Northportfishington Cookiefactory, Philadelphia PA

Cookies for brunch? Probably not the best idea, but Cinnamon Buns, Monkey Bars (banana bread & cream cheese delights), and apple cider donuts certainly are!

Before I continue, full disclosure: I am acquainted with Mike Landers, the master baker & owner of Northportfishington Cookiefactory. In fact, I was lucky enough to be one of the early taste testers back before the company even existed. That said, Mike does not know that I am writing this review (well, at least not yet anyway), and in fact he may not even be aware of brunchphilly.com, so in order words: I am receiving nothing in exchange for writing this. Okay, now back to your irregularly scheduled review:

For starters, the Cinnamon Buns. I never really liked cinnamon buns until I tasted these. They remain the only ones I have ever truly enjoyed.

They have a perfect cinnamon-to-topping ratio, are not too sweet, and pretty much float across your tastebuds. One of these is the perfect companion to any morning beverage. The only drawback is that if you don’t eat them within a day, they go stale. You can partially revive them by heating—which, even when they are fresh they taste best warmed for a minute or two-- but the day olds just can’t compete with the fresh ones.

Next, another surprised for me, the Oatmeal Cranberry Cashew Cookie. It’s usually a requirement for my cookies to have chocolate. While I don’t think an additional of chocolate chips would hurt these babies (hint, hint), they are perfectly fantastic just the way they are. The cashew bits are small enough that you’re not overwhelmed, and the cranberry adds a deliciously tart flavor. These cookies have a nice crisp edge, but are totally soft in the center.

Seasonally, you can sometimes find the mini Apple Cider Donuts. These also surprised me, because I’ve never been huge on donuts. But these babies are perfect to dunk into a mug of hot cider—that is, if you can wait long enough for the cider to warm up before devouring all of them. They are moist and covered with a gentle dusting of cinnamon and sugar.

If there is anything on the Northportfishington Cookiefactory’s bakery list that I’m not crazy about, it would be the brownies. They’re fine, but not outstanding. And personally I find them to be a bit too cakey and lacking the super crispy edges that a perfect brownie requires.



That said, if you’re all about cakey brownies, you might love these.

Final verdict? Even if I knew no one at Northportfishington Cookiefactory, I would still be to the moon about their yummy products!

While there are several coffee shops around town that stock some of the items, the one place I know I can always find the perfect Cinnamonbun brunch is at Greensgrow Farmers Market. Grab a bun, and perhaps a pint of fresh berries or a plant or two while you're there, and it’s a perfect start to a spring weekend!

If you go:

• Click for a full list of where to find Northportfishington Cookiefactory’s products

• Greensgrow is located at:

  2501 E. Cumberland Street, Philadelphia, PA 19125

• Most options are cash only.

• NPFCF Facebook

Sam's Morning Glory Diner, Philadelphia PA

I've eaten at Morning Glory quiet a few times and both the food and service always seems to be a bit hit or miss. Unfortunately on my most recent visit the service was a definite miss.

Arriving before my brunchmate, the server delivered menus and curtly asked "do you know how long it will be before the other person arrives?" While I could understand this question if the place was full, on a weekday morning there were plenty of open tables. Almost as popular as Sabrina's, the only time you will find empty tables like this is midweek.

Unsure about ordering the hot chocolate ($2), I asked if it was made with real chocolate or was from a mix. I was assured that it was made in-house with actual chocolate. Unfortunately the taste did not match the description; it seemed more like warmed-up Nestle Quick and the texture was not at all like real hot chocolate. I did not finish it.

Deciding to stick with the specials menu, I ordered the Oatmeal with fresh fruit ($7) and my brunchmate ordered the Pancakes with chocolate chips with an orange mascarpone topping ($8).


The oatmeal had just a hint of cinnamon, which I found slightly odd with the fruit but the taste grew on me. While the dish was served with a container of brown sugar, the bananas and mango were perfectly ripe and all the sweetness I needed.

My brunchmate found the three huge pancakes to be "tasty but way too much food!" The orange mascarpone was very subtle and paired nicely with the chocolate chip batter.



At the end of our meal I realized, perhaps, why our server had wondered when my friend would arrive. I think his shift must have ended. Or perhaps he had a lunch break? Whatever the case, it would have been fine if he had let us know he wasn't coming back but he quickly dropped off the bill without asking if we needed anything else. After chatting for awhile, we realized he was totally MIA and that no one planned to return to us, so we asked at the counter for "to go" containers. Unfortunately the only size they had were extra-small, so my brunchmate was forced to hack up the leftovers in order to make them fit.

While not a complete disaster, Morning Glory is beginning to lose its charm.


If you go:

• 735 S 10th St, Philadelphia, PA 19147
  
• Phone: (215) 413-3999
• Cash only.
  
• Website link does not work. http://www.morningglorydiner.com/

Sabrina's Cafe

Sabrina's is a Philadelphia brunch standby. I have never eaten there on a weekend because the line outside is always way too long. They do not take reservations, but from what I hear, you can call when you're on your way and they will add your name to the waiting list. Or, if you're like me, you can eat there at dinnertime or have a weekday brunch. Even then, the place is never empty.

One of my favorite things about Sabrina's is that they have a wide selection of seasonal specials and they even update their specials list on their website!

On a recent visit, I tried the Pumpkin “Spice Up your Life" Pancakes ($11.95). These come with a with a Butternut Squash-spice cake topping, rum soaked raisins, berry maple syrup and fresh blueberries. Extremely filling, I could not finish the plate.



The pancakes were wonderful, but the topping was much too sweet for me and the squash seemed out of place. I also had a glass of fresh-squeezed orange juice ($3.99). Sabrina's o.j. is among the best available at restaurants in this city, but you can buy fresher tasting organic orange juice from Whole Foods for less.

My brunchmate ordered the Cali Turkey Sandwich ($9.29), which comes with a side of fries but they substituted a house salad for no extra charge.



The sandwich was: “tasty!” But we knew we were on the east coast, because they had run out of avocado.

While I enjoy Sabrina's, I feel that they are the “summer blockbuster” of Philadelphia brunches. Yes it's good, and yes you will leave happy, but if you're willing to explore a bit, there is a lot more out there that is even better.


While people tell me that the “sequel” (located in Fairmount) is equally great, I have yet to check it out.



If you go:

• 910 Christian Street Philadelphia, PA 19147
  
• Phone: (215) 574-1599
• They accept credit cards.
  
• Sabrina's Website