For the first time ever, Richard Sandoval’s Mexican restaurant, Pampano, is introducing Sunday brunch. From 11:30am to 3pm, guests can enjoy a bottomless brunch including mouthwatering menu items and brunch cocktails for just $39 (kids 12 and under dine for $15). Diners are encouraged to order family-style and share dishes. And with so many amazing options, you’ll definitely want to share (well, you’ll want others to share with you).
Start off with your choice of sparkling, white or red sangria pitchers. We recommend the white sangria, which pairs perfectly with the brunch dishes and is light and refreshing. The menu is divided into two sections — a la carte items and items included in the bottomless brunch. A la carte items include dips, ceviches and cocktails such as margaritas and bloody mary’s. Even though these dishes aren’t included in the brunch deal, they are definitely worth splurging on. Guacamole is always a no brainer, but a surprise standout was the Pez Ahumado, which was a delicious smoked swordfish dip. If you are a ceviche fan, Pampano has four different kinds to choose from, or you can try a sampling of all of them — Mahi, Halibut, Atun, and Camaron.
Now onto the good stuff — there are so many fabulous options on the bottomless brunch menu you’ll probably have to come back a couple times to try everything. Guests can order up some of their classic Pampano favorites or new brunch specialties. A fun twist on eggs benedict is Pampano Benedict, made with sopes, black bean puree, poached eggs and salsa verde. A great side dish is the Chilaquiles, similar to nachos, made with crispy tortilla, ranchera sauce, monterrey jack and crema. It’s hard not to fill up on these! Both dishes have a great presentation and the chilaquiles have great flavor.
For those who like lunch items better than breakfast, both the Shrimp & Grits and Tacos de Tinga are great options. The former includes spicy shrimp and creamy hominy, but does not really have the texture of Southern-style grits. It is nonetheless a great dish and the shrimp is divine. The tacos have shredded chicken bathed in a tomato chipotle sauce, topped with lettuce and crema. These are a great pick for any taco lover and are just the right size.
There were definitely two favorites on the menu. Obviously, you can never go wrong with Chicken & Waffles, and Pampano’s are served with a maple dijon sauce and topped with crispy bacon. Does it get any better? Actually, yes. The Pambazos knocked it out of the park. These potato chorizo sliders, topped with lettuce and crema, were such a great Mexican interpretation of a slider, we could have had twenty. We finished our meal with an airy cornbread cake, even though we thought we couldn’t fit any more into our stomachs.
All in all, Pampano’s brunch rivals their world class dinner and we couldn’t be more excited that we can now head over there every Sunday to indulge.
Pampano is located at 209 E. 49th Street.
Pingback: What To Eat at This Year’s US Open