Pinky's: Diner Nouveau

Man, I love a good egg. I cook them a few times a week and I like to order them out, but they can be tricky for a restaurant to get right. After all, people are picky about their eggs (maybe because they're so easy to cook at home). I remember my brother's college roommate asking my mom to scramble his eggs so they could "bounce off the walls." Ew. I prefer my scrambles creamy. What about fried eggs: over easy or sunny-side up? Some folks don't even know the difference. Then there's poached...which brings me to Pinky's.

The Mississippi Maven and I headed to Pinky's Diner the other day to try out their breakfast. Pinky's on Bay to Bay in South Tampa is a cute breakfast and lunch joint with a reputation for being jammed. We got there around 10 on a weekday and landed a table but, living up to its rep, every table was taken the entire time we were there. Counter seating was scarce, too, and we got the feeling that everybody in the square-foot-challenged space was a regular.The clean-cut crowd ranged from a kid wearing a Jesuit High T-shirt who looked as if he just rolled out of bed, to a dad decked out in eye-popping, lime-green argyle-print pants, to a mom in teeny-weeny bike shorts. This place screams South Tampa, and I'm not saying that's a bad thing.

Unless you have totally absurd tastes, you can find something appealing to order off Pinky's menu. Choose the mundane egg breakfast if you aren't adventurous or amp things up with a frittata, pork belly bacon or oatmeal pancakes.The Maven was in the mood for Mexican and got an egg quesadilla consisting of eggs, ham, Cheddar and Provolone. Salsa and sour cream were accompaniments.

Bring your appetite for the Breakfast Quesadilla.

I would have tasted it but I got this gorgeous plate:

The Blackstone Benedict with rosemary home fries and fruit

One egg yolk gushed nicely but the other was cooked solid. Like I said, those eggs are devils to get right!  Poached eggs should ooze, and Pinky's knows it. Technical issue aside, when I bit into the bacon, grilled ham, spinach and tomato that were stacked beneath the eggs and homemade hollandaise, I forgave the glitch. Traditional English muffin halves were the base for this tasty Blackstone Benedict conglomeration, which was served with rosemary home fries and fresh fruit.

Known for its oatmeal pancakes, Pinky's offers them a la carte, so the Maven ordered one:

The Oatmeal Pancake. All hail the carbohydrate! Life is worth living.

Dusted with powdered sugar and a bit of butter, it was fluffy, savory and sweet. These fine specimens rate a return visit.

We ordered cafe con leche and a latte. The cafe con leche was too foamy. I had to slog through the foam to get to the coffee, resulting in a milk mustache. Pass. The Maven had a latte. I forgot to ask her how it was. Maybe she'll comment.  I'll stick with standard coffee next time.

Service was scattered. Our server was friendly but inattentive and the Maven had to get up and lasso him at the bar to get him to cash us out. We both would have liked a second cup of coffee but he never came around to ask.

Breakfast for two, including tip, was $36.

Verdict: It's Pinky's, not Stinky's

http://www.pinkysdiner.com/menu.pdf