Well, here’s something very pleasant. Shine Neighborhood Kitchen, the quaint little cafe in the Colonialtown South district east of downtown Orlando, has initiated a Sunday brunch service. And what a charming way to spend a leisurely meal.
It’s been nearly a year since Shine opened, and in that time I’ve noticed it getting better and better. My recent brunch really couldn’t have been more enjoyable.
It started with a pot of hot coffee, sipped slowly at our sun-streamed table. I had a bowl of the gazpacho, a cool puree of tomatoes and vegetables with a bit of sour cream on top. It was full-flavored, but, thankfully, not too garlicky. Very nice.
Brunch is an a la carte type, with a small but varied selection. My companion started with yogurt accompanied by a plate of berries, including wonderfully sweet strawberries and some of the biggest blackberries I’ve seen in a while. The yogurt was thick and rich and creamy, and I could have made a meal out of that alone.
But of course I didn’t.
For my main course, I had the Tuscano eggs, which featured two poachers with crisp prosciutto and asparagus atop a serving of creamy polenta. It was all delicious and I liked it very much.
Still, I liked my friend’s breakfast more. It was a skillet dish of bacon, sausage, scrambled eggs and three cheeses, served atop home-fried potatoes. The mozzarella, cheddar and parmesan cheeses made it gooey, the bacon and sausage added just the right grease notes, and the potatoes were al dente and touched by a hint of rosemary. Just my kind of breakfast.
Service was gracious, knowledgable and efficient. In short, a thoroughly enjoyable experience that I hope to have again.
Shine Neighborhood Kitchen is at 337 N. Shine Ave., Orlando. It serves brunch on Sunday, lunch Monday through Friday and dinner daily. Most brunch entrees are $10 or under. Here is a link to Shine’s website. The phone number is 407-674-6841.
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