There were some sourpusses in the office though. People who said “what’s the big deal? They’re just bagels.” But a good bagel is not so easy to find in Philly! There’s South Street, with their recent Best of Philly win, and there’s some place north of Rittenhouse which is pretty mediocre. That’s all that comes to mind. Except for…

The Philadelphia Bagel Co.
The place is in a strip mall at the intersection of Washington Ave. and Delaware. You’ve probably seen it a million times but never stopped in. Next time you’re driving by in the morning do yourself a favor and check it out. Not only do they supply Whole Foods and most of the better hotels in the city, it also has a really nice selection of bagels, their own cream cheese blends, bagel pizzas and even my favorite, the bialy!

Their best feature though is their genuinely friendly and helpful attitude. If you ask for a bialy with cream cheese you may have a concerned bagelier (that belongs in the dictionary, btw) asking you if you’d like the top half placed upside-down, so the garlicky-oniony goodness doesn’t all fall off. There may also be a “hon” or “sweetie” thrown in for good measure if you’re a lady, and I can practically guarantee some heartfelt good wishes for the rest of your day. You canNOT walk out of there without feeling like you made a new friend. Plus they have salt bagels, which I love. And pumpkin cream cheese!

You can find an in-depth discussion of Philly’s bagel scene on Chowhound if you want. I’ll admit I have yet to check out South Street, so I’ll update this post when I do. But apparently I’m not the only one who thinks that Philly suffers from a lack of bagel options. Consider this piece from a bit on phoodie.info

As a Jewish boy raised on really good bagels growing up in D.C. of all places (not exactly a deli/baglery hotbed), I’ve been shocked since moving here twenty years ago Philly doesn’t have good bagels. Just about the only exception I’ve found is the bagel maker on Delaware Ave. in the strip mall where American Applicances used to be. There bagels are definitely the real deal, hot out of the oven after being wonderfully boiled. Good commitment to the basics with some allowance made for those weirdos who like things other than sesame or poppy seeds on their bagels. Don’t know the name, it might just go by “Bagels”…

That place is, without a doubt, Philadelphia Bagel Co.
1100 S Columbus Blvd
Philadelphia, PA 19147-5513
(215) 336-7211

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

The space is long and thin, with floor to ceiling pillars and tin ceilings. The walls are a soft yellow and banquets in a micro-fiber burgundy somehow manage to not make you think of McDonald’s-despite this being one of her least favorite colour combinations. The general decor is thoughtfully contrived and does not, unlike Parc, force you to think about how many workmen it took to recreate some fanciful ideal of an authentic French bistro.

The tables have white marble tops and clawfeet. There are photographs nicely framed on the wall and some authentic accoutrements are present without being overboard. The bar in the front has no seats but there are a number of two-tops at which couples can sit without being in the mix of patrons at the front door. It’s cozy and despite being completely packed at 60 diners in the main room manages to be very comfortable for normal conversation with your dining companion(s).

There was a crock for some nice dijon and a deeper one for cornichons which, though kind of silly to have to dig them out, was kind of fun. The bread is housemade. While it smells deliciously fresh and yeasty it was smallish and chewy. It was a bit hard to take apart. Slices of a bigger baguette would be easier but this was fun. It had a hard crust that I think may have been salted on the outside.

The pictures also depict her Lillet, which had too many icecubes but was nice to start, and my classic martini, which was perfect and served with a twist (Bluecoat). The butter was plain and not that mythical Pif butter (whose only difference was that it was served with the pink sea salt, by the way). We had arrived at 6:30, our optimal dining time unless you have the ability to dine at 8:00 or later.

The paté was wonderful. 2nd best I’ve ever had. It was moist and textured, mild and tangy from the pickle bits. Just about as good as it can get. Very obviously homemade and simply presented with the mustard and cornichons. The brioche was odd, to me, but also housemade, fresh and warm. The textures all went together very well and honestly if they’re going to continue to serve it with brioche I’ll be happy as a clam at high tide. Different to me but pleasingly so.

The tomato tart, much to my surprise (as a not-huge fan of tomatoes in certain forms) was the highlight of the evening. The crust was stunning. It had that perfect crust formulation where it goes from extremely crispy and flaky on the outside to sublimely lardy and moist below. Just above it was a layer of creme fraiche and on top of that were some skinned grape tomatoes. The tart went beyond my expectations by far and had a tangy and sweet and salty and buttery meld in every bite. Just as highly recommended as the paté but even more so. It was accompanied by a lightly-dressed green salad that was a perfect counterpoint both texturally and visually.

We took a look towards the open kitchen and noticed a beautiful array of (badly-photographed) copper pots. You could hear the cooks going back and forth from 12 feet away but it was more of a ballet than a caucophony; it blended in with the ambient music and the local conversation very nicely.

I have never had flammenkeuche (sp?) before so, being in the heady post-cocktail pre-prandial state of bliss that I was, I did not realize that it was a bit undercooked. It was a very thin pizza-style dough that was topped with boursin, caramelized onions and lardons. The lady was right in pointing out that the dough itself and the lardons were a bit undercooked but I didn’t notice myself. I thought it was sublime.

I should point out here that the bar was incompletely stocked. The restaurant decided to serve a white house bourdeaux and a red house bourdeaux free of charge. Both were fine table wines. The white was dry, tangy and crisp and the red was bold enough to stand up to the entrecoté and the rabbit without being too huge.

The rabbit was, for me, the least enjoyable. I found it a bit dry and the pasta too al dente for my tastes. It was to have been with a mustard sauce but I am a lover of the strongest of flavours and I thought there could have been much more mustarditude. She pointed out that perhaps some fresh tarragon could have helped it out of its mildness.

We asked for this MR but it came out R, which is acceptable in our book. Better R than M. But even though we know a ribeye tends to be fatty this seemed to me like it could have used some trimming. Honestly one of my favorites bistro dishes ever is a nice au poivre. If they could get a nice sear on a killer strip I’d be stopping in once a week. Still this was a really quality piece of meat and served with a good, though watery au gratin.

The clafouti should only be served to individuals, not couples. We had some Gran Marnier each and were fighting over it with our silly tiny spoons. They should serve this with swords so that the fighting can really get down to it or at least knife and fork. Caramel ice cream and plum clafouti on a homemade pastry? ReDunkULous.

Classy! Pernod bottles turned into soap dispensers in the bathroom?  I can dig it.  There is also a private dining room with a giant farm table that seats up to 24.

On a final note it should be pointed out that this place is on the high end of the price point when it comes to bistros.  You are definitely paying for the little red vests all of the staff wears, the fancy mirrors and the brass cookware that hangs as decoration.  Worth it, in my estimation, but not something I can do more than once every couple of months.

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Musical Goodness courtesy of MF Doom’s Special Herbs series. This one’s called Eucalyptus.

[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.