If you still haven’t tried the new Tallo American/Caribbean Restaurant at 4424 Friendly Way in Downtown Avalon Park Wesley Chapel, my question to you is, “Why not?”
Not only is Tallo an elegant, one-of-a-kind mom-&-pop restaurant — the kind that our readers and so many online posters say they crave — it offers Executive Chef José Soto’s Caribbean twist for dinner and now, for weekend brunch.
We were invited to sample Tallo’s new brunch on Nov. 23 — the first weekend it was offered — and Jannah and I were super-pleased with everything we sampled.
Our “Warmup” started with a beef-&-cheese empanada (left), which was extra-crispy and served with a creamy garlic aioli dipping sauce. Chef Soto says he will vary the “surprise” filling of the empanadas every week. Jannah also appreciated the way Tallo does its “Mamita’s Mimosas” — providing a 375-ml (or half) bottle of her favorite La Marca prosecco with your choice of two delicious juices — orange, peach, cranberry, pineapple or mango. Jannah only chose the peach (below right) and savored every sip.Â
For our brunch mains, my wife picked Tallo’s omelette, which was overstuffed with arugula, green and red peppers, onions and smoked gouda cheese and served with well-seasoned breakfast potatoes. We added the side of crispy bacon shown in the bottom left photo.Â
Meanwhile, I absolutely loved the super-crispy, deliciously different fried chicken & sugar waffles I ordered. The two big waffles were topped with powdered sugar and butter (although I didn’t really need either one) and served with a side of bourbon maple syrup — the syrup was a game-changer for yours truly. The fried chicken on the bone isn’t typical of other places. Instead, it has a Caribbean-spiced twist that I totally ate up! (Pun intended? Maybe!)
The brunch menu also features avocado bruschetta; creamy smoked fish dip served with artisan toasts, fried shishito peppers and pickled red onions; and a different-each-day Puerto Rican bread I totally will be trying on our next visit.
There also are four flatbreads on the brunch menu, including a meat & egg variety with scrambled eggs, sausage, bacon, chicken, capicola ham and yellow cheddar cheese we saw someone else order — and devour. If you feel like a salad instead, there’s a Caribbean mixed green salad with fried sweet plantains, red onions, tomatoes, fried cheese, Duroc bacon and a lime dressing; as well as a burrata caprese, which adds peaches to the usual tomatoes, basil and balsamic glaze.Â
Other brunch entrées and handhelds include a Tallo Cuban sandwich, a chimi burger, two Benedicts — one featuring baked salmon and the other with pork belly, both on a bagel with arugula, tomato and herbed Hollandaise, and served with those yummy breakfast potatoes.
There’s also French toast with citrus cream, maple syrup, mint and fresh berries; a “Great America” option with two eggs, bacon, sausage, fried sweet plantains and an English muffin; skirt steak a Caballo (with a sunny-side-up egg on top, chimichurri sauce and mamposteao rice); a four-stack of pancakes (bananas Foster, pecan or plain); and the Mallorca — scrambled eggs, bacon, ham, white cheddar and powdered sugar.
And, there are actually two desserts on the “Warmup” menu — a dulce de leche cinnamon roll with roasted pecans, and the P.R. donuts shown above, covered in sugar & cinnamon, chocolate sauce & caramel. Oh so decadent!
I’ve written before about Tallo’s amazing dinner options, but if you’re looking for a truly unique and beautiful brunch place with a full premium liquor bar, call (813) 355-3603 or visit TalloRestaurant.com for reservations and go check it out this weekend! Also, see the ad (below) on this page! — GNÂ
