Philadelphians love brunch "almost" as much as they love cheesesteaks and Tastykakes.  Therefore, I started my day with Easter brunch at one of my favorite restaurants on South Street, Supper.  I had only dined at Supper in the evening, so I had never experienced their brunch.   I had long heard of Supper's famous Red Velvet Waffles, and I wanted see what the fuss was all about. When the waffles arrived they looked picture perfect.  However, they were anything but perfect.  Instead, they were lukewarm, dense and overcooked.   The waffles came with sweet cream cheese mousse, toasted pecans and bourbon cherries.  All three accents were delicious — however, there was not enough  mousse for the volume of waffles served.   

I had almost started to wish I went to a big Easter Brunch at one of the Center City Hotels until I was distracted by our next entree, Banana Cream Pie French Toast.  The french toast itself was light, fluffy and coated with Nilla wafers.  If you didn't tell me what I was eating, I would have thought I was eating a deliciously moist piece of cake.  The toast was surrounded by fresh sliced bananas and cinnamon meringue.   I am not normally a big french toast fan. However, this dish has now converted me!  

In addition to the sweet, decadent items, we also ordered lamb shanks, the Supper Fritatta (with Gruyere, smoked bacon and green onions),  grits and sausage.  These delicious savory items were a great replacement for the traditional ham I would have enjoyed with my family. 

After sampling Supper's brunch treats, I continued my South Street adventure by checking out the 80th South Street Headhouse District's Annual Easter Parade.  Circus performers and students from Philadelphia School of Circus Arts were asked to join in the festivities this year and I wanted to support their efforts.  In addition to circus folks, the parade featured a double-decker Big Bus, Mummers, costume-clad dogs, and Halloween's Henri David.  The Headhouse District handed out hundreds of rabbit ears, so South Street was filled with bunnies of all shapes and sizes.   

Following the parade, I picked up Buster for our annual trip to the parks in Center City to look at the springtime flowers.  Buster also played with his new Easter toys and posed for some photos wearing his rabbit ears.  

Despite not being with my family, it was a wonderful Easter. Philadelphia has some amazing restaurants with delicious and unique food for every season. The city also always has fun and exciting activities taking place all the time — no matter the time of year.  

I hope you enjoyed your holiday and experienced some Philadelphia restaurants or activities for yourself.  Happy Easter.

Stop by this Sunday from 11am-1pm and see this beautiful new construction home in the Art Museum Area. This all new  custom home in one of Philly’s most desirable neighborhoods features three bedrooms and three bathrooms. Additional features include a loft style floor plan on the first floor, chef’s kitchen, granite counter tops, walnut hardwood floors throughout, a sizeable rear yard, master bathroom with dual sinks, two tier roof deck with breathtaking views of the Philly skyline and much more.

Plus after you’re done checking out this home, get some brunch at the many excellent restaurants nearby. An open house is always great because not only do you get to view a prospective home, but it also gives you an opportunity to explore what may be your new neighborhood. 727 Uber Street is just minutes away from great restaurants, bars, shops and historic sites such as Eastern State Penitentiary. Here’s a few of the best brunch spots in the area:

London Grill- 23rd and Fairmount- 3 Blocks from Open House: A great neighborhood spot, London Grill features excellent food using local ingredients and a make your own Bloody Mary bar for brunch. Check out the menu here: www.londongrill.com

Belgian Cafe- 21st and Green Street- 3 Blocks from Open House: Belgian Cafe is owned by the same people who brought us Monk’s in Center City, and just like it they serve up great domestic and international beer as well as excellent mussels. The brunch menu features traditional breakfast fare, as well as great burgers and hair of the dog cocktails. Here’s the menu: www.thebelgiancafe.com

Brigid’s- 24th and Aspen- 6 Blocks from Open House: Brigid’s describes themselves as a “cozy, European style bar” but there brunch menu is all American. Stop by for delicious Fried Chicken and Waffles, a fresh California salad or Shrimp and grits. Check out the full menu here: www.brigids.com

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•  Philadelphia International Festival of the Arts, April 7- May 1:           Pifa officially kicked off Thursday night and will be going strong until May 1, culminating with a Parisian style festival on South Broad. PIFA will be hosting events all month long, ranging from art exhibits, plays, live music, food, wine tasting, walking tours and way too many other things to list here. There’s much to do- Check out the full list on PIFA’s website. 
• Village Belle 80′s Party, April 8: Located in Queen Village, Village Belle will be serving up a Mediterranean style four course meal, along with classic 80′s songs, popular cocktails from the times and much more. Strap on your leg warmers and stop by! $50 per person. Get more information here.
• Queen Village Open House & Brunch, April 10, 12-3pm: Be one of the first to see this recently listed historic home in Queen Village. Originally built in 1745, this beautifully maintained home at 928 S. 2nd Street features two bedrooms, exposed brick, a romantic fireplace, rear deck, eat-in kitchen and so much more! Stop by and see a pice of Philly history, then head out to one of the excellent brunch spots near by. Queen Village is one of the best brunch neighborhoods in Philly. Here’s a few suggestions to get you started:
• For Pete’s Sake, 900 S. Front Street: Three words: Bacon Bloody Marys. But if you’d like a little more than cocktails for brunch, For Pete’s Sake has got a great menu for a mid morning meal. www.forpetessakepub.com. Distance from 928 S. 2nd St- 2 Blocks
• Cochon BYOB, 801 East Passyunk Ave: Cochon, describes themselves as a ”Rustic French BYOB”,  has been a very popular Queen Village eatery since opening in 2007. Stop by for something traditional( French toast) or a little out of the ordinary(breakfast pizza). www.cochonbyob.com. Distance from 928 S. 2nd St- 5 Blocks
• New Wave Cafe, 784 S. 3rd Street: New Wave Cafe focuses on simple, American style food done right. New Wave offers outdoor seating. The weather should be around 65 degrees, making for a great opportunity to people watch in Queen Village. www.newwavecafe.com. Distance from 928 S. 2nd St- 3 Blocks

Home Details: This Foreclosure property located in the highly desirable Art Museum Area features high ceilings, hardwood floors, ample storage space, oversized windows, crown and baseboard molding, and a well maintained common courtyard. Close to many great restaurants, coffee shops, a Whole Foods, Starbucks, as well as City landmarks such as the Philadelphia Museum of Art and Eastern State Penitentiary. And the best part- All this can be yours for just $190,000.  This listing has been getting a whole lot of attention, so if you’re interested don’t miss out on your chance. Call today – 267.702.5608

What’s so great about an open house in the Art Museum area  is that it also allows you a chance to check out the neighborhood as well as the home. Stop in and say hello at 1713 Green, then get some brunch near by. Here’s a short list of some of my favorite local brunch spots in the area.

St. Stephen’s Green – 1701 Green Street: Located on the same block as our condo, St. Stephen’s Green offers gastropub fare and a hearty brunch menu in a traditional pub setting. Check out their menu here-  http://www.saintstephensgreen.com/

Sabrina’s Cafe – 1804 Callowhill Street: The South Philly hot spot is also in the Art Museum Area. Many consider Sabrina’s to be one of the best brunch spots in the city. You can check it out for yourself in its Fairmount location on Callowhill. Check out the menu here – http://sabrinascafe.com/

RyBread – 2319 Fairmount Ave: An excellent family run sandwich shop. In addition to gourmet sandwiches, Rybread also offers coffee, tea, muffins, scones, bagel sandwiches and salads. Truly one of my favorite sandwich shops in the city! www.rybreadcafe.com

Marathon Omelette

Dear Foodiez.

Sundays are sacred to me.   It is THE day of worship in my religion.  Brunch is that sacred to me!  I am on a quest to find the ultimate brunch spot.  I take this very seriously.

My commitment, is to explore Philadelphia, continually trying new brunch spots and reporting back. Ah, the sacrifices ….the nosh guy… makes in the name of blogging!

My old stand-by, the place I go where everybody knows my name, the place I go that – almost – feels like home – Marathon Grill.

Is there Peach and Farmer’s Cheese Stuffed French Toast?  NO!

Do they have a Pumpkin Waffle with Warm Cinnamon Apple compote and Cinnamon Whipped Cream?  NO.

Do they have Chocolate Chip Pancakes with Nutella/Kahlua Syrup and a Malted Whipped Cream??? NO – DAMN IT! NO, they don’t!
(But DAMN, the nosh guy should be a brunch chef – right?????)

My point is Marathon doesn’t have an exotic brunch menu, ironically, this is the reason I love Marathon Grill, its simple menu of good basic brunch offerings.

More about Marathon Grill’s Brunch after the JUMP!!Most recently I had the Egg White Omelette with Spinach, Mushrooms and Goat Cheese.  You can see in the picture above, how fresh and delicious the omelette appeared.

Marathon Waffle W. bananas & Strawberries

They also offer a delicious, all be it, basic waffle, we ordered it with Strawberries and Bananas.

They have a “Control Freak” Omelette – yeah, it just means you can make your own.

There are some fun pancakes and a breakfast quesadilla.

The best part, there’s rarely a wait at Marathon and their coffee is TO DIE FOR!!

Marathon Grill – Multiple Locations