Rating: 💋 💋 💋 💋 😘
My first reaction to this place is - Oh my God.
What. A. Good. Meal.
This restaurant was not even on my original list of places to check out, but a recommendation from my sister's college friend. She lives in Astoria and invited us up for a Saturday morning brunch. I checked out the menu beforehand and loved every single option so much I did not know how I would decide on just one meal. Il Bambino is a unique brunch experience as well, because there are no bottomless bloody marys or stacks pf pancakes filling the dining room. Instead, this cute little Italian spot serves up panini on freshly baked bread, and its unique sandwich combinations - mostly savory but also some sweet - cater to anyone, no matter your palate preferences.
When we arrived, a very friendly host led us to a lovely back patio with picnic tables, benches, and foliage extending from the ceiling. It was a lovely environment and a good way to soak up the last rays of summer sunshine while enjoying good food.
After getting settled at our picnic table and admiring the flowers and fruits that surrounded us, we got down to business.
This may not have been a bottomless brunch situation, but they did offer mimosas on the menu, as well as some fun specialty coffee and hot chocolate options. Call me crazy because it was August, but the breeze actually made the day quite chilly, so I opted for a hot drink. The Cookie Buttah latte was an excellent choice. It was not too thick or sweet, but had a strong Italian latte base with a touch of cookie flavoring to add some pizzazz, plus a fun dusting of cinnamon on top. It warmed me up and served as a nice counterpart to my savory sandwich.
Though the drink menu was not extensive, I am looking forward to returning and trying both their nutella hot chocolate - which got rave reviews from my sister - peanut butter hot chocolate, and mimosa offerings.
As fun as the drinks were and as excited as I am to try those hot chocolates when the soon-approaching cold weather hits, the star of the show was my panini, no question.
For my part, I ordered the Pass the Hash panini, which filled the chewy, perfectly crusted ciabatta with garlic roasted potatoes, scrambled eggs, Parmesan, chorizo, and truffle aioli. Honestly, I was so torn between so many sandwiches that it was a real game-time decision when the waitress came over, but I do not regret it for a second. What sold me on the sandwich was the chorizo, my favorite type of sausage (sorry to my Italian roots!). I have to confess, at first the meat threw me off. I have never experienced chorizo that was not in link-form before, so I saw the overflowing scrambled eggs and was like oh my God, they forgot my favorite part! They did not though, they just introduced me to its flattened form. I will say, I prefer it as a link, but the chorizo as they served it still tasted delicious and was an exciting new experience for me. The garlic roasted potatoes were cut into tiny squares, soaking up the aioli and subtle Parmesan flavor and adding a bit of spice to the wonderfully fluffy eggs. Clearly I am on a truffle kick, starting at Smorgasburg and going strong. It is a sure-fire win in the flavor department. I really appreciated that the chef at Il Bambino does not serve a super thick aioli, but keeps it light so it enhances all the other ingredients rather than masking them. I will warn you that these sandwiches can get messy. Eggs kept bouncing out of the bread. I would not call that a serving error though, I just recommend you keep your fork handy to scoop up the goodness and pop it into your mouth!
Okay, here is how good the sandwiches were: my sandwich was delectable and I was still jealous of the Love Handles Shannon ordered and the Bacon Butty panini her friend, Jonna, had. They were all so good and beautiful and by the end of our two hour meal, not a crumb was left on anyone's plates. My take-away from this whole experience was that every sandwich on the menu sounded good and had a fun name, heightening my interest, and the quality of the food itself matches. Not only does Il Bambino talk big, its got the talent to prove itself. I need to go back for as many times as there are brunch panini on the menu so I can try every single one. I need to move to Astoria so that this can become my weekly hangout spot. I need to find out if Il Bambino serves their sweet Italian sausage flat as well, so I must test the Sir. Oinks-A-Lot sandwich that includes it to solve that gnawing mystery. These are needs, not wants. Pair the great panini with the friendly staff, cozy environment, and affordable prices and this place is gold. It might not be the fanciest, but it sure is a great time.
Wishing you all a lovely Labor Day weekend! I hope you have some fun events planned; mine involve food, so stay tuned for next week's post!
XX,
MK
Comments