Cuba Libre

Late nights are a nightmare here.  Brunch, however, is a real treat.  It's served tapas style, and although you can order all-you-can-eat brunch, you can certainly fill up for less than the $25 price tag. 

The decor here is pretty nice, they definitely spend a good amount of cash making the place look cool. There's even a DJ for Sunday brunch playing easy listening bossa nova.  Coffee is strong and the service is good.  Everything is brought out as it is prepared, and this can sometime be a bit much as you can have four or five dishes suddenly piled up on the table.

I was dining with my friend Holly and we ordered all of our food from the breakfast part of the menu.  We started with the assorted breakfast breads, and this was literally a mixed bag.  Some were awesome (churro) while the muffin was far too sweet.  The mango butter, however, is heavenly. The chorizo omelet was also one of the stars of the menu.

Bottom Line: Lots of small tasting plates makes for a nice, if slightly pricey brunch.  Make sure you visit with someone who likes to share.

Continental Midtown

Continental has a great brunch, who knew?  I visited a few days ago, and I was impressed with the amount of tempting options on the menu.  The atmosphere is trying to be cool, but the open area seating area and large windows make for a pleasant brunch environment.


Despite the fact that our server was completely overworked, she took good care of us and was patient and attentive.  There are a lot of good drink cocktails and other brunch drinks.  The prices are actually reasonable, which I didn't expect.

For my brunch, I ordered an omelet with cheddar, monterrey jack, poblano, and corn.  The ingredients were fresh and made for a delicious omelet.   My omelet can with toast and below average breakfast potatoes.  I was dining with my friends Lacey and Megan.  Lacey ordered the bagel with lox; Megan went with crab, dill, Havarti and leek omelet with egg whites.  All of our dishes were well made and came out quickly.  Portion sizes were decent.

Bottom Line: I feel like a broken record when writing about Starr joints.  There's simply not much to say about the Continental.  He focuses on atmosphere, and the food is just okay.  But with Continental, the food and prices were better than I anticipated.  There are a lot of good food options on the menu, and I'd visit from brunch again if I was in the area.

Bill and Krissy's Place

Bill and Krissy's place feels like a forgotten roadside diner on an old US highway. The atmosphere, the menu, the attentive service, mediocre coffee; all of these remind me of the quintessential roadside diner. And the prices! It's all an homage to another time.

I ate here with my friend Rachel for breakfast, and we both really enjoyed ourselves. The menu is really basic; french toast, pancakes, and egg platters are the only breakfast options. Lunch offers similar commonly found fare.

The food is by no means amazing, but it does hit the spot. I ordered an bacon cheese omelet, and I was happy with it. It came with toast and a tiny order of hash browns. Rachel got eggs sunny side, also with a generous serving of bacon. We sat outside on a wonderful morning, and both Bill and Krissy came and checked on us during the meal.

The bill for the two of us came to $13.40. What the heck, that's fantastic. As we were leaving, Bill rushed out to our table with a novelty slot machine. He insisted that we pull it and if we hit the jackpot we'd get a free dinner on the house. If that's not a great unique touch; I don't know what is.

Bottom Line: The charm and effort of the place, along with the rock bottom price, make it a worthwhile venture. You'll never have a wait for a table, even at 11am on the weekend. Unless, that is, people get wise of this location.

2723 E Cumberland St
215-275-1303

One Shot Coffee

I've been to one shot a few times, and I have mixed feelings. I really believe that I should be able to order a cup of coffee for less than two dollars. I understand that they offer Stumptown, but the prices for drinks here still seem high. That being said, they do brew some delicious coffee, and I'd rather overpay for something I like then get a good deal on something that barely passes as coffee.

One Shot recently moved to a new location on George Street , and that whole place is beautiful. I met with my good friend Bryana and we sat outside and had coffee and breakfast. Charming 1940s music played inside and out, although Bryana told me this wasn't common. Whether inside or out, the atmosphere is great. Some people send hours in a coffee shop working on papers or other work, and one shot is the kind of place where you will almost enjoy yourself while typing away.

The food menu here is small and hit or miss, but there are a few items that really shine. Bryana ordered the bagel topped with creme cheese, crushed nuts, and drizzled with honey. One look brings on a doling mouth and a bit of envy. I ordered a weird sandwich: bacon egg and mac-n-cheese. This sounds odd, but makes the perfect meal, whether breakfast, lunch or dinner. Sure, you quickly become a cheese gooey mess, but I don't remember the last time I had so much fun doing so. I believe that this sandwhich is their flagship food, and certainly should be enjoyed on the fluffy and buttery brioches roll. One shot also offers house made treats like biscotti, cookies, and such.

Bottom line: I think this is a love it or hate it place. Coffee is a bit pricey, while food is reasonable. Its a pretty place, and is certainly worth at least one visit. The mac-n-cheese sandwich is must try, if not for its taste then simply for the originality.

Cafe Lift

Previously, I'd only been to Cafe Lift for lunch. In addition to the great paninis and sandwhiches they offer, Life has a solid breakfast lineup. I wasn't the first to figure this out; at 10am on a Sunday there were quite a few people waiting to get a table.

The menu, which offers a lot of good choices, is supplemented by a chalkboard boasting about 6 different daily specials. It took me a while to narrow down the choices. I love the open kitchen, because you can get a preview of nearly every dish as it is served up and delivered.

I was out with Carly, and I ordered the panchetta frittata. It was made with sweet onions, kale, gruyere. It was perfectly cooked, the saltiness of the panchetta and cheese complimented the eggs. It was served with multi-grain toast and breakfast potatoes.

Carly also ordered from the specials, granola pancakes. I don't usually enjoy sweet breakfast, but even I had to admit that this dish was delicious. The granola cakes were topped with bananas and raspberries. Local honey and house made whipped cream were served alongside and made for perfect toppings.


The service here is pretty good, not amazing. The coffee is decent and has free refills. The portions at lift are generous, and the ingredients are high qaulity.

Bottom Line: Philly has a lot of good brunch places, and this is certainly in the upper echelon. Lift won't blow you away, but the ever rotating specials and overall cool atmosphere will make Lift an ever popular brunch option.

Deluca's

I love good breakfast, authentic eateries, and a wild environment; and, Deluca's has it all. It's no surprise that one can wait up to an hour in a line snaking down the block for a table on Saturday or Sunday morning.

While my friend Chris and Callen were waiting in line for Pens tickets, I decided to hit up the Strip District and check out this breakfast institution. It's been featured on the Travel and Food networks, and I knew I was in store for something special. There was a huge line of people waiting in freezing weather. Since I was alone, I decided to try and skip the huge line and nab a seat at the bar, which was a stellar idea.

The service here was great. Although everyone working here was buzzing around at incredible speeds, they still regularly checked in on me. After I ordered my food, it came out quickly and I had my refills of coffee. The atmosphere here is my favorite part. A long, counter bar runs the length of the establishment. Behind it are cooks hard at work on equipment that must be at least fifty years old. It it's not broken, don't fix it! I was also in the back, in full veiw of a wipeboard that helps employees keep track of everything. They needed to order five box of coffee and also didn't want employees to forget the holiday bowling party. Simply put: this place is fun.

The coffee is whatever, not bad, not great. For the food, I knew as soon as my eyes set on it: MOAB, or mother of all burritos. This was a huge soft tortilla filled with chorizo, scrambled eggs, hot banana peppers, tomatoes, onions, avocado and homefries. It's topped with salsa, cheddar and sour cream. Overall, delicious. There's a lot of flavors going on, but I really enjoyed this, and it was certainly filling enough to keep me going until dinner. Deluca's doesn't use the best ingredients, and it wasn't the most delicious breakfast, but I really enjoyed my visit. I'd go again.

Bottom Line: Enjoy the show by sitting at the bar. Marvel at the staff, and soak up the atmosphere. The food's not bad either. Cash only.

White Dog Cafe

I finally got to visit this spot. It's tucked away on the 3400 block of Sansom, which is a charming little block with great house facades that have been turned into businesses. I had never even been down this street and it's a nice stroll through the generally otherwise annoying University City area.

White Dog has a neat atmosphere; it's a maze of different rooms set up as small dining rooms. The decorations are laid on pretty thick, and it's a great conversion of a house to restaurant without losing any of the charm. The service was swift and pleasant throughout the meal. I met here with my friend Quinn on a beautiful Saturday morning. Surprisingly, White Dog wasn't even close to full at 11am on a weekend.

I've heard complaints about the prices here, but I found it in line with other brunch places. The exception is the drink menu. Bloody Marys and mimosas for $9 are just far too high. I stuck with coffee for the morning, and was happy with the fresh brew they kept pouring.

Looking over the menu, there were several good options, but I landed with the steak and eggs. The dish had a good presentation, and overall I was satisfied with my choice. My only complaint was that the texture of the steak, in fact I question whether it truly was steak. It seems like a roast that was cut into strips before being topped with the other ingredients. Nonetheless, the dish was tasty and satisfying. Quinn ordered an omelet that came with mushrooms, onions, spinach, and smoked cheddar. She loved her option for brunch and the sample I had was good. She also opted for a side of extra crispy bacon, and it was cooked perfectly to her specification (although not to my taste).

Bottom Line: There's not enough going on here to make me want to make the trip regularly, but I do believe that White Dog Cafe is serving up the best brunch in West Philly. I enjoyed my brunch.

Bar Ferdinand

Bar Ferdinand is a fancy place, and their brunch is no exception. Bryana and I visited on a beautiful Sunday . We ate outside, and the server brought over a water dish for Crosby. Throughout the whole meal, we had great service. The wait staff was attentive at bringing out and picking up dishes, which is crucial because you get so many during the meal. The menu for brunch is small, but offers interesting options. It was a prix fixe menu; each of the three choices was $15. They also offered tasty iced and hot coffee.

The presentation of all of the dishes is great. They also brought out all of the food as it was prepared. It's a bit weird having a side of bacon with nothing else to eat, but I don't know many people who'd be bothered by that.

My meal included the following: thin toast with a sweet tomato paste. It was a great way to start our meal. I followed up with a side potatoes, which were delicious and the most perfectly cooked potatoes I've ever had. My main course was a baked egg; a egg was placed in a bowl with tomato, chorizo, onions and peppers and put in the oven. Green beans were added, and major props for making them a breakfast food. It was an awesome dish. I finished with homemade granola and yogurt, lightly drizzled with fresh honey. I could have eaten a larger dish of this and been satisfied, it was that good.

Bryana and I shared a few things, and she got her own egg dish, which she also enjoyed. We both had enough food to eat, and were able to try a lot of different dishes that had a great variety of tastes.

Bottom Line: This is a great brunch spot. The outdoor seating, quick service, attractive presentation, and delicious dishes are all reasons to start your weekend at Bar Ferdinand.

Essentials:

1030 N 2nd St (at Liberties Walk)

215-923-1313

Takes Cards: Yes

Takes Reservations: Yes

Dos Segundos Brunch

I met with my good friend Bryana for brunch at Dos Segundos on Sunday. It was nice to sit outside, but overall, it was not nice to eat here.

As soon as we sat down, we were brought a bowl of chips and two kinds of salsa. I love their salsa verde here; it's tangy and has the perfect amount of lime. It's nice that you get chips here, even if you're just having drinks. I had coffee, and Bryana went with iced coffee. As the weather gets warmer, this option is (or should be) essential. I'm not if they were understaffed when we visited, but our server was not attentive. I had an empty coffee cup as often as it was filled.

I ordered the Huevos Dos Segundos, and I'm a firm believer that if you have a dish named after your restaurant, it should be one of the best meals on your menu and an excellent representation of your kitchen. I was disappointed with my meal. Two poached eggs were served over corn cakes with refried beans, which were both bland. The breakfast potatoes and the hollandaise sauce bordered on tasteless, as if the kitchen ran out of several key spices and decided to go on cooking without them. The worst travesty of my meal was the bacon, which was dry and looked as if it was prepared in a microwave. The presentation of the meal was pretty good, but that doesn't count for anything if the taste isn't there. My meal wasn't bad. It was mediocre, bland, and disappointing.

Botton Line: I like this spot for happy hour, half priced margaritas. For brunch, it is a poor option, and Dos Segundos is negligent on the little details that bring a dining experience up a notch. I've had better visits in the past, but nothing spectacular. With so many quality spots in the vicinity, this place needs to significantly step up the game to entice me.

Morning Glory Diner

I wrote off Morning Glory for a while. I think it's because the menu mainstay is the housemade frittata, and over the last year or so I've made some awesome ones at home. So why would I go out to eat at a place that doesn't do anything that I can't do myself? That thinking was a mistake. I brunched with Bryanna last Saturday.

Fair warning: Weekend Morning Glory can cause epic waiting. We were seated in about twenty minutes, which isn't bad at all. The weather is approaching where they can open up the back patio, which is great asset.

My visit reminded me that I love so much about this spot. Coffee is served in stainless steel mugs. They have delicious homemade ketchup. The biscuits served with the meal are thick and buttery, and can be topped with jam. And the rest of the food is fantastic. I ordered a frittata with cremini, portobello, and shiitake mushrooms. I loved every bite, and it was a filling meal. Bryanna had the breakfast sandwich, claiming it was her favorite in the city. It's served on some seriously awesome foccacia.

The service here was pleasant, and the prices are right in line with any diner/brunchery. The menu has a lot of choices, and there are daily specials to supplement the choices.

Bottom Line: Morning Glory is excellent. It's near the top of my list for favorite brunch spots.

Essentials:

735 S 10th St (10th and Fitzwater)

215-413-3999

Hours: M-F 7-4; S&S 8-3

Avg Ent: 7-11

Cash Only: Yes

Reservation: No, sign the sheet when you arrive

Ants Pants Cafe

Lana and I used to love going here. It was a nice little place that no one seemed to know about, great coffee, and opens at 7am on the weekdays. It had been over a year since my last visit, so I was excited to go. I met with my friends Quinn and Nicole before we were going to head to a Penguins/Flyers game. This little cafe has a cool Australian theme.

It is really crazy on weekends. A space that is cute during the week quickly becomes cramped and uncomfortable. It was very busy, but that's not an excuse for the terrible service we received. I had to flag down our server even to get a refill of coffee, and we were never checked on after we got our food. I also remember the food being really good, and the breakfast potatoes (chips) blowing me away. The chips were a complete waste. Don't order them. They have a good range of specials, and the menu is varied enough to please almost anyone.

Bottom Line: The food was good, but not great. It's doubtful you'll even remember what you ate within a few days. However, there are several positive aspects of Ants Pants: The coffee here is great. They have decent grab and go breakfast foods, so it would definitely be a regular stop for me if I lived closer by. I'd like this place to be in my neighborhood, but it's too far away for me to justify the trip.

Essentials:

2212 South St

215-875-8002

Hours: M-F 7-4, S&S 8-3

Avg Ent: 5-10

Cash Only: Yes

Reservations: No

BYOB: No

Hinge Cafe

It's been far too long since I've written anything here. Holidays, cooking in, cold weather, and nothing too exciting on the restaurant front have all conspired against me trying out new places. I'll definitely have two new posts for restaurant week.

I went to Hinge Cafe for brunch on Sunday. I went to this spot months ago, and decided to try it out again. Despite its location on a weird block on Port Richmond, this spot was packed for Sunday brunch. We only had to wait a few minutes before being seated. It's nice to be able to have a good brunch spot close by without epic Sabrinia's-esc waits.

I had an omelet that was on special. It was filled with cheese, and several kinds of peppers and onions. It was a generous portion, probably a three egg omelet. With the side of potatoes, it was honestly enough food to fill me up for the entire day. Dining with my friend Bryana, she also ordered from the special board: eggs florentine. She had a similar assessment as myself; the meal was delicious and served in generous portions.

There are two factors that impress me the most about Hinge: The coffee is excellent and served continuously, and the menu is extensive. There were several great offerings on the board for specials that I didn't even take a serious look at the regular menu. I could easily come back here several times in the future and have a lot of good, different options. Hinge doesn't just do brunch, either, they have a good offers for all meals.

Bottom Line: Hinge offers quick service and meals at affordable prices. It makes a great brunch spot that is (for me) close to home. I've never been at night, but apparently Hinge also host small music events. It would even make a great stop for a coffee shop, as it has a few small tables up front and a bakery case filled with mouthwatering desserts. If nothing else, it's great to support this spot in a neighborhood that needs it.

Fitzwater Cafe

I'm glad that Yelp has arisen as an alternative to CitySearch. I used CitySearch a lot but hated the bloated and clunky website. Still, the article on CitySearch about the best brunch places turned me onto my all time fav, Carmen's, so it can't be all bad. Fitzwater Cafe was one of the last spots on the list I had never visited.

I finally made it out here last weekend. The cafe in tucked in on the corner of 7th and Fitzwater, and has a long bar with a small dining area. The decor in this place is cute and quaint; it really looks like a cozy neighborhood spot. Rachel and I took a seat at the bar and looked over the menu.

Overall, the menu is pretty limited. It contains a few different omelets, some sweet breakfast options like pancakes and waffles, and other small items like granola and yogurt. Despite the limited menu, I ordered a veg omlet that sounded right up my alley. Rachel ordered an omelet made with pesto, and it was served up looking the part; totally green. The food came out really quickly, and we were drinking the cafe's excellent coffee while we were waiting.

The service was below average. We had empty coffee cups half the time while we were there, and I had to walk over to the waitress to pay the check. She was just talking to another customer for a long time while we were waiting. The servers seem nice, but that doesn't make up for poor service. On the up side, the food was good. The omelets come with toast and great home fries.

Bottom Line: Within a few days, I forgot that I ever stopped in here. It's nice that this place is open at 7am on the weekdays, and it would be a great place to grab a quick cheap meal during the week. But I don't live close and I won't be doing that. It's a lot like a South Philly version of Ida Mae's.

Essentials:

728 S 7th St (7th and Fitzwater)

(215) 629-0428

Avg Ent: 8-11

Cash only: Yes

Reservations: No

Hours: 7am to 2pm daily

A RX Rebuttal

I got a message from the owner of Rx the other day, and I thought it was fair to post his response to my review. I looked back at my review and believe it to be honest and overall, positive. Here's his two cents:

Thanks for taking the time to write your review. I appreciate your attention to detail. So does my brunch chef, who seems to have taken your comments about portion sizes as a personal challenge. I don't think you'll have a problem with portion size should you choose to return.

Re: sides, every dish has some side, whether it's potatoes or salad. There are no plates going out naked.

Re: price, to do what we do definitely costs a little more. There is no other place in the city with such a locally sourced brunch, as any farmer delivering to Philly will tell you. That said, I think paying marginally more for the best available ingredients is a fair trade-off.

Re: minimum, what can I tell you? college students like to camp out over a cup of coffee regardless of ho many people are waiting to sit down to eat.

Thanks again for the input,
Greg Salisbury

And my response: I pretty much agree with Greg. I didn't take offense to the price, the minimum per person, or the portion sizes, but I think that all of these facts were notable. The dish i ordered for brunch was two eggs over black beans, so I guess they're considered the side? I didn't feel like my dish was naked, but just a little bit more would have gone a long way.

But I'm not here to complain. I think there's a lot to be said for restaurant owners reaching out and taking constructive criticism. Cheers Greg. Now everyone go eat at RX...

RX

Jonny has been telling me about RX for a while, and I'm always looking for new brunch spots. I don't make the trip to West Philly too often, but I will in search of an excellent breakfast.

I rolled into RX around 11 on a Sunday morning with Rachel. It was busy, but we were seated quickly. The service was adequate throughout breakfast. In terms of atmosphere, RX is a fine spot, it's a nice long dining room with some cheery decorations. Judgement aside, RX also provides the opportunity to rub elbows with smarmy University City college student. Be prepared.

The menu has a decent amount of options for breakfast, and I opted for the huevo ranchero: two over-medium eggs with salsa and black beans. It wasn't quite filling, and I'm surprised that most of their breakfast dishes are served up solo, without any toast, potatoes, or any other sides. Rachel ordered a standard eggs and bacon plate, which sounds boring, but seemed like one of the best options after I saw and tasted a bit.

Rx is a bit expensive for what you get, but overall I wouldn't complain about the price. On the menu there's a note that there must be a $6 per person minimum, which I thought was funny. The coffee is average, but rumor has it that the lemonade is the choice beverage. It's a BYO, so it might be a nice spot for a dinner date.

Bottom Line: I said I'd make the trip for an excellent trip out to West Philly if it was in my neighborhood. But it's just not that good. It would be infrequent for me even if it was around the corner. In this city, there are just so many better places. The best thing going for RX is the focus on local and sustainable food, and they're not the only place doing this. There just nothing that makes this place stand out.

Essentials:

4443 Spruce St (45th and Spruce)

(215) 222-9590

Avg Brunch: 7-11

Cash only: No

Reservations: Yes

BYOB: Yes

Nudy's Cafe

The best part about writing this post is that I've finally found a decent way to transfer pictures from my phone to my computer without too much loss of quality. Pictures add a lot to a post, and while I really try to focus on writing, it's nice to have an image to share too.

I had to make a trip outside of the city this weekend, and I wanted to stop at a new place for breakfast. I had heard about Nudy's cafe, all the way out in Wayne, and I was excited to see what it was all about.

Nudy's is off a small street, and there were cars parked along the side of the street; the parking lot was full and there were still more people pouring. Amazingly, Holly Z and I only waited about five minutes for a table. There are two really great outdoor seating areas, one is covered so you can still eat outside if it's drizzling a bit. Inside Nudy's is a bustling little diner scene as well.

Immediately I noticed how cheap the prices are. Living in the city I have come to expect to pay at least $10 for brunch, but nothing at Nudy's topped $8. I ordered Crab Benedict, which included poached eggs, lump crab meat, and asparagus on English muffins with Hollandaise sauce. Holly ordered one of their "signature" omelets.


Our food came out quickly, and overall the service was excellent. Our server was friendly and attentive, and didn't rush us despite the fact that he was obviously busy.

I'm not sure if it's because of my high expectations for this specific location, or the kind of bruncheries I frequent in the city, but I was disappointed with Nudy's. First off, the coffee was water flavored coffee; very weak. When my dish came out, I was disappointed with the meager two spears of asparagus, but it was even worse that they were limp and flavorless. In fact, my dish was bland on the whole. Holly seemed to agree for her meal as well. The best compliment we could agree on was that "It's better than Denny's."

Maybe for the area, this spot is great. Maybe I've become too much of a critic. Either way, I was not impressed with Nudy's. I might go here rarely if it was around the corner, but there's not a chance it's worth any driving. Which is sad, because it would be great to find an amazing and secluded place. Nudy's was still hoping, so apparently they are doing something right. Just not for me.

Essentials:
292 East Conestoga Rd (19087)
(610) 687-1345
Avg Ent: 5-8
Casn Only: No
Reservations: No

Race Street Cafe

I would have never thought the Race street cafe was a serious bar or restaurant. I passed by it dozens of time without even realizing so. With its proximity to the major tourist district, it could stay probably in business with mediocrity made unimportant by prime location. Race Street is an easy place to get to if you're on a bicycle, kind of inconvenient otherwise. The guys working there were nice enough to make change for the meter. A quarter only gets you 7.5 minutes now, so there's a real need to stock up.

There is an impressive tap menu with 15 taps, one being a hand pump. There was a great mix of all kinds of different beers, and I love a place that strives to have a few brews that aren't found elsewhere in the city. I had a Summit Pale Ale, which I've never even heard of before, and it complemented my food well.

For atmosphere, the bar is really nice. There are three tables outside, and I think it's really nice to eat outside when the weather is great. They even have a dish for water for dogs when you're outside. There is a nice wooden bar, and although I was barely inside, it seemed like a great spot. I went with Jonny and we arrived shortly after the opening time, so the waiters weren't too attentive. The menu had a good mix; this is a great brunch spot, and I image it's even better for dinner. I ordered a frittata, which came with their "brunch salad." My meal was excellent. Jonny had some kind of Mexican themed breakfast, which also looked good. I was really impressed with the food.

Bottom Line: This is easily one of the best bars in the Olde City area. Still, it's not remarkable. I'd like to give it a shot again, and see how it is on a weekend night. With a great menu, and an ample supply of beer, Race Street could be a regular spot for almost anyone.

Essentials:
208 Race St (2nd and Race)
(215) 627-6181
Avg Ent: 8-13
Cash Only: No
Reservations: No

Cafe Estelle

Because Cafe Estelle is already one of the highest regarded brunch spots in the city, I went there skeptical. It couldn't be that good, right? Even with my skepticism and high standards in tow, I left impressed.

I hit up Estelle with my friend Holly. We rode our bikes down to this spot, which is weirdly tucked under the 444 lofts on north 4th st. Estelle packs a good amount of tables into an open room with some cool wall decorations and modern loft type construction. Even on a Sunday around noon, it didn't have an unreasonable wait. Under twenty minutes, and once we were seated we had great service for our whole meal. Despite the fact that there was steady business, the servers didn't seem to be frazzled or rushing anyone.

The coffee was probably my favorite part of the experience. When you order, the server brings a mug and you're allowed to hit up the coffee bar, which has four different blends from around the globe. All fair trade and organic; you can try them all until you leave. Also, iced coffee is bottomless as well. I can't remember if I've ever had a brunch place offer that. To top it off, they offered us to-go cups for the rest of our drinks as we were leaving. These facts alone are enough to make me like, but not love, Cafe Estelle.

The food was excellent. The menu had a good mix of sweet and savory brunch dishes. I had shirred eggs, soft cooked eggs with truffle oil, mushrooms and spinach while Holly had a great looking omelet. The portions seem to be just right for a nice brunch. All of the food that I saw coming out around me looked really good, especially the french toast. There were easily a few things that I wanted to try when I was looking over the menu. $12 steak and eggs surely tempted me.

Bottom line: I can't exactly place while I liked this place so much. It was a beautiful day out, and the coffee was great, and our server was super cute (call me), but really, Estelle has a good grasp on every single aspect of breakfast making. And when you combine all of them together, Estelle manages to be a excellent spot. I will definitely be making regular stops here, and expect is to have wait times approaching Sabrina's in the near future. Estelle also has a great to-go menu and a buy 10 get one free coffee punch card.

Essentials:
444 N 4th St (4th between Spring Garden and Callowhill)
(215) 925-5080
Avg Ent: 8-12
Cash Only: No
Reservations: No
BOYB: Yes

Sidecar Bar and Grill

Although I don't use Citysearch anymore, I used to frequently check out their top ten lists. The Sidecar consistently hung onto the list of best brunch spots in the city. It took me far too long to eat here and realize this place definitely deserves the distinction.

Tim Reardon and I brunched Saturday afternoon, right around noon, and the place wasn't crowded at all. It's a great spot and I like the setup of the bar and tables. Overall, it had nice atmosphere. The service was excellent. It seemed like all of the workers split tips and each chip in to bus all of the tables. Generally, this works out best for the workers and customers, and we received great service the whole time we were there.

The beer selection was excellent. While not extensive (7 or so beers on tap), The Sidecar managed to provide a range of great beers that are not easily found elsewhere in the city. I had the Sixpoint Sweet Action, an American blonde ale, and I loved it. Both Tim and I felt that our beers were served too cold, and mine came in a frosted glass. Minus two points. Further, the beer prices were not advertised at the bar or on the menu. They may have all been $5 (both of ours were) but I thought that was a weird way to (not) advertise.

Overall, our meals were delicious. As with the beer, The Sidecar has a great selection, and also provides enough vegetarian options to please. The brunch menu consists of variations on a few themes: poached eggs, panini, and breakfast burrito all made with a variety of ingredients. They were quite accommodating about me wanting to mix it up. Beyond breakfast, there's a great selection of lunch food. Portions were perfect, enough to fill me up, and nothing more. I had a sharp cheddar and mushroom panini with home fries and was completely satisfied.

Bottom Line: The Sidecar is a great brunch spot. It seems like a great bar, too, but I haven't evaluated that yet. I wish it was closer to my house, but I will still make it out here again in the near future.

Essentials:

2201 Christian St (22nd and Christian)

215-732-3429

Avg Ent: 9-12

Cash only: No

Reservations: No

Ida Mae's

Most of you are pretty familiar with this local breakfast spot, and it doesn't need much analysis. That being said, it's the only place I went out to eat this weekend, so here goes.

If Ida Mae's wasn't so close to my house, I probably wouldn't ever go. Don't get me wrong, it has some great stuff going on, but nothing spectacular enough to make me leave my neighborhood.

Here are the things I really like: Ida Mae's opens at 7am (around 7, they're usually a bit sluggish in the morning). Sometimes I want to grab an early breakfast and most spots are not open until 8am or later. For me, the location is pretty convenient, too. The price is right. My favorite item on the menu is the beans and toast, which clocks in at $6.00. Great deal. The food tastes good, and there are new specials weekly. Lastly, the coffee is acceptable, and I'm usually pretty harsh with my coffee tastes.

Even writing that last paragraph, it sounds like I am making a pretty strong argument for the Ida Mae's. But it's not perfect: Despite the specials, the menu is pretty limited and doesn't change that much. My biggest complaint is the service. Unless there are three parties or less, the service can almost be guaranteed to be less than average. Sometimes on the weekend the place gets a wait that is really not worth the wait. The whole place is small, but considering that, I think the setup and atmosphere is done rather well.

Bottom Line: Ida Mae's is good enough to keep me coming back every couple of months and I am glad that it's in my neighborhood. It gets bonus points for a commitment to local ingredients. But there's a lot of other places that top it.

Essentials:

2302 E Norris St (Norris and Tulip)

215-426-4209

Avg Ent: 6-11

Cash only: Yes

Reservations: No

BYOB: Maybe for a splash of Irish coffee