Top 6: Where to have brunch in Philadelphia (Part 1)
PHILADELPHIA (WPVI) -- Rise and shine, and make sure to also wake up your appetite. It's time for brunch, and I've found some of the best spots in our area, just for you! This is the Top Brunch Spots Part 1!
Cafe Lift in Callowhill has been serving classic brunch dishes with a twist since 2003. The name Cafe Lift comes from the restaurant being inside a refurbished factory with an old lift in the entrance. The Cannoli Stuffed French Toast is just enormous, there is no way a single person can finish it. Cannoli cream, chocolate chunks, pistachios and whipped cream make this meal feel like a dessert. The Huevos Rancheros are perfectly savory, with a side of spicy aioli for dipping the potatoes.
For a meal in Rittenhouse Square in an air conditioned outdoor space or inside a hip and charming dining room and bar, try Via Locusta. Not many places push pasta on you before noon, but the house made rigatoni, carbonara style, is definitely worth the very first bite of the day. Eggs go with everything here, they even made me a gin cocktail with herb syrup and egg whites, and it was frothy and delicious. The Chicken Milanese Panino will surely hit the spot, (it's also topped with a fried egg), and the Whole Wheat Blueberry Pancakes topped with toasted almonds and maple syrup, should be in the middle of every table.
Have you ever had a French/Lebanese style brunch? Didn't think so! The BYOB Cafe La Maude sits right off of 4th street in the heart of Northern Liberties. Husband and wife team Nathalie and Gabi sure know how to pack a menu, and they let me try some of the favorites. The Red Velvet Tiramisu Pancakes filled with mascarpone cheese were something you would eat in your dreams. The Shawarma Platter, and the Sweet Potato Benny were equally as gratifying. But my favorite was their signature Red Shakshuka - a dish with two sunny side up eggs, chickpeas, onions, peppers, tomato sauce, Lebanese sausage, potatoes and yogurt with a side of pita.
