Breakfast at Sabrina's Cafe

This week I will be highlighting meals I had on a recent trip to Philadelphia. While I'm not of the mind to think of the City of Brotherly Love as the 6th borough, I do love the fact that it's super easy & quick to get to, and there's tons of amazing food to sample while you're there. AND, Brownstoner just launched a Philadelphia chapter, so the overlaps are numerous and increasing.

Holy Shit! That's kind of all I need to say about the breakfast I had at Sabrina's Cafe (1802 Callowhill Street, between N. 18th & N. 19th, 215-636-9061) in Philadelphia. Woah! Let's start with the totally awesome and fun space - huge and open, with an open kitchen, tons of great artwork on the walls, knick knacks and tchotchkes and colorful tables and chairs, mixing styles and eras like there was no tomorrow. Now, let's move on to the food.

Stuffed Caramelized Challah French Toast with Cream Cheese & Bananas topped with Vanilla Bean Maple Syrup. This was No. Joke. I can't believe how decadent and creamy and sweet and over the top this was. Thank God I was sharing otherwise I might've had a seizure. I can't really say more. It was amazing and delicious and overwhelming and I loved it.



We also got an egg dish that consisted of Poached Eggs on English Muffins with Bacon & Spinach topped with Hollandaise Sauce. This too was decadent, but it a very different way. The portions were substantial, the flavors clean and strong and the eggs were poached expertly, with no runny white bits. Phew! The potatoes were decent - your basic roasted chunks of pillowy soft carb. Delicious with salt and pepper.



There's another Sabrina's on Christian St. and they offer gift certificates. You will not go wrong if this is the gift you give someone!

Cookies

This week I will be highlighting meals I had on a recent trip to Philadelphia. While I'm not of the mind to think of the City of Brotherly Love as the 6th borough, I do love the fact that it's super easy & quick to get to, and there's tons of amazing food to sample while you're there. AND, Brownstoner just launched a Philadelphia chapter, so the overlaps are numerous and increasing.

Of course, while walking around city you don't know, it's important to have snacks and treats to keep your energy up, and to assess the treat-making chops of said city. And any trip to Philadelphia deserves a tip to the Famous Reading Terminal Market and therefore a trip to the Famous 4th Street Cookie Company (1136 Arch Street, between N. 11th & N. 12th, 215-625-9870). It was here that I picked up one of their giant Chocolate Chip Cookies. Oh it was good. With huge chunks of chocolate and crispy, buttery cookie. It was excellent.



In another part of town I found Tarts (212 Arch St., between N. 2nd & N. 3rd, 215-625-2510), a tiny shack of a place selling all manner of baked goods and pastries. My eye caught on a pink and sparkly heart. I was expecting sugar cookie, but it was thicker and softer than a classic sugar treat. It also had a slight almond or coconut flavor. I liked it, but it was a little too sweet, and I would have preferred something more buttery. It was beautiful though, and would add a festive touch to a dessert plate served to guests after dinner with coffee and tea.

Brunch at Farmicia

This week I will be highlighting meals I had on a recent trip to Philadelphia. While I'm not of the mind to think of the City of Brotherly Love as the 6th borough, I do love the fact that it's super easy & quick to get to, and there's tons of amazing food to sample while you're there. AND, Brownstoner just launched a Philadelphia chapter, so the overlaps are numerous and increasing.

Next on our trip was a visit to Farmicia (15 S. 3rd, between Market & Chestnut, 215-627-6274) for Brunch. It's a really popular spot and I recommend making reservations, as we had to sit at the bar because tables were being held for those who had reserved them. Sitting at the bar was nice, but I noticed that only half of the tables that were "reserved" had people sitting at them by the time we left. Not sure what that's about. It also seemed like there was MAJOR tension among the staff. There were a ton of wait staff, but a lot of people waiting around for menus, to have their orders taken and to receive water and drinks once they were ordered. It certainly was a weird, slightly unsettling experience, but we managed to go with the flow and be curious instead of upset with the slightly chaotic vibe.

The menu was full of delicious sounding dishes which made it difficult to narrow it down. It's created, as much as possible, around what's local, in season and sustainably raised. We eventually decided on one savory, one sweet and a side. Our savory dish was Scrambled Eggs with Cheesy Grits, toast and two, large breakfast sausage links. The grits were creamy and had just enough cheese grated into them which melted and created a nice, thick texture. The eggs were substantial and basic but the sausages were incredible. Juicy and flavorful, slightly sweet, just salty enough, they were the highlight of the dish.



The sweet dish we chose was the Brioche French Toast with a Pear & Cherry compote. This dish was incredible. The warm sweet pears and the tart cherries added just the right amount of sweet to the brioche. Real maple syrup was also available, but wasn't necessary.



We also got an order of plain yogurt and a side of fruit. I think our eyes were bigger than or stomachs, because while tasty and fresh, we were both pretty full by the time we got to this!



I would love to go back to try dinner, and one of the amazing-sounding specialty cocktails they make. Definitely a special spot, perfect for celebrating.

Dinner at the Bubble House

This week I will be highlighting meals I had on a recent trip to Philadelphia. While I'm not of the mind to think of the City of Brotherly Love as the 6th borough, I do love the fact that it's super easy & quick to get to, and there's tons of amazing food to sample while you're there. AND, Brownstoner just launched a Philadelphia chapter, so the overlaps are numerous and increasing.

Our first dinner in the City took us to the area around the University. We were going to go to the widely-known White Dog Cafe, but they were only serving a Pre-Fixe menu we weren't interested in, so we ended up going to the The Bubble House (3404 Sansom Street, between S. 34th and S. 36th, 215-243-0804), an Asian Fusion restaurant and Tea House. There's a really casual front room, a 'back porch' feeling vibe in the room at the back, and then a section with private booths made with light blond wood and decorated with hanging plants. We settled in, ordered some amazing cocktails (Chai Bubble Tea with Vodka & Kahlua, Pomegranate Martini) and picked some food.

We started with the Vegetable Lemongrass Dumplings, served with a soy vinaigrette sauce for dipping. Five tender pockets filled with shredded carrots, celery & lemongrass, served steamed arrived and were a plump and tasty start to our meal.



For my entree, I picked the Sesame Seared Tuna with Jasmine rice, Baby Bok Choy and Sweet Chili Aioli. The tuna was a bit overcooked, as was the rice, and the bok choy was nearly nonexistent. Instead of the leafy tops, I got mostly watery stalk. It was a little like they were trying to hard to be "fancy". However, the seasoning was delicious, and I loved the crunch of the black sesame seeds. For some reason, despite all the weird parts to this dish, I loved it. Everything was in alignment that night which contributed to my being able to overlook these minor disappointments. Our waitress was awesome, the drinks were fantastic and I had great company.



For his entree, my boyfriend ordered the Grilled Denver Cute Steak with Wasabi Mashed Potatoes, Sauteed Spinach and a Black Pepper Garlic Sauce. This, too, was overcooked and a little on the small side. But it was good enough, comforting, and in a way, perfect.



It's definitely a college neighborhood place. But I've got to tell you, I've been thinking about those Bubble Tea Cocktails ever since!

Lunch at N. 3rd

This week I will be highlighting meals I had on a recent trip to Philadelphia. While I'm not of the mind to think of the City of Brotherly Love as the 6th borough, I do love the fact that it's super easy & quick to get to, and there's tons of amazing food to sample while you're there. AND, Brownstoner just launched a Philadelphia chapter,so the overlaps are numerous and increasing.

Our first meal in Philly was lunch at N. 3rd (801 N. 3rd, at the corner of Brown St., 215-413-3666), a really cool bar/restaurant that's dark and cozy and packed with all sorts of loud & lavish art, sculpture & trinkets. We ordered a couple of pints and settled in.

We started with a huge salad made with mixed greens & Bibb lettuce, slivers of Granny Smith apple, red onion, candied pecans, bacon and blue cheese, mixed with a tangy, creamy dressing. I loved this salad - the way all the flavors both stood out individually and mingled beautifully.



We also got a Crispy Chicken Sandwich with guacamole, bacon, tomato, mayo and fries. Served on fluffy potato bread, this sandwich was giant! It was perfect to share and a delight to eat. Slices of perfectly cooked bacon combined with juicy, crispy chicken made for a satisfying treat. The fries were good too - skin on, well-done and nicely salted.



I loved this place and wish there were more basic, funky pub-like spots in Brooklyn.