If you haven't heard about this Stephen Starr's British-inspired pub in Rittenhouse Square's brunch menu, don't feel bad. It is somewhat of a hidden treasure. While this venue is indeed known for great burgers and fish and chips, not everyone knows about the delicious brunch options available here. Once you get a taste of the brioche french toast made of vanilla crème chantilly, and maple syrup or the pancakes with glazed apples and cinnamon-tinged cream, you're sure to be back for more. Don't forget about their signature cocktails either, as they're often the topper to a brunch that starts any day off right.
Recommended for Brunch because: Stephen Starr doesn't often disappoint when it comes to food options. Dandelion makes the grade with brunch options to satisfy all.
Sharon's expert tip: Start out with an order of scones complete with jam, and compliment them with the tea of your liking.
Whether it's over weekend brunch or daily breakfast, the best spot in the city for people watching and a caf� au lait is on the sidewalk or by the floor-to-ceiling windows at Stephen Starr's Rittenhouse Square paean to Parisian caf� culture. The brunch menu, not surprisingly, contains more French entrees, eggs and hors d'oeuvres than the breakfast menu. But neither comes close to being petit. Two-dozen selections, including a smoked salmon tartine and a Gruyere omelette, grace the daily menu, which is served starting at 7:30 am. Stop in and enjoy a seat either inside or out and dive onto delicious foods that will keep you talking about it the rest of the day.
Recommended for Brunch because: Parc Brasserie is a standby good choice for any meal, and brunch is always a good bet here.
Sharon's expert tip: Coffee is nice but a Kir Royale at brunch is nicer.
How do you know this beer bar's weekend brunch is grade A? The region's top food and beverage workers make it a regular stop on their circuit. What's so special and is it worth your while to venture out of your jammies and your house to check it out? Other than the industrial d�cor and a beer list that's perpetually solid-as-steel, loving preparations of dishes like Morning Honey (house-made granola, fresh fruit, Greek yogurt and raw honey) forge with heavier options like dry-aged burgers and make-your own omelets that can be filled with 12 different ingredients to create a well-oiled brunch machine.
Recommended for Brunch because: A beer bar with a weekend brunch menu? It's true and totally worth your while to check it out for yourself.
Sharon's expert tip: Check the website for occasional brunch events that bring crazier-than-normal beers to the bar.
At LaCroix you can build your own bloody Mary or allow yourself to be treated to a sparkling cocktail while dining on graceful Sunday buffet brunch entrees and salads like edamame hummus with naan bread; assorted caviar and house-cured charcuterie; and chestnut pot de creme. During the week, the buffet table at this four-star hotel-restaurant is laden with breakfast meats, smoked salmon and house-made granola, though smaller appetites will appreciate the a la carte options. Courses are served slowly with attention to detail and meant to be savored. They offer everything from small bites, to smoked fish and caviar, to hot stations which allow a tour of the kitchen and of course: the desserts and specialty chocolate.
Recommended for Brunch because: When you want to do brunch in a fancier manner, Lacroix fits the bill and then some.
Sharon's expert tip: The hotel restaurant doesn't abandon its kid-friendly approach at breakfast-time; three entrees designed specifically for little folks may make them actually want to leave behind the morning cartoons.
Urban Farmer is a restaurant complete with full bar to accommodate both those looking to eat as well as those looking to grab a drink or socialize with friends or coworkers while in town. The place is located in the new Logan Hotel and combines fresh, delicious ingredients from local farms and businesses into familiar dishes with an edge of modernness. The cocktails at the bar are also just as edgy, with familiar options spruced up to feel like they're relevant and up-and-coming. The food here features many local ingredients and oozes freshness and flavor. Sit down, get comfy and try a little something.
Recommended for Brunch because: When brunch means an upscale meal, this place fits the bill.
Sharon's expert tip: Don't be afraid to try food combinations you wouldn't normally indulge in, as they've got some great offerings here.
Talula's Garden is a an apty-named establishment featuring local garden-sourced ingredients. These ingredients are combined into contemporary American dishes designed to nourish and please. Set in a lovely garden patio, the well-known city restaurant treats patrons to a plethora of fresh, seasonal and delicately-prepared cuisine. They do focus on cheeses, and feature cheese combinations served artfully to start your meal. Then it's time to move onto dishes such as the orchard pear salad, lemon glazed New England scallops or Block Island swordfish. Polish dinner off with a treat such as little sweet ricotta doughnuts or ripe orchard pear sorbet for a treat not soon forgotten.
Recommended for Brunch because: Delicious locally-sourced food in a lovely garden setting that wins awards over and over? Yes, please.
Sharon's expert tip: This place is known for their cheese plates, so be sure to order one and see what the fuss is all about.
Just a hop, a skip and a jump from the Italian Market, this breakfast and brunch favorite exudes equal doses of charm and good-natured quirkiness. Sabrina's is loved by many, as is evident if you head down there on any weekend morning looking for it. You'll likely see folks queued up on the sidewalk of Christian Street, eagerly waiting for a table to open. Once you land a seat at this local favorite venue, your dedication is rewarded by some of the tastiest challah-stuffed French toast you'll find anywhere. Reservations accepted for dinner only, so go a tad early if you can.
Recommended for Brunch because: Just a little on the funky side, this venue brings brunch to patrons in a tasty and cozy environment.
Sharon's expert tip: Reservations are not accepted for breakfast/brunch, so allow a little extra time in the event you'll need to wait for a seat here.
Challah French toast. Check. Fresh-fried potato latkes. Check. Toasted bagel platter with Nova lox or whitefish salad? No, you're not dreaming you're in your great-grandma's Brooklyn walk-up. You're at one of two locations of this Jewish-inspired Philadelphia breakfast diner, where the eggs are local and free-range, the mayonnaise is house-made and it feels as if your bubbie may actually pinch you on the cheek and tell you you're not eating enough while your hipster cousin snickers over her bottomless cup of La Colombe coffee. Wander in here, take a seat and feel yourself enveloped in the comfort of great food in a warm and inviting atmosphere.
Recommended for Brunch because: A winner time and time again, Honey's just knows how to do good food.
Sharon's expert tip: The kids menu is half-off Monday through Thursday.
A wish for you: may deciding between the banh mi and the chocolate chip brownie sundae French toast be the most difficult choice you make all day. It's hard to lose on either option: with farm-fresh ingredients and an uber-sustainable credo, Green Eggs has emerged as one of the city's favorite places to breakfast on eclectic dishes that sustain and delight. Described as a "bruncherie" by local dining critic Craig LaBan ("part hipster cafe, part laboratory to explore the creative limits of stuffed French toast"), Green Eggs draws a youngish city crowd that needs its La Colombe coffee to revive after a night spent debating the merits of each of the cafe's three locations.
Recommended for Brunch because: Green Eggs is good, and it gets crowded for a reason, offering good grub to all who care to hit up one of their three locations.
Sharon's expert tip: Green Eggs is cash only.