The Affogato is Back!

Elixr Coffee

Elixr Coffee reserves two special days (this year: August 15^th and August 30^th) for their annual Affogato Day! Affogato is hosted by Philly’s own, Little Baby’s Ice-Cream and Elixr’s espresso.

An Affogato is a scoop of ice-cream topped with a shot of hot espresso. The two flavors of ice-cream included: blueberry ginger or smoked cinnamon. I decided to try the smoked cinnamon because I thought this flavor would pair well with the strong espresso. I was right!

Both flavors combined made it a delicious and unique summer treat! There is nothing better than ice-cream and coffee, so why not have them together? 

I also loved the presentation of the drink in a clear glass, so you can see how the ice-cream and hot espresso melt into one.

Make sure to make the next Affogato day which is on Saturday, August 30^th ! Pairings of the ice-cream and espressos will be different!

The Taste of Summer

Eat a Pita

Eat a Pita is definitely my go to place for a delicious and healthy meal. I recently went here to try one of their August specials which is the Grilled Peach Salad that I recently blogged about.

I went there again for lunch to try the other August special, which is the Crab Salad Pita. This pita had all the ingredients of summer into one and it was out of this world!

The Crab Salad Pita included: crab meat, “all the veggies”, roasted local corn and zucchini pickles served in a lemon-tahini dressing. All these ingredients are the seasoned foods of summer and it was so fresh tasting! As a side, I got the cup of faro salad which I absolutely love.

I love the feeling of eating clean and well after eating at Eat a Pita. I also love the exceptional service that is offered! I finally had a chance to meet one of the owners, Jamie! She is so sweet! Nothing beats going to a local establishment, where you feel welcome and like you belong!

If you haven’t already please go to Eat a Pita for a healthy and tasty meal!

Breakfast is the most important meal of the day!

Down Home Diner

There aren’t many classic diners here in Center City, Philadelphia. So when you do find one, it is a nice treat! Before my sister and I took the train home the other day, we treated ourselves to Down Home Diner, which is located right in the Reading Terminal Market!

Reading Terminal Market is one of the biggest tourist attractions here in Philly, so you know anything inside of food will be amazing! Down Home Diner offers country recipes of breakfast lunch and dinner. They are particularly known for their traditional breakfast items and most importantly...scrapple!

For my start of the day, I ordered the Bacon & Tomato Scram with Cheese and it was the most comforting meal! It was served with fruit, home-fries and a choice of breakfast meat. I got bacon of course! Everything was so delicious and fresh tasting. And the best part of it all is that you get all this food for only $6.99! That is pretty good for the city.

My sister, Catherine built her own scram with cheese and onions and got a side of cheesy grits! Catherine said it was one the best grits she’s had so far.

Visit Down Home Diner if you’re looking for a classic breakfast! There is something on the menu for everyone! I will definitely be back for the Philly Cheesesteak Scram!

It's Peach Season All Around!

Cake and Beanstalk & Eat a Pita

August not only means that summer is coming to an end, but it also means it’s the last chance to savor nature’s sweetest fruits, peaches! I feel like everywhere I go, peaches are being featured within the item of the month.

I recently went to two of my favorite places to indulge in their delicious peach items: Cake and the Beanstalk and Eat a Pita.

Cake and the Beanstalk is my go to place for a quick pick me up of coffee or to stop in for a delicious, homemade treat! I went the other afternoon when my mom came to visit because I wanted to try their new peach cake. This slice of cake was so refreshing with the taste of fresh peaches paired with peach cream cheese frosting! My mom got a bagel with cream cheese. But when she tried the cake, we both agreed that the icing was amazing and tasted just right with the amount of cream cheese flavor!

The second day of my mom visiting, we went to one of our favorite places for lunch, Eat a Pita. My mom built her own pita of chicken curry salad, but I tried the August special which was the grilled peach salad. This salad included: grilled peaches, “all the veggies”, bleu cheese, watercress and toasted pistachios. This was honestly the best salad I have ever had! I loved the unique blend of all the ingredients and it was the perfect summer salad. What really made this salad was the bleu cheese!

August has just begun, so make sure you stop by your local spots to see their incorporation of peaches this month!

I can’t wait to go home this weekend for the Peach Festival in Peddler’s Village! If you are around in Bucks County, the Peach Festival & Sidewalk Sale is August 9th-10h from 10AM-6PM. I am looking forward to live entertainment, summer sales and fresh local peaches with homemade treats! I am also going to Manoff Market Gardens for their peaches & black berries! Blog post to follow : )

Who says you're too old for PB&J?

Elixr Coffee

Elixr Coffee is a local, coffee shop located near Rittenhouse Square. Elixr’s staff offers the expertise and knowledge of the world’s best coffee to enhance your coffee experience! The coffee is served  hand-poured which makes it nice and fresh.

I have been to Elixr Coffee numerous times for either a quick pick me up, or afternoon lunch breaks. I recently met up with my sister, Catherine for lunch. I’ve been dying to try their PB&J Sandwich there, so we met up and went.

What I love about Elixr is that they support offer local businesses within the city. That is why I wanted to try the PB&J Sandwich because it featured crunchy peanut butter from PB&Jams Philadelphia and blueberry, bourbon infused jam from Spruce Hill Preserves.

The combination of these two spreads on grilled bread was probably the best PB&J I’ve ever had! The peanut butter is hand-crafted nut butter with local ingredients such as honey and maple syrup! And the jam comes from homemade preserves which are big on flavor and fresh!

Catherine got the grilled cheese sandwich which included: gouda, sharp cheddar and tomatoes in between grilled bread. She loved the combination between the two cheeses and the freshness with the tomatoes.

You can find either the PB&Jams Philadelphia or Spruce Hill Preserves online or at local markets or shops.

Definitely go to Elixr Coffee for these two sandwiches or their amazing coffee and other menu items such as pastries and yogurt parfaits (which are all delicious if I do say so myself)!

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Nature's Way

Eat a Pita

Whenever my sister, Catherine and I have been home and had the comforts of love from the family and of course, home cooked meals, we loved to eat healthy and detox at Eat a Pita!

I’ve written many food blog posts on Eat a Pita before. This restaurant offers delicious and healthy options of paninis, pitas, salads and soups. It is a great place to go for a healthy, quick meal made right in front of your eyes. The fun part to it all is you can order an item already with select ingredients or you can “Pick Your Own Pita” or Pick Your Own Salad”. This includes choosing your own produce, protein and pour. Eat a Pita has a whole list to choose from.

Catherine always selects to Pick Her Own Pita. I usually go with the specialty panini or salad of the month, but this time I was feeling one of their hand-picked salads. I got the Nature’s Way Salad, which included: dried fruit, granola and spinach topped with fig balsamic vinaigrette. I added chicken for $2. I loved the combo of the dried fruit and granola because you don’t typically see that in a salad. I also got a side of orzo salad.

Again, if you’re looking for a healthy option, Eat a Pita is the place to be! They offer many fresh menu items to fit your healthy lifestyle. You can either dine- or take out if you are on the go!