Unconventional Brunch at Txikito

I am definitely falling behind on regular blogging with all this Food 365 but today will be a good step towards closing the gap.  It was one of the first brunches of 2013 and we thought we would go with something a little less than traditional.  I love Txikito for dinner, especially in the summer when the front of the restaurant is flung open to the west with the setting sun.  For brunch, it is definitely much quieter, like the restaurant itself hadn’t completely woken up from a busy late night.

To wake up, we started with americanos and a slice of laburru on the house.  It was Three King’s Day, explained our server, and the Basque people celebrate it with this lard enriched orange blossom scented butter bun with honey.   We happily savored this surprise and sipped our coffee slowly.

Because our eyes are larger than our stomachs, MD and I ordered a starter from the dulces section.  Torrijas is basically a Basque style french  toast and while I wish the toast had a little more caramelization and crunch, I absolutely loved how tender the torrijas is at Txikito.  

MD loves sausages so the soldadito de Txiktxikis was perfect for him.  Spicy chorizo hash stuffed inside little baguettes were made for dipping into two beautifully poached eggs in olive oil.  

I debated back and forth between eggs and a less traditional brunch dish like the Txipirones en Tinta, squid ribbons cooked in its own ink and rice.  Finally, I settled on a compromise, the Alubiada.  This homey stew of chickpeas and spinach was garnished with salted cod bites and a poached egg.  It was hearty and filling without being heavy.  All in all, Txikito was a great way to start the year off on a more adventurous foot.

Txikito | 240 Ninth Avenue, New York, NY 10001 | http://www.txikitonyc.com