I am not usually one to go out to eat breakfast, mostly because I don’t normally wake up on the weekends until eleven or twelve o’clock, but I recently went out to grab an early morning bite with my brother Tofer. Two friends of mine had suggested that I try out a breakfast and lunch spot in Havertown called Kettle, so we decided to give it a shot.
Kettle occupies a red brick storefront surrounded by outdoor seating on the corner of Darby Road and Brookline Boulevard. The outdoor area sat below large beige umbrellas and a clean modern awning and was decorated with slate-colored planter boxes filled with an assortment of seasonal foliage. Tofer and I were seated immediately at one of the outdoor tables. Kettle’s breakfast menu features an eclectic mix of items, from the traditional and the sweet to the decadent and the healthy, and some unique dishes that set them apart from their competitors. They also feature La Colombe coffee as their house brew.
I decided to order one of their featured items, the Kettle omelet. This creation came filled with scallion mashed potatoes, crispy bacon and cheddar cheese. I skipped the sour cream topping as I am not a sour cream fan but definitely went with the home fries and toast. I was not surprised to see Tofer order the Kettle rancheros as he loves any Mexican dish, no matter the meal. The Kettle rancheros consisted of two corn tortillas topped with braised beef, ranchero sauce, two over-easy eggs, avocado and cilantro sour cream.
The service was good and our food came out pretty quickly. Both dishes looked delicious, so I didn’t hesitate in digging into my Kettle omelet. I wasn’t exactly sure how an omelet would be with mashed potatoes in it, but the scallion mashed potatoes were delicious and they worked great in the omelet. I love good home fries, but for me they tend to be the most inconsistent meal item at most breakfast spots. Even if a restaurant makes the style I like they may still cook them too greasy or lacking the necessary crunch. Kettle hands down makes the best home fries that I have had. They were crunchy, not too greasy, and had great seasoning that wasn’t overdone. Even the white toast caught me off guard. Most places will toast Wonder Bread and serve that as their toast. My dish came with fresh baked artisan white bread that tasted great and had an amazing crunchy crust.
The rancheros that my brother ordered looked really good and I almost had a bit of jealousy before I tried my omelet. Tofer didn’t waste much time in digging in to braised beef, egg and tortilla. He commented that beef was really tender and the ranchero sauce full of flavor. His only complaint was that the dish in general could have been seasoned a bit more. All in all, the Mexican cuisine connoisseur enjoyed his Kettle rancheros.
The food was great, but the reason I really enjoyed Kettle was all the little things that they did well. The staff was very friendly and helpful when I had any questions. The restaurant was very clean and bright inside and the patio was a very comfortable, relaxing place to spend the morning. Instead of using generic white bread for the toast, Folgers coffee and cheap tea they made sure to pay extra attention to the small things. Tofer loved the coffee and I could clearly tell that the unsweetened iced tea they served me was not your normal generic poorly brewed black tea, but a quality black tea blend that was steeped just right without that overly acrid bitterness.
Next time you head out for breakfast make sure you visit Kettle in Havertown. It is a friendly, family-oriented restaurant that has food that will make the rest of your day. At this point in the year you may not be able to grab an outdoor seat like my brother and I did, but I ensure that you will still have an amazing experience. You can also check out Kettle on their website or follow them on Facebook.
Find Kettle at 1 Brookline Blvd. in Havertown; phone: (610) 446-1234.
Photo credits: Arne Morin.
