Every time I visit St. Petersburg I’m reminded of how much I wish I made time to do so more often. It’s chock full of brunchy gems, artsy corners, and a fantastic downtown bar scene. St Pete is a tiny trek from Clearwater, but to be honest with you, it’s always worth the drive. There’s no shortage of new places to try and Instagrammable spots to feature on your feed.
A few weekends ago, Ben and I found ourselves in St. Pete multiple times. One of our visits was to grab brunch at The Library (formerly known as The Peabody). Located inside of Johns Hopkins All Children’s Hospital in St. Pete, The Library is inspired by the George Peabody Library in Baltimore, Maryland. If you’re like me then you’re totally wondering why they chose that specific library. I’ll tell you: the George Peabody Library is the research library of….wait for it….The Johns Hopkins University. Cool right? The intentional ties on the location and inspiration are fascinating to me. I love reading about little details like that.
The Library is a concept born from the same family that gave Tampa the infamous Oxford Exchange. That fact alone should have you excited to visit this St. Pete eatery. The inside of The Library is beautifully classic . Big industrial bulbs hang from the ceiling, a black and white tiled floor beneath your feet, and charm oozes from the walls that are lined with blue books – much like if you were inside of an actual library.
Ben and I enjoyed our brunch outside on The Library’s patio. Did you know that their patio is pup friendly? We brought Nash along for our brunch date. I could tell from his wide tongue-out smiles that he thought is was pretty PAWsome.
We kicked off brunch with a bottle of Cloud Chaser Cotes De Provence Rosé. There’s just something about being outside on a patio in 75 degree weather that makes rosé taste even better. In case you didn’t know, the Library actually offers half-off bottles of wine on Tuesdays (up to $85). I’d consider that enough of a reason to hit The Library for an impromptu Tuesday date night or date day option. Give the Cloud Chaser a try if you’re a rosé fan, or try something else that catches your eye from The Library’s wine list.
Following our wine, we turned our taste buds to The Library’s Burratta small plate. You guys. I could live off of this stuff. No exaggeration here. The Burratta came served with arugula pesto, confit tomato, and grilled sourdough to sop it all up with. The cheesy, pesto-y goodness HIT. THE. SPOT.
Truth be told, I’m usually a savory person when it comes to breakfast. For whatever reason my heart is always set on a salty eggs benedict or some form of spiced up avocado toast. While perusing The Library’s menu though, I found myself incredibly intrigued by their Sweet Potato Pancakes. Topped off with apple compote, pecans, sweet cream, and maple syrup, it sounded like a menu offering that I couldn’t resist.
And boy am I glad I didn’t. This stack was as big as my face and just scrumptious. The crunchy pecans with the soft sweet potato pancakes was a winning combo. Mixing the sweet cream and maple syrup gave a special thick sauce that paired perfectly together for this brunch dish.
*update: the current pancake offering at The Library is the Hummingbird Pancakes which sound equally amazing
Ben opted for the lunch side of brunch at The Library. He ordered their Club Sandwich which came stacked with ham, turkey, gruyere, bacon, tomato, bibb lettuce, avocado, and garlic aioli. I shared a few bites with him and enjoyed it. Club sandwiches are always a never-fail choice and The Library does theirs right. While I tend to lean more towards the breakfast side of brunch when given the option, I could definitely see myself ordering their Club if I was visiting for lunch.
Our date at The Library was fantastic. I’d highly recommend it if you’re looking for a spot to get your brunch on in St. Pete this weekend. I know Ben, Nash, and I will be back very soon!
Have you ever been to The Library? What’s your “must order” dish any time you go? Let me know in the comments below.
The Library is located at 600 5th Street South, St. Petersburg, Florida 33701
Thanks to The Library for hosting us for brunch! All thoughts and opinions expressed here are my own.