Tapas on Main, Bethlehem PA

Recently I had a weekday brunch (okay, it was lunch) at Tapas on Main in Bethlehem, PA. It was a beautiful spring day and my brunchmates and I sat outside. They have a lunch special where you can order two out of three options: soup, salad, sandwich for $9.99.  

Their menu helpfully noted what items are Vegan and Gluten Free, saving both the waitstaff and diners much trouble!

For the first course I tried the Ensalada Verde (normally $8.95), served with fresh green apples, lightly candied pecans, a high quality Valdeon blue cheese, and fig balsamic dressing it was delicious.

One brunchmate ordered the Ensalada de Remolacha (normally $8.95), a beet salad with Serrano ham, arugula, and a delicate blood orange vinaigrette. At first he thought the wrong salad was delivered because the beets were hidden underneath everything else, but once discovered he was quite happy.

Another brunchmate left not a single drop of her  Tomato Soup with Manchego Croutons (no longer on the current menu).

For my second course I had the Caramelized Pear & Carrot Soup. A sweet soup with a delicate flavor, it reminded me of a lighter version of the ever popular butternut squash soup. It was so delicious that I inspired to create my own version of this soup. I will write out the recipe in an upcoming post because it was so incredibly good!

My brunchmates both ordered the Carne Burger (normally $9.95). A juicy beef burger with tetilla cheese, a fried egg, lettuce, tomato and chipotle ketchup. Both had completely clean plates and were seriously debating ordered another burger to go....

All in all, a perfect excuse to go visit the very cute downtown of Bethlehem, PA. I know that I'm looking forward to my next visit.

If you go:

• 500 Main Street, Bethlehem, PA 18018
• Phone: (610) 868-8903
• They accept credit cards.
• Tapas on Main

Community Food & Juice, New York NY

 On a recent visit to New York, I had the opportunity to brunch at Community. Quite popular even on a weekday, there was a bit of a wait. While the atmosphere was a bit of a hustle and bustle, and nothing amazingly incredible, the food was fresh and delicious.








 I tried the Truffled Quiche ($14). The house-made crust was flaky and buttery, the truffled wild mushrooms had an earthy yet delicate flavor that paired nicely with the leeks and cheese. Served with a side of greens, it was filling without being heavy.
  

I also ordered a hot chocolate, which was good quality but too milky-sweet for me.



 A brunchmate ordered the  Biscuit Sandwich ($14),  scrambled cage-free eggs, chicken-apple sausage and Cabot cheddar cheese served with tomato jam and carrot hash browns. It was good but could have used a side of greens to complement the biscuit.

Another brunchmate ordered this delicious looking meal. I cannot for the life of me remember what it was--I think it may have been a special. The heirloom carrots were a nice touch and there were no complaints.









If you go:

• 2893 Broadway  New York, NY 10025
• Phone: (212) 665-2800
• They accept credit cards.
• Community Food and Juice

Kitchenette Uptown, New York NY

Kitchenette Uptown is filled with charm. Our table is made from a pastel painted wooden door, covered in glass. The decor reminds me a bit of Sabrina's in Philadelphia. And like Sabrina's, you can order brunch food any day of the week. On an early Sunday evening, Kitchenette Uptown was fairly empty but I imagine that is probably not the case earlier in the day. The waitstaff is friendly and prompt, and the food is delicious.





While tempted by their unusually flavored shakes (Red Velvet and Campfire S'more are among the options) I stick with a traditional chocolate milkshake ($6). Sadly the whipped cream is clearly from a can and not fresh, but the consistency of the shake is perfect. I could do with it being a bit more dark chocolatey, but for most palates they have it about right. And it is served in a mason jar!



I try the Chick Pea Burger, made with mashed chickpeas, carrots and roasted red onions and served on pita with side of tahini ($13.50). Really delicious, but also really messy to eat since the chickpea consistency is slightly closer to hummus than burger. The mild tahini compliments the burger nicely while not overwhelming it. The burger comes with a side and I ordered the butternut-squash. It lacked flavor and needed a bit of salt and perhaps some maple syrup to brighten it up.

Coming off of a week of eating totally raw, this meal was overwhelmingly filling.



My brunchmate orders the Shepherd's Pie – with ground beef, carrots and mashed potato crust ($14.00). Total comfort food, the beef is tender and the overall dish has a gentle sweetness that pulls the flavors together.



Prices are quite reasonable for New York, the vibe is fun and friendly, and the desserts look delicious (if only we had room!).


If you go:

• 1272 Amsterdam Avenue, New York, NY 10027
• Phone: (212) 531-7600
• They accept credit cards, but offer a discount if you pay with cash.
• Kitchenette Restaurant

Mississippi Marketplace, Portland OR

Brunch Philly: Summer Travel Edition



Like Philadelphia, Portland Oregon is a city known for good food. And also like Philly, much of that food can be found at food trucks. You really cannot go wrong when choosing a truck at the Mississippi Marketplace (corner of N. Mississippi at Skidmore).




The Ruby Dragon Café and Teahouse offers a delicious vegetarian menu, with an emphasis on raw foods. I order the Tiger’s Paw Quinoa Pancakes ($4 for one, which was filing enough for me! Or $7 for two).
Made with ground quinoa and ginger, these gluten free pancakes have a delicious, slightly nutty, flavor. I add berries and dark chocolate chips (.50 each), and while I wish there were just a few more berries in my pancake, the ones in there were juicy and plump. Served with the perfect amount of real maple syrup, I wish I could figure out how to replicate this recipe! It tastes so much better than one might imagine.


A Brunchmate orders the Grandmaster Scramble. A blend of various Ethiopian spices, tempeh (or you can substitute tofu), yams, bell peppers, spinach, onion, garlic, cashews, and veganaise, this dish is a flavor explosion! The sweetness of the yams compliment the curry spices—as described on the menu, this dish truly is the “Bruce Lee of scrambles.”


We also decide to split 2 herbal life raw truffles ($1.50 not pictured). Made with dates, spices, coconut, and cocoa these were not overly sweet or deserty. Unlike most anything you’d order from the Sugar Cube:





The Sugar Cube’s owner is super friendly and offers suggestions on what to order. Temping items on the menu include the Amy Whinehouse Cupcake (with boozy yellow cake, $3), Bruleed Passionfruit Panna Cotta ($6), and Black Cow Float ($5). We decide to go with the Triple Threat Ice Cream Sandwich ($5).
Two espresso, pecan, and triple chocolate chunk cookies surround a huge scoop of vanilla ice cream. Everything is covered in an incredibly delicious salted caramel sauce. This decadent dessert is best shared!


Sushi Tree’s Specialty Mega rolls are no joke. These rolls come so big that it was actually hard to fit this into my mouth! Not something you’d want to be eating when trying to impress anyone…



I order the “This B Stuffed” roll ($8), filled with asparagus, sprouts, green leaf lettuce, sunflower seeds, smoked tofu, red cabbage, cucumber and avocado and rolled in sesame fried panko breadcrumbs. I would have never thought to put sunflower seeds in my sushi, but the crunchy flavor of the seeds totally makes this roll. It’s a subtle lingering flavor that you do not even taste until you are almost finished.

I cannot remember the last time I had a real California roll. It is possible that I’ve only ever had one once, which would mean I was 10. I remember that roll because it was the first time I ever had sushi. I cannot fairly compare Sushi Tree’s vegetarian version of the California roll to the original, but made with soy crab salad, avocado, green leaf, and cucumber this is one tasty roll.






I wish I had room to try every item on the menu at Sushi-Tree! Philadelphia sushi-makers take note: vegetarian sushi can be so much more than your current offerings!









A brunchmate orders a Chickpea Sandwich ($6.50) from the The Garden State Cart . One bite of this sandwich and I was suddenly wishing that I had ordered one as well (despite how delicious everything else is). Wow. Crisp fried garbanzo cake, lettuce, lemon aioli, and roasted butternut squash served on a ciabatta roll. Little piece of heaven for even the biggest carnivore!









I am very glad that gave into my last minute craving for juice, and ordered from Dogfeather’s Organic Coffee and Fresh Juice.




Other people claim to offer fresh juice, but after drinking from Dogfeathers, you may begin to doubt them. I had an orange-strawberry juice that was so refreshing and delicious that words cannot do it justice. This picture cannot do it justice either:



If you happen to enjoy a cold alcoholic beverage with your food truck fair, Prost!, a German pub adjacent to the trucks, allows you to bring your food into their beer garden (or indoors on a colder day). Rather than compete with each other, the restaurant and food trucks have created an atmosphere where patrons can enjoy the best of both worlds.

If you go:

• Mississippi Market Place 4233 N. Mississippi at N. Skidmore, Portland OR
• Phone: Some trucks have one
• Hours vary by Truck.
• Mississippi Marketplace

Off The Waffle, Eugene OR

Brunch Philly: Summer Travel Edition

If you are ever in Eugene Oregon, a trip to “Off The Waffle” will be well worth the line. I was introduced to the place by a brunchmate who declared: "I really don’t like waffles but I love this place!"

When my brunchmates & I arrive the line to order is long still but inside. By the time we receive our waffles, it is out the door and wrapped around the building.

Off The Waffle was started by three brothers who spent time living in Belgium, perfecting their yeast-based Liège Waffles. Crispy, with tiny sweet spots of imported Belgian pearled sugar that caramelizes in the batter, I’ve discovered that their waffles go best with a “savory” or “in-between” topping.



I order the Ole Banana Split ($5.75 without substitutions) but substitute the ice cream for a locally made mango sorbetto and add strawberries. Something is lost in translation, because I get strawberries but no bananas. The waffle is incredible—topped with fresh real whipped cream, slivered almonds, a dark chocolate sauce, fresh berries, and the cold tart sorbetto. However, the sweetness is just too much. It overwhelms the waffle rather than compliment it. That said, it is a very tasty treat.





One brunchmate orders the BMB ($5.75), bacon, basil, maple syrup and Havarti cheese. Everyone decides this is one of best, if not the best combination, that Off The Waffle makes.





Another brunchmate orders the Habib ($5.50 without additions), raw pistachios, chévre goat cheese and ground cardamom. She adds bacon to this combination. The cardamom nicely complements the chévre and the crunch of pistachios really pulls everything together.




On a second visit, much later in the day, there is no line at all. I try the Shmooli ($5.50) pear, smoked gouda, applesauce, crushed walnuts, and ground coriander (sorry, no picture!). This combination works much better than the first, each ingredient compliments the other in an outstanding flavor combination!

No matter what combination you choose, even if you decide to have one plain ($2.75) you really cannot go wrong.

Oh, and if you’re broke, Off The Waffle is open to bartering for their waffles…


If you go:

• 2540 Willamette St
  Eugene, OR 97405
• Phone: (541) 515-6926
• Hours: Sun-Thur: 7am-7pm, Fri & Sat: 7am-11pm
• They accept credit cards.
• Off The Waffle