about
about me.
i'm kelly.
26 year old stressbaker.
about-to-graduate grad school.
new england transplant.
eating through philly & the burbs.
baking my way into the hearts of friends.
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Sunday, January 9, 2011 @ 7:50 PM
O'Rourkes = O'Mygoodness
Sometimes the best things in life are right under our noses. I worked right around the corner from O'Rourkes Diner for two years and never once stepped through the door. Big. Mistake.
Over Thanksgiving break, my dear friend Emily of AChangeofEatery and I planned to get together to catch up. When she suggested O'Rourkes, I was thrilled. I had heard so much about it from my time working in Middletown, and the thought of eating Irish-inspired food with my favorite Ireland traveling pal was too good to pass up!
I got there a few minutes after Emily and when I joined her, she was already cozied up to a huge mug of mulled cider. Laden with sweet apples and whole cloves, the first sip made me think of curling up under a blanket with a good book while fluffy snowflakes fall past the window.
Picking a drink was a no-brainer, but choosing my meal was a dilemma. O'Rourkes specializes in Irish-inspired dishes, but they have an extensive list of creative takes on breakfast, lunch and diner classics. Take their fried oatmeal (fried and topped with jam) or their babka french toast, or the Omelette of My Dreams (caramelized onion pesto, provolone cheese, topped with hollandaise and served with brown bread). After years of being a strictly scrambled girl, I recently discovered that I like eggs benedict. O'Rourkes has over 14 different variations on the classic dish, so it was tough to narrow down my choices. Ultimately, I let a name win me over: Irish Ecstasy.
The dish was just that--grilled colcannon topped with eggs & hollandaise sauce, served with corned beef hash and (my favorite) brown bread. The eggs were perfectly cooked, the colcannon was buttery and delicious. The brown bread took me back to my summer in Galway.
I left, stuffed to the brim, kicking myself for not taking advantage of this delicious diner while it was down the street. Luckily for me, I had the opportunity to come back over Christmas break. I brought my friend Elizabeth with me and raved to her about the menu outside in line as we waited to get in. (It's always a good sign when there's a line out the door!)
This time, I went for a sweeter breakfast--the banana bread french toast. Oh. My. Goodness. Freshly baked banana bread, dipped in an egg batter, cooked and then topped with Bananas O'Rourke (think Bananas Foster but with Irish Whiskey) and served with clotted cream and a slice of watermelon. I was afraid the banana bread would be dry, but it was moist and rich with a touch of cinnamon. The clotted cream balanced out the banana perfectly. I am drooling just thinking about it.
I should also mention that O'Rourke's was featured on Food Network's Diners, Drive-ins and Dives. If you watch this video below, you can actually watch Brian O'Rourke, the owner, make banana bread french toast. Watching it makes me want to hop in my car and drive the 200 miles it would take to get there.
So, if you find yourself in Middletown, CT, I implore you, GO TO O'ROURKE'S! The menu is incredible, the food is top-notch, the service is stellar. Take one bite of Irish Ecstasy or the banana bread french toast and you might agree...
728 Main Street
Middletown, CT 06457
860-346-6101
Mon - Sun: 6am-3pm
Fri & Sat: 5-9pm (dinner hours)
Labels: banana bread, bananas, breakfast, CT food, diner food, eggs, french toast, Irish
1 Comments:
This is making me SO hungry! LOVEEEEED that place
By 
emt, at
January 24, 2011 at 7:49 AM
Sunday, November 7, 2010 @ 8:45 AM
Apple Crisp Stuffed French Toast at Cafe Estelle
Cafe Estelle doesn't look like much from the outside, so I was skeptical walking in for brunch. My friend Susie was in Philly for the weekend and she suggested Cafe Estelle from a pretty extensive list of Philly's Best Brunches. The restaurant is below a residential complex, so I was fully expecting bad hotel restaurant food. Boy was I wrong!
The food is impeccable. Once we shed our coats at the table, I began my normal routine of eyeing up everyone else's food as it arrived. The dishes were artfully arranged on the plate, with plenty of colors and textures to keep the diner's eyes interested.
I had a tough time deciding what to get. I've recently got on board the eggs benedict bandwagon, but I thought it too common a dish when I was faced with Estelle's choices like sweet potato and bacon pancakes or apple crisp stuffed french toast. I had scoped out the menu before hand and was between those two choices. Luckily, Susie went for the former, promising me a bite so I could order the latter.
These pancakes were a contender for my meal because I imagined them having a sweet potato base (think pumpkin pancakes) with bits of bacon in the batter. They actually had both chunks of batter and bacon pieces inside with a traditional pancake batter. Not what I was expecting, but still tasty!
My french toast was perfect. Thick, eggy bread with a warm cinnamony apple rich center. Drizzled with maple syrup and delicately dusted with confectionary sugar. The flavor was delicious, but it was on the rich side for breakfast, so I ate one and brought the other piece home. It was just as delicious the next day. Mmm...
Warm cinnamony apples with sweet crumb topping nestled snugly inside eggy brioche.
I need a minute.
Cafe Estelle
444 N. 4th St. btwn Callowhill and Spring Garden
444 N. 4th St. btwn Callowhill and Spring Garden
Labels: apples, bacon, breakfast, french toast, sweet potato
1 Comments:
Oh! Don't forget about the free takeout coffee refill. (Even the decaf tasted great.) Now THAT's good service. :)
By Susie, at
November 8, 2010 at 5:59 AM
Sunday, May 30, 2010 @ 8:43 PM
PBC ftw! [and more Mexican]
This past Saturday I met my friend Maddie in Kensington and we went on a tour of the Philadelphia Brewing Company. The staff was incredibly friendly, the entire tour was free (we taste-tested two seasonals and three of their standard offerings) and it was highly informative. I got the sense from our guide that the employees are invested in both the beer they brew (and making that beer the best-tasting brew possible) and the company they work for. I love hearing people talk about their passions and, from listening to the staff, I could tell they love what they do.
After our trip to the brewery, we decided to poke around Fishtown and take a walk through Northern Liberties to check out our lunch options. We eventually decided on Dos Segundos Cantina for brunch. We sat outside in the sunshine--it was a perfect day to catch up and to peoplewatch (and dog watch... there were at least 4 adorable dogs that paraded past).
My friend is a vegetarian, and luckily they have numerous vegetarian and vegan options. She ordered the huevos a la Mexicana (eggs scrambled with jalapeno, red onion, tomato and cilantro served with black beans, Mexican rice and tortillas)
I was in the mood for something sweet [surprise!] and ordered the torrejas - doughy french toast (made from the same dough as sopapillas, only fried once instead of twice) smothered in a cinnamon citrus brown sugar reduction and then topped with mixed fresh berries and whipped cream. oh my word.
The next time I check out Dos Segundos for brunch, I'll be sure to try one of their mimosas - they have everything from blood orange to passion fruit, pricky pear, pineapple, guava, raspberry and traditional orange.
To check out the PBC tour (or to find out more about the company and their delicious beer offerings), visit their website or stop by on Saturday for a tour (tours run between noon and 3pm on Saturdays)!
2423-39 Amber St.
Philadelphia, PA 19125
(215) 427-BREW (2739)
if you're craving Mexican, check out Dos Segundos:
931 North 2nd StreetPhiladelphia, PA 19123-2326
(215) 629-0500
Labels: beer, breweries, eggs, french toast, Mexican