho is a favorite brunch spot.

Pincho y Pincho -- a step-child of Ceviche, next door -- offers a limited version of its Spanish dinner menu for lunch, when Ceviche is closed.

The super-casual, cafe-style atmosphere at Pincho y Pincho distinguishes it from Ceviche, with its ample selections of true Spanish tapas. But the small restaurant is open for breakfast and all-day Sunday brunch, too. That is where it shines.

The tiny tiled dining room at Pincho y Pincho has just a few tables and is next to a long wood bar. Pincho y Pincho is similar to the street cafes common in Madrid and other Spanish cities. It's not hard to imagine oneself  in an old European city, when seated at a cozy table.

The dining room/bar is decorated with Spanish tile, but there are also a half-dozen tables out on the sidewalk for dining outdoors.

Just about everything on the breakfast menu is delightful. The five brunch specials are served only on Sundays, from 10 a.m.-4 p.m. Our favorites include the Seafood Crepes ($12.95), filled with shrimp, scallops and calamari.

The crepes are light, as they should be, and covered in mornay and fire-roasted pepper sauces, making for an attractive presentation.

Other brunch selections include the Crab Benedict Lord Baltimore ($14.95), a long name for the otherwise tasty, layered creation of crabmeat, tomato, poached egg and sauteed spinach on a croissant. The whole affair is smothered in hollandaise for a fresh-tasting, healthy concoction.

The brunch items are served with a side of oversized steamed asparagus, covered in hollandaise. It is an interesting combo, though I usually find myself scraping off the sauce to eat the fresh, lightly-cooked spears.

Pincho y Pincho is open seven days a week. When Sunday brunch is not available, there are still plenty of creative and delectable breakfast options that include Tortilla Espanol (4), an egg, potato and onion pie served with aioli and without the flour crust. It is small and firm, not soggy or eggy as some pies and quiches can be.

We also like the three-egg omelets ($6.50), which we tried with Spanish Serrano ham and Manchego cheese. Other choices for fillings include sauteed peppers, onions, mushrooms and tomatoes.

The coffee is strong, and the cappuccinos foamy with lots of infused milk. But this is a bar, too, so the option is there for Mimosas, Sangria or Bloody Marys ($4 each).

I guess it should not be surprising, but usually there are one or two customers who order their alcohol first and early in the day, along with breakfast, as we settle in with our coffees and scan the newspaper.

Pincho y Pincho is not expensive, yet not as cheap as some of the breakfast spots around town that offer a more standard plate of eggs, toast and coffee. Very casual and a little cramped, this is not the spot for efficient service or to bring a large crowd, unless you sit outside.

Never too busy, the place usually has open tables outside and indoors. We prefer to sit inside, next to the large windows, at a cozy corner table. It's  just the right perch for an intimate conversation or to sit idly and watch the world go by.

If You Go

Pincho y Pincho is a 7-day a week coffee shop and bar open for breakfast and lunch. The bar stays open at night and is packed with overflow crowds from Ceviche next door.  Phone: 727-209-9922