Torinos’ @ Home: The Last Breakfast

The Last Breakfast …

…sic transit gloria mundi.

Latest visit: February 9, 2013
First visit: February 25, 2012

Max and Daniela Bouneou

Several weeks ago, when having a fantastic (as usual) lunch here with my eldest daughter, we found out that the menu would soon change and that breakfast would soon be discontinued. Today, February 9, would be the end of the well loved breakfasts, so Jane and I arrived at the front door with our good friend Robert of Books from Corrales at appointed opening time. There were already folks seated inside sharing this historic moment.

I think that Maxime Bouneou is one of the three best chefs in Albuquerque (the other two are Marc Quiñones and Jennifer James).

Breakfast at Torinos’ @ Home will be sorely missed by lovers of fine food.

Our Last Breakfast

Almond Croissant

Almond Croissant

Since they were out of toast and jam today, our server suggested that I try an Almond Croissant instead. She said it was fabulous. She was right. It was so good and looked so beautiful, Robert decided to get one, too. Good choice, Robert.

Many of the bakery goods are now supplied by La Quiche Parisienne Bistro in Downtown ABQ. This is a top-quality bakery on Fourth near Copper. Jane and Robert have eaten there before (five days ago, to be exact).

WAFFLE
Served with fresh strawberries,banana,
blueberries and real maple syrup

Waffle

Served with fresh strawberries, banana,
blueberries and real maple syrup. Jane had this here two days ago, and needed another waffle fix.

You won’t find anything like this in a local Waffle House or Village Inn. Torinos’ version is incomparable. Even though the portion was on the smallish side, the quality more than makes up for the apparent lack of quantity.

Breakfast Panino

Breakfast Panino

Egg frittata, goat cheese, artichoke hearts, pancetta (Italian bacon).

When I first scanned the menu, I thought that this was the panino for me. Robert ordered it before it was my turn, so I deferred to the omelette. Robert declared it a winner. I guess I’ll just have to convince Daniela and Maxime to make it available at Limonata Italian Street Food Caffe, their newish Nob Hill cafe. Please.

Omelete

Omelette

Scrambled eggs, artichoke and goat cheese served with toast You can add jam of the month and pancetta, neither of which I added. They were out of both toast and jam today. So I got the croissant.

Then there’s this here omelette. Gently cooked eggs, artichoke, and goat cheese, this had a richness and smoothness like no other omelette I have tasted. It was served with some fresh-roasted tomato that added just enough gentle acidity to complement the character to this unusually fine dish. Glad that Robert beat me to the panino, because this omelette was the winner of the day.

Potatos

You should get a side of potatos to add to the enjoyment of this omelette. These are fingerling potatos that are cut to a medium dice, herbed and roasted to a neither soft nor hard — just right — texture. Masterfully done.

For posterity, even though the dishes are no longer available at this location, here is a copy of the Breakfast Menu.

Torinos Breakfast Menu

Max and Daniela at Lunch

My friend Gil Garduño, New Mexico’s Sesquipedalian Sybarite, rates Torinos’ @ Home a 25. On his scale, I would rate it slightly higher. But then, I don’t like to rate restaurants. It is, nonetheless, still ranked number 5 on my Albuquerque Top Ten List.