GREEN EGGS CAFE
719 North Second Street
Philadelphia, PA 19123
215-922-EGGS

Bro lives in the Philadelphia neighborhood of Northern Liberties. It's like a cross between the low-rise modern buildings and renovated warehouse lofts of Long Island City, the older town-homes of Cobble Hill, and the youthfully hipstery artsy scene of Williamsburg. It's basically where I'd want to live if I moved to Philadelphia. Green Eggs Cafe is down the block from his building and the first time I went there, it's where we went for brunch. And it's where Bro and I went for brunch on my final day in Philly.

Actually, since they're not open for dinner and who really has time during the week, brunch is their big thing. It's the reason you'd go. Sure they have sandwiches and stuff, but... come on. Anyway, get there early or get there late. They were packed to the brim this particular Sunday with waits of an hour for some. If you want, you can go to the back by the kitchen and grab a cup of coffee while you wait. They'll bill your table. But that area is very small and with wait staff coming and going along with patrons on line for the bathroom, you're more likely to spill your coffee than drink it. It was a nice day, so Bro and I put our names on the list and decided to walk around.

We finally got seated, ordered our coffees and juice and started re-acquainting ourselves with the menu.

The first time I came, I ordered The Kitchen Sink, a dish so-named because halfway through eating it, you're pretty sure you just ate an entire kitchen sink. Scrambled eggs, cheese, home fries, peppers onions, a biscuit and all covered in a sausage biscuit. It's served in a scalding hot cast iron skillet and weighs about forty pounds. It was delicious. But there's enough food there for a small village. I got through a third of it, then crawled under the table and took a nap. Bro ordered the Peanut Butter Crunchy French Toast, which might be the runner up for least healthy thing we could have eaten. French toast, stuffed with peanut butter and cream cheese and then coated in blackberry jam. Also phenomenal, but he has diabetes now.

The second trip was slightly healthier, though only by a thin margin. Bro, sticking with the French toast theme, ordered the Creme Brulee French Toast. Actually, this is just really plain ol' French toast but they drizzled a vanilla and brown sugar syrup reminiscent of creme brulee filling over it. It was good, but not decadent. My brunch was the Philly Style Eggs Benedict. A bagel with cream cheese, a poached egg and some grilled pork loin, all under Bearnaise sauce. Good, but I think I prefer the original. Still, it's a nice shift from the norm. And also quite heavy. I could only get through half. I also ordered a side of bacon though.

Green Eggs Cafe is cash only and the brunch options are about $8. But add in coffees and juice and so forth and it'll probably total about $20 per person with tax and tip.