Best Breakfast Sandwich in the City

Cake and the Beanstalk

Who doesn't love a good breakfast sandwich? My favorite in the city is from my favorite local cafe, Cake and the Beanstalk. 

My sister, Catherine and I went because she wanted to come here one last time since she moved out of Philly for a new job. She is truly going to miss everyone at Cake and the Beanstalk! 

The reason why we love this sandwich so much is because of the roasted red pepper. It really brings a nice flavor to the meal other than your typical bacon, egg and cheese.

You can get this breakfast on either a bagel, croissant or toast. I got the croissant this time and enjoyed it very much. It was the perfect fuel to start the day! 

Thank you as always, Cake and the Beanstalk! 

Garces Trading Company

Garces Trading Company is one of Philadelphia's staple restaurants of famous chef, Jose Garces. This particular restaurant focuses on his travels throughout Western Europe such as: Italy, France and Spain exploring numerous cafés.

I recently went here for dinner with my mom, sister and our good family friend, Claudia to catch up since its been a long time. What a great place to do so over great wine and food?

To start, we ordered our wine and to share, the wild mushrooms (roasted potato crema, rosemary, crispy farro) and marinated olives (thyme, olive oil and orange). Both were a great start to the meal.

Also, what Garces Trading Company is also known for is their display of unique olive oils that you get to choose from to accompany the delicious French bread. We each brought a few to try for the table.

My mom ordered the "Tarte Flambée" pizza because she loves the pizza there. However, they changed the style of the pizza and it is no longer a flatbread, it's more of a deep dish. She loved the flavors of the gruyere  cheese paired with the pancetta. Claudia had the "Saffron Trenette" which was a meal featuring fresh seafood that went well with a glass of Chardonnay!

My sister, Catherine had the "Pappardelle with Lamb Ragú". She loved the tenderness of the lamb meat and the sunchoke purée made the dish. For my entree, I had the "Tuscan Fusilli Carbonara" which included pancetta, eggs, black pepper and pecorino. My favorite part of the dish was the running egg melting within all the flavors. 

We were too full for dessert, but overall this was great dining experience and will always recommend Garces Trading Company!

A New Take On Breakfast

Toast

My sister, Catherine and I have a weekly tradition together when we meet for breakfast every Wednesday before work. It’s a great thing to look forward to and be the highlight of our weeks. We always choose one of our favorite, local spots to go to. This week, we chose Toast Philly.

Toast is located right in Midtown Village, on 12^th and Spruce Street. This contemporary cafe features coffee & tea drinks plus specialty sandwiches for breakfast & lunch. They are most known for their “egg toasts” which are poached eggs on top of a homemade English muffin served with a side salad.

Catherine and I have been here numerous times, but we each wanted to try something different. She got the Mushroom, Shallot and Thyme Egg Toast and she loved the combination of flavors between the portobello mushrooms and thyme. I ordered the Avocado Egg Toast which included: roasted tomatoes and sprouts. I loved the freshness of ingredients and how healthy I felt eating it. The side salad served with both egg toasts has fresh fruit such as blackberries, blueberries and strawberries and fresh vegetables in a balsamic dressing that is just refreshing!

Toast Philly has a great, relaxing atmosphere if you want to share with company or to go and get work done. The staff is knowledgeable of their coffee and products and is generous by bringing your coffee and food out to you. Toast is great to go during any time of day: breakfast, lunch or weekend brunch : )

Family-Friendly Happy Hour

Nomad Roman 

My family was in the city and we needed a place to go for dinner. I have a mom, dad, 28 year old sister and a 13 year old brother. My brother can be a picky eater, which 13 year old isn’t? So we have a joke in our family, that the restaurant has to be “BF” or “bubby friendly” because “bubby” is one of our nicknames for my brother, Matthew.

Families who are dining out in Philly: if you’re looking for a great restaurant with an amazing deal, dine at Nomad Roman. I know finding places in the city can be tough to bring children, but Nomad is the place to be.

Nomad Roman offers locally grown, organic produce and all natural meats. The pizza is prepared in a wood-fired brick oven and cooked right in front of your eyes. Who wouldn’t love a delicious meal like that, something with fresh with local ingredients?

The best time to go is during their happy hour which is 4:30pm-6:30pm. During this time, all pizzas are $5 and $7, which is basically half-priced and beer is $4 and wine is $5. My family was in sort of a rush because my parents and brother still had to drive home from the city because my brother had an early morning at school. The service couldn’t have been more helpful and quick.

What’s great about the pies here are that they’re personal-sized and just the right amount. Matthew is a pizza connoisseur and loves their margherita pizza, so he ordered that. Both my sister, Catherine and my dad got the Spicy Soppressata which included: Italian tomatoes, mozzarella, basil, soppressata, oregano, garlic, red pepper flakes, parmesan, honey and sea salt. They loved the heat from the spicy soppressata. My mom got the Pepperoni Pizza which included: Italian tomatoes, mozzarella, Applegate Farms Pepperoni, parmesan and sea salt. She loved the size and flavor of the pepperoni. I ordered the Trenton Tomato Pie which was an “upside down” pizza which included: Italian tomatoes, mozzarella, oregano, garlic, crushed red pepper, parmigiano and basil. I loved how the pizza had a little “kick” to it due to the crushed red pepper.

Five personal pizzas for only for $35! Which family of five can say that they dine out in Philly for $35? I’m telling you next time you’re in Philly, try Nomad Roman for happy hour! It’s a great and affordable place to go with family or friends! Definitely will return.