Yes, Sabrina’s is pretty good. There’s an extensive, creative menu and it’s great for kids. Considering the crowds they get the service is pretty quick and very friendly. Heck, it’s even BYOB, which we’d forgotten until we saw a family pulling out a bottle of bubbly last time. But from early in the morning until early afternoon you’ll see 30-40 people standing outside waiting for their table. 30 minutes is considered a short amount of time to wait.

Butcher’s Cafe, across the street, always played a second fiddle to Sabrina’s but now it’s closed. Now Shank’s and Evelyn’s has closed up shop and moved to center city. The first thing to come to mind is Sam’s Morning Glory Diner at 735 S 10th St, just a couple of blocks away. Though lesser-known Sam’s is just as popular as Sabrina’s. The food is typical American breakfast/brunch, just like Sabrina’s, but it’s in a quieter setting. It’s well worth the wait, but there you are again. Starving family? A bit of a headache? You’re going to need one of the other options. The best part is that they’re all only a quick walk away.

1) Royal Tavern and Cochon. Did you know that two of Philly’s most respected eating establishments serve brunch? I don’t think anybody else in Philly knows, because when I go to these places they’re practically empty. It’s a travesty of brunch. From either Sabrina’s or Sam’s just walk east a couple of blocks until you hit Passyunk. North takes you to Cochon and south you’ll see Royal’s coat of arms.

The Royal is dark, as always, which might be great for your hangover. They also always have a few house drinks, like lemonades and teas and sangrias, for that Hair of the Dog that Bit You kinda thing, and there are always creative specials as well. We had a corned beef hash last time. Cochon is just another two blocks up the street and there’s plenty of light coming into this little BYOB. They may be putting tables outside again soon and East Passyunk’s trees are one of Philly’s better outdoor dining options. The only drawbacks here are that Cochon doesn’t open until 11 and Royal opens at 10. But we’re talking about *you* after all and your main problem is that you didn’t get up early enough and you’re still waiting outside of Sabrina’s or Sam’s!

Royal Tavern Brunch Menu
Royal Tavern
937 E Passyunk Ave
Philadelphia, PA 19147-2943
(215) 389-6694
Cochon Brunch Menu
Cochon
801 E Passyunk Ave
Philadelphia, PA 19147-3018
(215) 923-7675

2) Carman’s Country Kitchen. I’ll let Holly Moore’s review speak for itself:
Holly reviews Carman’s
We actually tried to eat at Carman’s today but were told that the four open seats at the bar had been reserved. Let that be a lesson to you! This place is pretty tiny but call ahead and reserve! We haven’t eaten there yet but we have the feeling that it’s up there in terms of character and south-philly authenticity(edited thanks to sage advice from Holly) so much so that it could probably rival Shank’s and Evelyn’s. To get there you’ll have to head over to 11th street and walk a few blocks south of Washington.
Carman’s Country Kitchen
1301 S 11th St
Philadelphia, PA 19147-5601
(215) 339-9613

3) Mexican/Chinese. What? You want waffles and scrapple? Shame on you. Walk over to 9th street and try some of the tacos al pastor at Los Taquitos de Puebla if you (for some inexplicable reason) haven’t been doing so for the past year. It’s way better than a breakfast burrito and they’re less expensive here than they are in Headhouse Farmer’s Market!
Los Taquitos de Puebla
1149 S 9th Street
Philadelphia, PA 19147
(215) 334-0664

Yes, I know there’s better dim sum in Chinatown. If you want to drive up there, search for parking for 20 minutes, wait at the door in a noisy crowded restaurant and then hope there’s still food left on the cart when it whizzes by then more power to you. I’d rather just walk down to Washington, turn right (for Wokano) or left (for Saigon Maxim), sit down immediately and have nonstop carts roll up in a rather quiet setting. You can even hear the music.
I can’t find recent reviews, so here’s an old one from Chowhound.

4) Teri’s. Still not satisfied? You want that american-style brunch but you’ve been to the Royal and Cochon, done dim sum and tacos al pastor, and Carman’s was closed? You need one more? Or just looking to find that secret hole-in-the-wall? Well then you’re just like we were this morning, wandering around south philly, hot and hungry. Luckily Karen remembered reading about Teri’s here:
Teri’s review in Citypaper.

There’s no pretention here. No fancy plating or micro-greens garnishes. When I ordered a scrapple, egg and cheese sandwich on white toast that’s exactly what I got. It handled the hot sauce treatment on one side just as well as it did the maple syrup dunk on the other. Karen’s corncakes with scallion butter and a fried egg on top fit the bill nicely and the salty, crispy bacon and ham sides rounded us out perfectly. Service was great-very friendly and attentive and regulars were all around. They like the word “clean” a lot and it shows both on the menus and all over the restaurant. I think it’s soon going to become another south philly institution (if it’s not already and I’m just the last one on the bus).
Teri’s official site
1126 s. 9th St.
Philadelphia Pa. 19147
267-761-9154

A 30-minute walk around south philly and we still had an awesome brunch before we would have even gotten sat at some of the other places. I’m sure some of the people we saw outside of Sabrina’s and Sams’ were still waiting, tired and hungry with a slight headache, while my scrapple sammich was energizing me for a day full of bottling beer and playing Wii.

BONUS
Famous 4th Street and Cantina de los Caballitos
Famous 4th Street Deli is where you go when you want a 15$ bagel/cream cheese/lox/tomato/onion/caper sandwich that will last you all week or some pastrami or matzo ball soup. Bangin, big, and expensive. 4th Street just south of South Street.
Famous 4th Street Official
700 S 4th St
Philadelphia, PA 19147-3102
(215) 922-3274

Cantina is The Jam but we were on foot today and didn’t feel like walking that far south. Just keep going down Passyunk a while and you’ll hit it. Nothing wrong with some killer margaritas and modern mexican for brunch.
Cantina’s Brunch Menu
1651 E Passyunk Ave
Philadelphia, PA 19148
(215) 755-3550

[flickr matt.ohara 72157602463285811]

The market is in the open air mall just north of Lombard on 2nd Street (go to the end of South Street and take a left) and only open Saturdays. They’ve extended their season until December 23rd, so you still have time to go pick up some of these wonderful finds.

First is Betty’s Tasty Buttons (official site). Fudge is very near and dear to my heart because my mother makes the very best peanut butter fudge on the planet, and most likely the universe. She doesn’t make lavender-honey flavor though, or any of the other little button-shaped bits of flavor that you can find at Betty’s Buttons. It’s a locally made product and deserves support for that alone; good thing it’s also delicious and in a cute little package. (Fudge sauces also available for Sunday Sundaes) ((Disclosure: my friend Angie works there))

Next up is S&C Pickles (AKA PhillyFresh Pickles) (official site). I love pickles as much as the next guy but damn, there’s something different about these jawhnz (yeah that’s right, I spell it with a Z, to keep it fresh). They have a spicy version that I’m afraid to try because of the warnings I’ve gotten from friends. Everybody that I turn on to these pickles is just blown away by whatever the super-secret secret is in this secret recipe. And you can also get them in Whole Foods so there’s no excuse not to try these bad mofos. I always have a jar in the house. (Picture to follow when I can find a jar that actually has some pickles left in it)

Los Taquitos de Puebla’s main place is on 9th Street just south of Washington. I found this site online. It’s all in Spanish. Phillyfoodguys.com has a review of some of the taquerias in South Philly. The have an outpost during the Italian Market Festival, where I first tasted their tacos al pastor, and they also have one open at Headhouse Square. I eat three a week. It’s pork roasting on an open spit below some fresh pineapple. The outside bits get nice and crisp while the inside pieces are moist and tender. There’s a lady making fresh tortillas to order (using hand tortilla-press no less) and calling out “tacos! quesedillas!” I order three to go, with both red and green salsas. Don’t forget to grab some Mexican coca-cola before you ring up!

Finally, my find of the year. It’s actually my buddy Scott’s. He told me it’s amazing stuff, and I trusted him. I’m so glad I did. Wanna know what it is? It’s Griggstown Quail Farm’s chicken pot pie. I want to always have one in my freezer. I want to share them with everybody. I want to know I can always get my hands on one. Good thing they’re right over the border in New Jersey. I’m so serious right now. In fact, I think I’m going to eat one tonight.

The first thing to know about Ants Pants is that it’s Australian. The name itself is an Aussie expression that is the equivalient of “The Bee’s Knees,” meaning of course that it’s very good. They have Aussie coffees and Vegemite (which I like very much but makes Karen gag) as well as a little candy bar called Violet Crumble.

All of that’s great. Try the vegemite if you’ve never had it. Have a nice breakfast sandwich or some of the coffee. But don’t sleep on the best thing on the menu, the Violet Crumble Milkshake!

Words cannot do it justice. It’s too small by far. I ordered two of them this morning. Get it with the whipped cream, it’s the real stuff. I could try for hours to describe it but I’m not going to because I’ll get hungry for it again. Go get one!

UPDATE: I hesitate to accuse anyone of anything, but I posted this on the 6th, Foobooz picked it up on the 9th and then Craig Laban posts his on the 12th.  Imitation being the most sincere form of flattery and all…

Upcoming posts for FindingPhilly will include a hidden treasure trove of books, some sing-along, paint, mirrors and stickers…

Brown Betty Dessert Boutique
1030 N. 2nd Street # 601 (Northern Liberties Walk)

215. 629.0999

Elizabeth Ruthie Hinton passed down a valuable gift to the women of her family in her vintage cake and pie recipes. I have always had a weakness for a good cupcake. And since baking sweets does not come easily for me, I thank the lord for the women of Brown Betty Dessert Boutique!

[flickr matt.ohara 72157601599630284]
My first visit to Brown Betty was on their one year anniversary. I’m not sure why I was on the guest list, but the invitation said there would be pastries and champagne, so I brought my friend Harmony and we started sampling all the goods. At first we were only interested in the generous pours of bubbly, but once i had my first bite of vanilla sourcream cupcake, I knew it was a million times better than any cupcake i have ever had. You can order vanilla, almond, lemon, strawberry, pineapple, chocolate red velvet, coconut, and carrot. My favorite is vanilla. They are not stuffed or sprinkled or fancy, but they are for real, and they are huge! You can order on line at www.brownbettydesserts.com. If you’re in need of more than a dozen of these perfect treats call two days ahead for special orders. The store front in Northern Liberties Walk is closed on Mondays.

On a daily basis I am also lucky enough to walk past Naked Chocolate Cafe . These cupcakes are nothing to sneeze at. Quickly becoming one of their signature sweets, the bakers spread pistachio icing on vanilla cupcakes and stuff mammoth keylime cupckaes with lime curd. Excellent idea! It seems like they have new flavor every week.

An honorable mention must go to Flying Monkey Patisserie located in the Reading Terminal Market . It seems by the time I get there most of the cupcakes have vanished. But, I managed to select two, and then let them melt in the back seat of the car. My picks were a dark chocolate cupcake with lavender buttercream icing, and a poundcake covered in cream cheese, with a pinapple wedge. Next time, I hope I am lucky to try the peanut butter jelly dot on top…pound cake stuffed with strawberry preserves covered in peanut butter buttercream. Their website’s cupcake map can help you along with your decision and if you still can’t decide they offer the cupcake fleet.

Matt surprised me with the most darling accessory, an individual cupcake holder from Grocery on 13th and Chestnut.

Link Here (it’s the photo of the bike at El Vez).  It’s pretty nice of them to ask permission and then credit me and link to my photo on Flickr.  Now if only they’d get a Mac client working!

There’s going to be a big post coming up on Chinatown (I’ve been to 6.5 restaurants in the last 3 days) with lots of photos and information.  My stomach is experiencing a lot of new ingredients (intestines among them) and I’ll be reporting back on the good, the bad, and the really really ugly! (again, intestines)

Karen’s hard at work researching the cupcakes that this city has to offer!  There’s more cupcakery in this city than I was previously aware of and she is very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very dedicated.  Very.

The Philadelphia Italian Market Cookbook: The Tastes of South Ninth Street

Termini (official)
Termini (gmaps)

Termini has a lot going for it. It’s got a classy old-time feel and tons of style. The pastries are mostly in a case in the middle that looks like a a very well-made salad bar (complete with sneeze-guard). You’re not allowed to touch so you have to ask the ladies to get your pastries for you. If you buy pastry you get a coupon for a free coffee at the Termini coffeeshop across the street. It has a nice video about the history of Termini playing on a huge TV. To top it off (pun intended) Karen and I agreed that they had the best cannoli at the Italian market festival. Negative points for refusing to sell me an empty cookie tin though. You can only get a tin if it’s filled with an expensive assortment of their cookies. -1 point.

Cosmi (official)
Cosmi (gmaps)

Cosmi is my roommate Nick’s favorite. He grew up in south philly with his grandparents and Cosmi. He maintains that their cannolis are the best. Unlike Termini they were willing to part with a cookie tin. +1! Cosmi is a little tiny shop all the way down south on Oregon Avenue. Excellent amaretti (my favorite).

Isgro (official)
Isgro (gmaps>

Isgro is the first of the bakeries I experienced and probably the most well-known due to their location just north of the Italian Market on Christian Street. They have neat things like chocolate cappucino cups filled with whipped cream and meringue swans.

Varallo (insiderpages)
Varallo (gmaps)

Varallo was the last bakery I found and it’s a cool little spot on 10th Street. They have the advantage of having tables to sit at and drink their excellent espresso drinks while you munch on a cookie. Very pleasant staff as well. I asked about some of the pastries and cakes and had a nice conversation about the business.

I’m not going to pass judgement on these shops. All of them have something different and excellent. It’s enough to say that each is a treasury of sweet sugary knowledge and each has its strengths. I have fewer photos than I thought I did, but I will be adding more to the flickr set next time I step inside one of them.

My Italian Bakeries Set Slideshow on Flickr

and finally here are some linkage:
Amaretti recipe
Cannoli (wikipedia)
Pizzelle (wikipedia)
Zeppole (wikipedia)

Buon Appetito

UPDATE: Kari, who lives in Hawaii tells me that there it is called Manapua and Benn, who just got back from Japan, tells me that it is known as Nikuman. Nice to have worldly friends.
(recipe)

The real fun came when I saw this though:

!!!

The Century Egg is something that I’ve heard of before and have been excited to try. This was the first time seeing it in a shop though, so I got all silly and excited.

From Wikipedia:

he century egg, also known as preserved egg, hundred-year egg, thousand-year egg, thousand-year-old egg, (Chinese: ??; pinyin: pídàn; literally “springy egg”, or, Chinese: ???; pinyin: s?nghu?dàn; literally “pine-patterned egg”) ; (Vietnamese: h?t v?t bách th?o) ; (???????????? khai-yiew-ma (in Thai)) is a Chinese delicacy made by preserving duck, chicken or quail eggs in a mixture of clay, ash, salt, lime, and rice straw for several weeks to several months, depending on the method of processing. The yolk of the egg is concentrically variegated in pale and dark green colors while the egg white is dark brown and transparent, like cola. The yolk is creamy with a strong aroma and an almost cheese-like flavor. The egg white has a gelatinous texture similar to cooked egg white, but has very little taste. Some eggs have patterns near the surface of the egg white which are likened to pine branches.

Karen joined me by trying a curry turnover.

(Sorry for the poor quality of the cameraphone pics)

It wasn’t as clear or jelly-like as the pictures I’ve seen and it was sweeter than I’d imagined. This might be because of how it was baked or what it was baked in though. It tasted like a sweet and buttery plum-sugar concoction. The yolk part was more chewy and gelatinous than the white.

I’m still not really sure if it was a real Century Egg or a pastry version. The counter person told me her favorite was the Salted Egg though, so having both for some reason makes me think they’re the real deal.

We continued around Chinatown feeling happy and adventurous.

What we found:
New Harmony Bakery (google maps)
Total Cost of Date: $1.40 per person
Go for the steamed pork buns, go back for all the other pastries and the bubble tea, go crazy and try the preserved eggs! Very inexpensive. Friendly service.