Panino'teca 275

I believe that I experienced the perfect brunch this morning. I had no idea that such a simple combination of ingredients would result in such a delicious synergy.

Before I go into detail, let me explain that Panino'teca is a casual Italian sandwich restaurant on the order of 'ino, but with more substantial portions. They offer a variety of bruschetta, panini and tramezzini, as well as a small but well-selected cheese menu divided into "soft/young", "hard/aged" and "fresh".

Being that it was Saturday, brunch was being offered, so I went with the brunch special: scrambled egg bruschetta. This was not the tiny square of egg-drenched toast that one finds at 'ino. It was a huge mound of creamy scrambled eggs and goat cheese, studded with spicy scallions and sweet Roma tomatoes, redolent of freshly ground black pepper. The whole glorious mess was served over a thick slice of toasted ciabatta. In short: heaven.

Panino'teca: 275 Smith St., Brooklyn. (718) 237-2728.