I rolled up West Vine Street in search of some breakfast. Traffic crawled past a national donut chain and several other fast food restaurants. Waiting for a light to turn green I spied Rico Pan Bakery tucked into a non-descript strip mall. A Colombian flag hung in the window and a steady stream of customers made their way in and out of the bakery.
A dodge and a weave later I was in the parking lot. A couple chatted in Spanish and entered Rico Pan in front of me. I took my place in line and looked over the pastries set out in two large refrigerated cases. Cakes topped with whipped cream, cookies, and all sorts of breads were displayed. I had no idea what the items were called, but they all looked delicious.
I was greeted in Spanish from behind the counter by a smiling woman. I followed the lead of the couple in front of me and pointed to a small round pastry and also ordered a café con leche. The bread, which I learned was called pandebonos, was placed in a small wax paper lined yellow plastic basket as I watched a man behind the counter make my café con leche. Hand signals, smiles, and some poorly spoken Spanish on my part helped to complete my order.
The pandebonos is a traditional Colombian cheese bread. The outside was golden brown. I pulled it apart and took a bite. It was slightly sweet with a hint of cheese flavor. The bread was airy, a bit moist, and wonderful. I savored each bite as I drank my coffee and watched a Spanish futbol show on the television suspended behind the bakery counter.
Breakfast at Rico Pan was wonderful. It was a lot of fun to try something completely new, and I wish there was a place in the Panhandle to buy pandebonos. Rico Pan is open seven days a week from 7 a.m. until 7 p.m. The bakery is on Facebook and can be contacted by telephone at (407) 383-6862.
Sweet Tea & Bourbon’s Rating:
Atmosphere: A
Taste: A
Presentation: C
Service: A
Cleanliness: A
Price: $
