Brunch, like sliced bread, is one of the most important culinary innovations of the modern era. But also like sliced bread, brunch can become a little stale. There’s only so much eggs Benedict and stuffed French toast one can handle, you know?
Fear not, gentle eaters. Philadelphia is home to many great restaurants that serve up exciting twists on traditional brunch food. Here are a few we recommend:
Khyber Pass Pub
Recently, we at PA Eats were dismayed to learn that the iconic café au lait and beignets combo from the Café Du Monde in New Orleans is a terrible hangover cure, as chicory coffee has a low caffeine content and beignets are mostly air. Should you come to the New Orleans style brunch at Old City’s Khyber Pass Pub the morning after a night on the town, we still suggest you get the café au lait and beignets—but as an appetizer. Follow the coffee and pastry with a hearty main course, such as the shrimp, Tasso ham and grits, or the biscuits with sausage gravy. And if you need a hair of the dog to get you going, Khyber Pass has you covered. Cocktail options include the Creole Bloody Mary (which comes garnished with pickled okra), the French 75 and the absinthe-spiked Death in the Afternoon. And of course, no New Orleans influenced drink menu is complete without that Bourbon Street standby, the Hurricane. 56 S. 2nd St., (215) 238-5888
Cuba Libre
Are you hungry? Do you have $28, plus gratuity? Great! Cuba Libre’s weekend-only unlimited tapas brunch is the perfect choice for indulgence with a Cuban flair. Start off with the Latin bread basket—the bread is good, but the mango butter that accompanies is truly sublime. The One-Eyed Ropa Vieja Hash, with its tender stewed brisket topped with a fried egg, is highly recommended. So are the Spinach and Manchego Buñuelos (Buñuelo is apparently the Spanish word for “cheesy puff of deliciousness”). To be honest, since it’s unlimited tapas, you might as well try one of everything. Of course, you could always order a la carte. But where’s the fun in that? 10 S. 2nd St., (215) 627-0666
Opa
Opa’s Sunday Brunch serves up both traditional Greek food and inspired Mediterranean spins on brunch favorites. If you have a sweet tooth, the “Greek-style” pancakes with Nutella and bananas are delicious, and at least one of the options in the daily selection of house baked pastries should hit the spot. If you’re particularly hungry, we recommend the Spartan Breakfast, which is anything but Spartan. This hearty spread, which includes house-cured sausage, ham, tarhana (a type of porridge), fried haloumi cheese, pita bread and two eggs, will fill even the fiercest warrior’s belly. 1311 Sansom St., (215) 545-0170
Saté Kampar
A recent edition to East Passyunk’s restaurant row, Sate Kampar provides a uniquely Malaysian brunch experience. You can nosh on kaya toast—kaya is a coconut jam commonly eaten on bread as a breakfast in Malaysia and Singapore—and wash it down with tea or coffee laced with condensed milk. But the real star of the menu is the Nasi Lemak. An enticing handful of coconut rice, anchovies, roasted peanuts and a hard-boiled egg delicately wrapped in a banana leaf, it’s truly a dish to savor. 1837 E. Passyunk Ave., (267) 324-3860
Aqimero
If you desire some luxury with your mimosa, the formal Sunday brunch at the Ritz-Carlton’s Aqimero is the place to be. As headed by renowned chef Richard Sandoval, Aqimero’s seafood-rich dinner menu is carried over into the morning hours, with dishes such as a sushi sampler and seared scallops to choose from. Aqimero may be fancy, but that doesn’t mean the menu is staid: the dessert options, consisting of the Japanese-inspired Yuzu curd, funnel cake churros and black rice donuts, are deliciously off-the-wall. Not surprisingly, it’s a little pricy—$65 for three courses plus bottomless cocktails, $35 for no cocktails. 10 Avenue of the Arts, (215) 523-8200
- Photos, top to bottom: Francisco Laborde, Cuba Libre, Opa, Spencer Starnes
