The Library is located within Johns Hopkins All Children’s Hospital. I decided to check out this restaurant because it was a collaboration between the children’s hospital and the teams that created the Oxford Exchange restaurant I love in Tampa. I had high hopes that it would live up to the standards and possess the same atmosphere as the Tampa location. It did not.
The bookshelves were stacked along the restaurant walls and across from the receptionist. Who wants to slide between someone else’s table and a shelf to browse? Who wants to choose a book while waiting and then get escorted to a table? I doubt many, if any, are ever taken down. Somehow, the uniform blue bindings and books’ set-up suggested decoration, not “please pick a book, relax and spend time with us.”
And then there was my table. Looks comfortable, right? The chair was cushy but I felt like I was eating with my chin on the table.
And then there was my waitress. I had seen a brunch menu online that had breakfast items I love – like eggs benedict. I asked if I was in time for the brunch menu because I was feeling sort of breakfasty but didn’t see the breakfast items on the menu I was handed. She told me it was only on the weekends. Off she went.
In perusing the lunch menu, what was the first thing I saw? The “Library Classic” with eggs, bacon, potatoes and toast. When she returned, I said, “I see there’s a breakfast item on the lunch menu.” She nodded and said, “Yes.” Short and clipped. Well okay then. I guess she just wanted me to get on with it.
My breakfast arrived and she hustled off without a glance. I noticed there were no condiments on the table. In fact, in looking around, I noticed there were no condiments on any table. I’d have waited for her to check on me but it appeared that wasn’t in the cards so I started trying to get her attention. That took some work but I finally flagged her down. She barely slowed her pace as I asked for salt and pepper.
It’s kind of hard to screw up eggs, bacon, potatoes and toast. It tasted fine but sure wouldn’t win any culinary awards for flavor or presentation.
My dissatisfaction with this whole experience could easily be attributable to my expectations based on the Tampa restaurant. Maybe you should ignore my critique and try it for yourself.
If you stop in for lunch, the menu includes “shareables” like cauliflower bisque, warm burrata, deviled eggs, smoked salmon dip and a couple of others. The sandwiches “& more” section has French toast (isn’t that also a breakfast item? Just sayin’), BLT, veggie sandwich, turkey club, fried chicken sandwich, cuban sandwich, fish tacos, a burger and more.
There are salads; sides like spinach, fruit and fries; interesting teas like strawberry rose, moroccan mint, blackberry jasmine, peach oolong, ginger pear, blueberry pomegranate, earl grey, and pineapple ginger matcha; and desserts that include warm cookies and milk, sherbet, key lime ginger panna cotta, and something called Le Succes (mind you, those are listed on the dinner menu so who knows if they’re available at lunch?).
I decided to finish up with a cappuccino. See that sugar bowl? It wasn’t there. Once again, I had to flag down the waitress to request some sweetener.
I decided this had not been an excursion worth a 40-minute drive. Oddly, I didn’t have to ask for the bill. That arrived promptly.
If you’re so inclined, they have Bourbon Thursdays from 4:00 – 9:00 PM, all-day Wine Wednesdays where it’s half off the bottles, and Happy Hour Monday-Friday from 4:00 – 6:00 PM.
I wouldn’t recommend this as a destination restaurant. If you happen to live in St. Petersburg, I suppose it would be okay but for me, I found the atmosphere lacking and my waitress inattentive.
- 600 5th St. South, St. Petersburg, Florida
- 727-369-9969
- http://www.thelibrarystpete.com
- Monday-Friday 10:00 AM – 3:00 PM / Saturday-Sunday brunch 9:00 AM – 4:00 PM
Lisa Browder 
Leave a comment