Tasting Table Breakfast at Maialino

I got an email from Tasting Table about a special menu they were offering last week at Maialino. The items looked tasty and I had been holding onto my $20 gift certificate from Restaurant week, so Monday morning I stopped by for breakfast.

The restaurant was so calm and quiet on a weekday morning. It was a little weird honestly. I?m not one to go out for breakfast unless it?s the weekend and usually a mimosa is involved.

With the Tasting Table menu I had to choose one item from each category. First up some much needed morning caffeine- my macchiato.



Then just moments after my coffee came these sweet little puffs of sugar and dough arrived. These are my Bomboloni con Crema or Doughnuts with cream.



The rounds were very light and I truly enjoyed the dusting of sugar on the outside. I was also surprised how much cream was inside. These guys were filled to brim and two were more than enough sweetness to get the day started off right.

I was super excited for my main course the Amaticiana al Forno. I had been eyeing pictures of this dish online since Maialino started breakfast. Now that it was in front of me the heavenly smell of tomatoes just radiated from every angle.



The Baked Eggs, Spicy Sauce and Guanciale was fantastic. I couldn?t help but picture an old Italian grandmother puttering around her kitchen somewhere in the hills of Tuscany while I ate this. It just tasted homey and filled with love. Actually the only problem I had with this dish was that I kept burning my mouth! It was so good I had no patience to wait for the sauce to cool down and each bite left a little burn.



For my side item of the day I ordered the Pancetta al Pepe Nero. I?m a huge bacon fan so this was a no brainier for me. Each piece was cut thick with crunchy charred edges and strong notes salt and pepper.



As you can see this was by no means a light breakfast. I only made it about halfway through the eggs and I was stuffed but happy. When I went to pay for my bill the waiter informed me that my Restaurant week Gift Card couldn?t be used in conjunction with the Tasting Table special. I was a little disappointed but my meal was so fabulous and the service had been impeccable so I actually didn?t care. This was well worth at least $20 and I happily paid. It just means I have to return once more for breakfast a la carte before my certificate runs out! Poor me :)


Maialino