Breakfast Stack

For years and years, I was a cereal-for-breakfast kind of girl.  All through high school and college, a bowl of cereal was the only thing I could even imagine eating in the morning (minus the occasional restaurant or diner breakfast, of course).  After a couple years of grad school, I gradually changed my daily schedule to include a morning workout.  After a sweaty gym session, a simple bowl of carbs didn't quite do the trick.  Now, I tend to crave something salty and savory (and sometimes spicy) instead (I've even blogged about a few savory breakfast items before).  But-- what to do for a special breakfast on the weekend??  While we still make pancakes with impressive frequency, I recently pulled together a "Breakfast Stack" for a satisfying post-run brunch.

Not THIS kind of stack!

With four components of the "stack," (no seriously, I didn't make up this term), it did take a bit of preplanning to pull together the necessary ingredients.  I also was forced to use an ensemble of kitchen appliances, so.. don't make this on a day you won't have time for dishes.

Layer One
The bottom layer takes the most amount of prep and cook work.  I had a spare sweet potato, so decided on a simple variation of sweet potato latkes.  Into a small bowl I added:

1 medium sweet potato, peeled and grated
2 tbsp. whole wheat flour
1 flax egg (1 tbsp. ground flax + 3 tbsp. water)
2 tbsp. chopped green onion
salt + pepper

The mixture was a little loose, but I was able to scoop it into two handfuls and press them into a heated pan with a generous amount of olive oil.  Fried about four minutes on each side, the grated potato has plenty of time to cook through, and the edges had a chance to crisp up.  I could easily eat these on their own for breakfast (or dinner) any day, so next time I'll have to triple the batch.

Layer Two
After that (semi) work intensive opener, I added a layer of smoked salmon atop the sweet potato cake.  A bit of a splurge (price wise), but the cool, salty fish is one of my favorite foods-- all of my favorite breakfast dishes include it!

Layer Three
In my opinion, the cornerstone of a savory breakfast dish is the egg.  I typically eat an egg or two fried in a bit of olive oil, but for this dish, I saved the frying for the potatoes.  A poached egg allows for the desired runny yolk without the extra oil-- plus, it gives the stack a bit of an Eggs Benedict feel.  I handed this job over to J, who pulled off perfect poached eggs-- gently dropped into a pot of gently boiling water (spiked with a hefty splash of white vinegar), the whites firm up in just a minute or two.  (Notice: The consumption of raw or undercooked eggs may increase your risk of... just kidding!).

Layer Four
The final "layer" is a slight variation of a sauce I've found myself making at least once a week this summer- I refer to it as an avocado cream.  Avocado is a great addition to savory breakfasts- it's technically a fruit, but the rich flavor, creamy texture, and healthy dose of unsaturated fats brings a little something special to the morning meal.  For the sauce, I combined...

1/2 avocado (increase 1/4 avocado per serving)
2 tbsp. low fat sour cream
juice of 1/4 lemon
pinch of salt

...into a small food processor.  If you're feeling lazy and have a super ripe avocado, feel free to just mash everything together.  The high speed spin in the processor gives an amazingly smooth texture, but the flavors are the most important.  I wouldn't leave out the lemon or salt- the lemon helps the sauce keep it's bright green color and the salt really amplifies the flavor.

Spooned over the top of the egg, it didn't do much for the looks of the dish, but provided a cooling effect to each bite.  The hot-cold-hot-cold layers of the stack made for a fun contrast, and the egg yolk, salmon, and avocado combination was a trifecta of richness.  Served with a few pieces of ripe summer peaches, it made for a complete meal with so many of my favorite foods.

Is anyone else a savory breakfast fan?  I'd love to hear some new ideas!

El Limon

A good friend of ours recently moved to Conshohocken from Center City.  To us city-dwellers, this may as well be the middle of PA.  However, she quickly conned us into coming to visit with the promise of terrific Mexican food.  In her quest to find the best that her new locale had to offer, she discovered El Limon, right on the main drag of Fayette Street.

Although Taqueria Veracruzana has been on "The List" for years, we've never made it to South Philly to try some of the more well-known Mexican places.  El Limon reintroduced us to the world of tacos and tortas.  The menu has all the expected dishes- burritos, tacos, fajitas, enchiladas, etc.  My favorite?  The "ships and salsa."

Of course we had to place an order for the "ships," salsa and guac ($5), a great starter for our group of four.  A plate full of super crunchy, deep-fried tortilla wedges had a thick, grainy texture that only homemade ships chips have.  The guac was a great mixture of creamy and chunky, with a standard flavor profile- garlic, cilantro, and lime.  The salsa was more memorable- tomatoes, onion, and jalapeno diced fine without becoming mushy in the least- a sure sign of a freshly made salsa.  Plenty of citrus and a little spice and perfect for scooping.

Our friend vouched for the tacos, so A ordered one of the chicken variety (all tacos $2.50, add $0.25 for a "supremed" version) as well as a steak sope.  Unsupremed tacos come in double-layered corn tortilla topped simply with diced white onion and cilantro.  The pile of meat was generous without overfilling the folded finished product.  Big chunks of white meat chicken were marinated in a chile-based sauce that was sweet and spicy, but a little one-note.

Steak sope, chicken taco.

One of our friends also went the one sope, one taco route- this time a taco supreme.  An extra quarter gets you lettuce, tomatoes, cheese, and sour cream, which I would recommend to build a few layers into the final composition of the taco.  Actually, I'd say just get the sopes ($3 each).  Instead of a soft, foldable taco, the tortillas are deep fried to make a crispy base.  The giant round chip  is smeared with refried beans, piled with meat of your choice, and then topped with the same taco supreme toppings.  A's steak was well-seasoned, but played less of a starring role due to the other pieces of the sope puzzle.  It was actually easier to eat than I thought it would be- use of a fork and a knife is advised.

Carnitas sope, chicken taco supreme.

Our Conshy friend took her own advice, ordering three tacos as her dinner- steak, chicken, and chorizo.  For a mere $7.50, you can get a wide variety of flavors- mixing and matching is a must.  Fish tacos were also on the specials menu that evening- we'll have to make a return trip to try those.

I ignored the taco advice (mostly because I knew A would share) and opted instead to try a torta- essentially a giant Mexican sandwich.  The Torta de Milanesa ($6.95) is made on a soft, untoasted bun and consists of breaded and fried steak, huge pieces of avocado, lettuce, tomato, mayo, a few pickled jalapenos and "Mexican cheese."

I'm not entirely sure of the specific type of cheese that they used, but it was extremely soft, giving almost a grilled cheese element to the torta- but without any of the crispy bread.  Instead, the bun squished down considerably, compressing the meat and cheese into somewhat of a gooey mess.  The meat was a little on the tough side, which I expected, but not to the extent that it inhibited the eating process.  I will say that the veggies on the bottom did a good job of spilling out, which again, I expected considering it was like a mini salad on my sandwich.  The verdict?  Not my favorite sandwich.

A & I also split a salad- the ensalada de tortilla ($5.95).  True to its name, the pile of mixed greens was almost completely covered with fried strips of corn tortilla, often in layers of three or four.    Red and green peppers and avocado complete the mix, and the whole thing was well-coated with a drizzle of "delicious chipotle dressing" (their description).  The mayo-based sauce certainly had a nice chipotle kick to it, but I felt that it was a bit too heavy, masking the freshness of the veggies and overpowering the namesake ingredient.

It was a fun adventure to make an evening date out in "the 'burbs," and El Limon lived up to its hype, at least in the taco department.  Right up the hill from a SEPTA station on the Norristown line, it's very accessible.  Our view of Conshohocken definitely changed- it's actually a super cute area with plenty of shops, restaurants, and cafes- just another charming Philly neighborhood.

El Limon (no website)
103 Fayette Street
Conshohocken, PA

Osteria

Marc Vetri's continually expanding mini-restaurant-empire has provided us a few opportunities to experience his food (even though he himself isn't doing the cooking), both at Amis (two visits) and Alla Spina.  His namesake restaurant is too far off the charts for our lowly grad student budgets (don't mind all those other tasting menus we manage to do...), and Osteria seems like the quiet little sister that lives on the outskirts of town.  Always getting high ranks in any citywide contest, it doesn't seem to get quite the blog/internet hype that the others do.  Nevertheless, over the years we keep hearing bits and pieces of praise, so while our padre was footing the bill visiting, we headed on over.

The whole "North Broad" thing was new for me (J went to Alla Spina, in the same general complex, without me), and I'm still confused about it as a dining destination.  I'm all for expanding good eats to all corners of the city, but this one wouldn't be at the top of my list.  However, the location suits Osteria very well, as it's able to spread out and provide spacious, warm, multi-room, almost suburb-like dining (imagine!).  We were seated at the long spread of tables inside the main doors, with a view of the kitchen, the bar, AND the greenhouse-like "patio" dining room.  Our waitress was quick, cheerful, and efficient- service in general is not something I can imagine finding fault with, as it seemed the staff to guest ratio was 1:1.

The bread basket is diverse and enormous, which is always something I wish I knew ahead of time-- it might change my food order!  Long, thin, crispy "breadsticks," fresh, fluffy foccacia, and an earthier, drier semolina-herb loaf that was just right for dipping into fresh olive oil.  With a dinner of pizza and pasta coming up, we tried not to devour the entire thing.

We took a bit of a risk by ordering the salumi plate ($14).  A risk?  But Vetri does awesome charcuterie, right?  It does seem to be one of his specialities, but the salumi plate at Amis was disappointing (three small portions for the same price!).  Osteria's salumi plate is an excellent way to start the meal- six portions of house cured meats, each representing a different part of the pig or a different preparation style.  Our server explained each of the types of meat, each more delicious than the last.

The proscuitto di Parma stole the show though- ribbons of salty smooth, melt-in-your-mouth meat... vegetarians, you're missing out.  The meat plate is served with a little bowl of artichoke mostarda- we had to ask our server about it since it was so intriguing.  Chunks of caramelized artichoke lay in a thick, syrupy sauce with a hint of mustard and spice.  The flavors are developed using a long, multi-step boil/rest/concentrate/repeat procedure- sounds like a lot of work, but well worth it.

Osteria is extremely well known for its pizzas-- and as one of them won this years Philly Magazine Best of Philly: Pizza award, they're not messing around.  One big caveat though: there are two pizza styles at Osteria, the "tradizionale" and the "napoletane."  The main focus is on the former, with six options, including the prize winner.  These pizzas have a thin, crackery crust, and to us, no matter what you put in the middle, it's not going to be good.  Since we're lovers of the thick, chewy crust (see: Nomad, Pitruco), we ordered the Marinara, napoletane style ($18).

A truly lovely pie, with sauce bursting with sweet summer flavor sharpened by slices of fresh garlic, and a crust anyone can love.  However, I'm still a bit boggled at the price tag- I know it's a nice restaurant, but this pizza has no pricy toppings.  How is it more expensive (alright, only $1 more but still) than the octopus-topped pizza?

As we wanted our meal to be a good reflection of the complete menu, we knew we needed to choose a pasta dish.  To make our decision-making easier, our waitress let us in on the fact that the kitchen will do half portions of all the pasta dishes, giving us the go-ahead to order two halves.  My choice was the herbed bufala milk ricotta fazzoletti with rapini and chili ($16/whole).  I had to ask our waitress what style pasta this was-- it means "handkerchief" in Italian, as it is shaped from large squares of thin pasta, folded over the soft cheese.  The texture was similar to lasagna, but the flavors of the rich cheese and the sharp rabe-like rapini made it unfamiliar.  My favorite dish of the night-- next time I'm getting a whole plate to myself!

J took charge of making the other pasta decision (yup, leaving our dad with no say), quickly choosing the chicken liver rigatoni with cippoline onions and sage ($16/whole).  When voicing her opinion, he seemed a bit wary- this was basically a bowl from his nightmares (apparently liver and onions brings back bad memories).  Of course, we all dove right in on its arrival-- the chicken livers are well chopped and bring a rich, meat-on-steroids flavor to each bite of chewy homemade pasta.  If you ever thought you couldn't love liver, try this dish.  

The artichokes in the mostarda didn't quite satisfy our craving, so an order of artichokes alla giudia hit the spot ($10).  Instead of the soft, boiled Roman-style artichokes we're used to, these babies (no, literally) are first blanched to soften the outer leaves and then essentially deep fried.  The result: a chewy mouthful with a bit of the bitter flavor remaining.  Not a healthy vegetable side, but a really fun snack.

Someone please teach us how to photograph fried food.

As the end of the meal approached, I was almost regretting ordering a final, large dish.  I've heard multiple friends rave about the polenta, and since I am a full-blown lover of corn, had insisted on the rabbit "casalinga" with pancetta, brown butter, sage, and soft polenta ($26).  I'm not sure if it was my state of fullness, the mindblowing simple-yet-soulful flavors of the previous courses, or the fault of this dish, but it wasn't my favorite.  The polenta was a bit thin, with large grains of cornmeal- an interesting texture that made me question whether I had actually ever eaten true polenta prior.  The falling-off-the-bone dark meat of the rabbit was tasty (what can I say, those bunnies are delightful), but each bite seemed one note- I was either tasting sage, corn, or rabbit, but never all of them at once.

At the end of the meal, as full as I was, I didn't want to leave.  The lively, comfortable atmosphere, a well-paced, delicious meal, and of course, the wonderful company, provided a feeling of contentedness that is rare in this stage of my life.  A final two comments-- on my way to the restroom, I noticed a sign in one of the kitchens stating "Treat it like it's yours and someday it will be," quoted from the American restaurant God himself: Thomas Keller.  It seems that each employee at Osteria does just that, and whether or not this prophecy will come true for any of them seems almost irrelevant to them- they're doing their job, and doing it well.  And lastly, in one of the restrooms, a framed case displays a young child's schoolwork, a sentence-by-sentence (fully illustrated with stick figures) description of a meal at Osteria.  This love letter from a six year old to his wild boar ragu melted my heart and helped solidify this spot as one of the top in the city.

Osteria
640 N. Broad Street

Nomad Pizza

Normal people might go home and nap off a food coma after an afternoon BBQ.  Us? We eat pizza.  With our dad in town, we had to take full advantage of fun dining experiences for every meal.  One of his favorite food groups happens to be pizza (we've made this claim before, when we took him to Pitruco) and Nomad was next on our list of pizza places to "discover."  Located in what used to be Horizons, the bright space downstairs has been rehabbed and fitted with a wood-fired oven.  It was a toasty evening so we bypassed the fun sidewalk seats to grab an end of the long communal table with a view of the pizza baking.

Considering the menu consists simply of salads and pizza, we had a hard time making some decisions.  A list of seasonal specials complicated things further, offering up a NJ corn pizza that certainly piqued my curiosity.

Since we'd just eaten a burger, we decided to start things off on the lighter side, opting for the Organic Greek Salad ($10).  While Nomad sources lots of their ingredients from local and organic farms, this was the only menu item labeled as such.  Romaine spears (pared down leaves) were lined up along the plate and adorned with kalamata olives, half of a hard boiled egg, sizeable chunks of green pepper and cucumber, heirloom cherry tomatoes, a few crumbles of feta, and some pickled red onion.  A light red wine vinaigrette was drizzled over the veggies.  A bit of a deconstructed version of a Greek salad- fun and fresh.

The big copper orb filled with a wood-burning fire was kept quite busy during our time at Nomad.  A rotating mix of pizza experts were on hand to shuffle the pies around and pull them out with exactly the right amount of char and an even bake.  Two couples came in after us and were served before us- if you don't order apps, the pizzas come to your table very quickly!

It wasn't long till I saw a couple of steaming plates headed our way. First up was the spicy sausage pizza ($14), made with a base of San Marzano tomatoes layered with mozzarella and parmesan cheeses, crumbled sausage, and caramelized onions.  The sausage, while we prefer slices over crumbles, was perfectly seasoned with tons of fennel seeds.  A finishing drizzle of olive oil upgrades the pie, emphasizing the creamy cheese and- no doubt the best part- the chewy crust.  Lightly dusted with flour and covered with a smattering of charred bubbles, the crust was perfect.  While it's thick enough to support the weight of the ingredients in the middle, it flares out at the edges with a crackly outer layer surrounding a soft and chewy inside.  It has a yeasty flavor, slightly sweet, that contrasts the savory toppings.

A and I wanted to try more than one other pizza without overloading our stomachs, so we convinced the pizza makers to make a two-in-one.  Both the spinach and shiitake mushroom pies have similar bases- no sauce, mozzarella and toma cheeses, and are both topped with garlic, olive oil, salt and pepper.  The spinach obviously has some of the good green stuff, while shiitake mushrooms and caramelized onions topped the other half.  Without the sweetness of San Marzanos, the salty clumps of olive oil-soaked garlic played a bigger role- one we enjoyed immensely.  The crust, cheese, and garlic finish really made the pizza- the spinach and mushrooms were just finishing touches.

Chewy crust, stringy cheese, and tiny tidepools of garlic and olive oil... we were sold.

At the bottom of Nomad's menu, they define their namesake word, complete with their alternative definition of "the best pizza you've ever had."  To that regard, they're in TOUGH competition with Pitruco- I'd honestly need a side by side comparison to declare a winner.  Nomad might have a step up considering they have a bricks-and-mortar location that I can visit any evening of the week... and believe me, I want to!

Nomad Pizza
611 S. 7th Street

Blue Belly BBQ

New restaurant? Serves BBQ? Little sister to one of our favorites?  We're there.  Last Thursday, Gene Giuffi & co opened their tiny restaurant serving "Barbecue without Borders" and we were the last diners in the door for dinner (it closes at 7 PM).  The space only holds three or four small tables as well as a small counter overlooking the action in the kitchen.  While we had to wait a few minutes for a table to open up, we'd also half expected to encounter a long line or to be turned away, so it was no big deal.

We settled in and laughed at some of the decor- hand drawings of cuts of meat (including the hot dog) and some cute "words to live by" signs.  Solid wood tables and benches and colorful chalkboard menus fit in with the casual down-home vibe.

Unfortunately, since we were sliding in at the end of the first day of service, the kitchen was already cleaned out of a few things, including the special (pork ribs) and two of the sides- the bacon onion corn cakes and braised greens.  Sad, because I would have loved to experience all of the above!  Thankfully there were plenty of other options available and we had no problem placing our order (from Gene himself!).  While we waited for the food- and suffered through delicious meat smells that caused exponential increases in hunger- we did a little sauce tasting. Housemade sauces include a hot, a vinegar, a sweet, and a mustard dip.  The mustard dip was my favorite- the others were a bit on the thin side and the sweet far too sweet.

As the remaining patrons trickled out, we were served our food on (overly) enormous trays covered in personalized brown paper.  I went with a sandwich- the lamb barbacoa ($13) which is served with coleslaw and fries.  A small pile of pickles and pickled okra had a great crunch and perfect vinegar and garlic flavor.  The slaw was also a hit, made with lightly pickled purple cabbage that maintained a great texture and avoided any heavy mayo based sauces.  Simple and refreshing.  The sandwich itself is made on a long piece of baguette, lightly toasted to provide some structure.  Huge chunks of tender barbecued lamb are coated with a whisper of sweet and spicy sauce made with chili peppers and vinegar.  Crispy fried tortilla matchsticks and a few pieces of raw radish provided plenty of contrasting textures.  The combination of ingredients and cooking techniques played well with the naturally gamey meat.

Our dad was in town (another great reason to check out a new place!) and his order was no surprise- the sausage trio ($15).  Off the smoked meats menu, the plate tray comes with three sides, pickles, and a hunk of bread.  The sausages of the day included an andouille, cheddar and bacon, and sage.  I snagged a piece of the andouille- piping hot, full of spices, and dripping with fat in its tastiest form.  The cheddar one was oozing melted cheese- no complaints from the sausage connoisseur.  Mac n' cheese is served in a loose pool (no gooey clumps if that's your style), coated in breadcrumbs and adorned with a few pieces of pork rinds- a fun touch. 

A's fiance rounded out our foursome, his order being no surprise either (men are so predictable).  The pulled pork sandwich ($12) is served on a squishy bun with a ridiculous meat to bread ratio.  Pork rinds play a supporting role in this sandwich as well, while a tuft of pickled fennel balanced the salty meat.  The pork wasn't a standard pulled pork- or if it was, it was a whole pile of pieces from the edge, with that slightly chewy coating of sauce and spices.  It also had a hint of an unidentifiable spice- slightly sweet, perhaps cinnamon?  Regardless, this was not a standard pulled pork sandwich- and we always appreciate a break from the norm.

A balanced our table by ordering a smoked meat- a whole chicken leg ($12). All dark meat- a drumstick and a thigh- was coated in almost charred crispy skin, absorbing lots of smoky BBQ flavor.  Since it is a smaller portion, the meat itself has no chance to dry out.  Apparently it pairs well with the mustard dip (A had a sharing issue that night).

She also ordered the remaining sides, starting with the fingerling potato salad.  Tiny potatoes are mixed with fresh cucumbers, red peppers, and a mayo based sauce.  The freshness of the crunchy veggies and the tender potatoes balanced the heavier sauce- we'd love to recreate this at home.  Baked beans were too salty, probably because they were made with 50% beans and 50% meat. The bits of braised meat were too overpowering- the white beans didn't stand a chance.

My favorite side was the brussels sprouts- lightly charred, salty, with a bit of crunch maintained in the center. I guess I'm predictable too.

I do think there are some kinks to be worked out (stale pork rinds, oversalted beans, slightly small portions on the sides, closing at 7??) but considering it was opening day, they get free passes and then some.  I love that the concept doesn't restrict the menu to a specific region or cooking technique, allowing freedom to experiment and offer the best of every BBQ genre.  We're so happy to see another solid BBQ option in the city!

Blue Belly BBQ

600 Catharine Street