The Classic Diner (West Chester)

16 E Gay Street
West Chester, PA 19380
(484) 947-0809
Website

Of all of the greasy meals and foods I love, I just don't have all that much love for traditional diners. Mostly, it's because they have shitty coffee. When you couple a basic breakfast platter/sandwich with Folgers, I think to myself, I should've just gone to WAWA. In the same vein, I pretty much hate brunch. It's not the brunch food that I despise, but rather the people who love brunch and the whole circus surrounding it. Also - why is it socially acceptable to drink eight mimosas, or three Bloody Marys AT BRUNCH, but when I order a shot and a beer at breakfast I get the sideways eye? Well, now that we got that out of the way, let's talk about The Classic Diner.

I had eaten bacon from the original Classic Diner in Malvern, but had not actually been there. The bacon is incredible. One day I was cruising around the burbs, butcher shopping, and looking for somewhere to grab food before heading to a party in Pennsport.

Now my love for all things Jewish American knows no bounds. But the Lox and bagel or whitefish and bagel combo takes the throne at breakfast time. Or really anytime. They had one on the menu, and I figured that would be a great starter. It was not cheap at $15, but it was also not small. And Oy Vey, that Lox was worth every penny. Served with a boiled egg topped with Salmon caviar (nice touch), a side salad, capers, caper berries, cukes, red onion, and tomato slices, this was a hell of a platter.

The bagel was nice and chewy, and the tomatoes were in good shape for being so far past season. The crispy cucumber, briny capers, and spicy red onion made every bite the "choose your own adventure" of eating.

These damn boiled eggs were incredibly good. Smooth, silky, with a "pop" of salty liquid in the caviar, I was left thinking about how I was suckered with hard-boiled, deviled eggs for all these years instead of soft boiling the things.

The "classic" eggs Benedict was just that. Fried Canadian bacon (hell yes), a nicely rich yet acidic Hollandaise, perfectly poached eggs, and a toasted buttery muffin. The potatoes were a thing of beauty. Crispy and salty outside, fluffy and hot inside, they were home-fry perfection. Not to mention, the playful olive placement let you make jokes ranging from anatomy to that emoji with the eyes looking to the side...

Look at the rich yolk, and the crispy edges of the ham. Delicious. You would be hard pressed to find a better rendition, and even I can't hate on the brunch here. Also - it is BYOB, so plan accordingly with a bottle of Yukon Jack and a 40 of Bud Ice if you want to keep it classy.

Bittersweet Kitchen

18 S. Orange Street
Media, PA 19063
(610) 566-1660
Website

There are some great places in "Everybody's Hometown" but the go-to breakfast spot, Seven Stones, has really dropped off in the recent past. Good thing a newcomer stepped up to take the throne. Bittersweet Kitchen has a medium sized menu, casual dining room, and great food. Take, for example, my scratch biscuit with bacon, egg, and cheese. The biscuit was reminiscent of the legendary Red Lobster version, except made from real ingredients and not totally shitty.

The bacon was cooked well, and the egg nicely peppered and folded below. A solid breakfast sandwich all around.

The Huevos Rancheros featured sunny-side up eggs, corn tortillas, house-made beef chili, cheddar, tomatillo salsa, pico de gallo, avocado crema, and breakfast potatoes. The eggs were perfectly sunny-side up, the ingredients all were fresh, and well proportioned.

One of my favorites was the pickle chips. I ALWAYS love fried pickles, even at breakfast, and these were very well breaded, crispy, and had a nice spicy dipping sauce that I could have used on my biscuit.

Another side, the blackened brussel sprouts with bacon, had a delicious char, plenty of salt, and were tender yet not overcooked. A definite winner, even for breakfast.

My final taste was the sweet potato and black bean chili. I am always a sucker for anything served in a skillet, and although next time I would try the beef version (I already had beef in my Huevos), this was not a bad rendition of veggie chili. The cornbread was delicious, and I used it to mop up the oil left from the sprouts. The coffee is also quite good, which is very important for a breakfast joint. There was not much to complain about here. I think I know where I will be going for the hangover breakfast in the future.

Frankie's on Fairview

604 Fairview Road
Woodlyn, PA 19094
(610) 543-2300
Website

I am not inherently a breakfast person. Although I do love a hearty weekend breakfast, lunch is my favorite meal of the day, and in that regard, I don't cover a lot of greasy spoons. Frankie's was not on my radar as I don't frequent Woodlyn, but last Saturday I hopped on the motorcycle and decided on a breakfast ride. I found myself near Frankie's, and hot damn, I am glad I stopped in. Frank the owner is a food service veteran, and it shows. I heard rumors of him expanding, and if he keeps the product consistent, I think a lot of folks will be saying "Sabrina's USED to be the best" (I for one have NEVER been impressed with Sabrina's).

They have a rather large menu, with breakfast and lunch offerings. They even offer some vegan options if you don't like real food.

The coffee was Lavazza, and it was a huge step up from typical diner coffee. One of my biggest pet peeves with breakfast spots is when they have gourmet food and crappy coffee; that's an automatic cheesesteak off the rating. Not at Frankie's though.

The "Ultimate Biscuit" was a must order. One plate, containing at least 3 meals' worth of food. It housed buttermilk fried chicken, applewood smoked bacon & two sunny side up eggs, served open face on a biscuit with sausage gravy. Yes, all of those things rolled into one pile of savory flavor.

The chicken was prepared Japanese Katsu style, thinly pounded and panko fried; it was tender, juicy and the outer shell stayed very crispy throughout the time it took me to down this entire load. The gravy had a hint of maple, and was filled with chunks of sausage. 2 perfectly sunny side up eggs doused with some drops of sriracha, usually something I would complain about as it tends to overpower, but the heat cut through the richness of this dish and the sparse application was just right.

The bacon hid underneath, and I was so happy to dig into a slice as I cut into the fried chicken. Perhaps my favorite part is that I was JUST about to complain about the lack of bread, as I had completely forgot about that delicious biscuit resting underneath this mountain of calories. And then there it was. In all its crumbly, buttermilk glory.

Nicely seasoned/peppery gravy and well fried bacon.

Look at that biscuit hiding under the pile of dreams.

Never one for moderation when heavy dairy-based sauces are involved, I also tried the creamed chipped beef (or SOS). This iteration was served over Texas toast. I absolutely LOVE SOS, and this certainly did not disappoint. The dried beef was tender and salty, the bechamel was creamy and well spiced. To further the indulgence, the Texas toast acted as a carb-centric vessel to deliver indulgence to my overwhelmed taste buds. I was basically like this when the dish hit my lips.

The crispy potatoes were fried very well, and as had been the standard for all other things throughout this meal, very well seasoned. To perfection.

This is a perfect breakfast spot. Hands down one of the best I've ever experienced. As I waddled back to my motorcycle, I was already planning a return trip to try out their lunch menu. I have to recommend this as somewhere that could stand against any of the famous breakfast/brunch spots in the area. Every dish I saw served would have been a winner, though ordering something other than my staples is going to take some effort.

The Classic Diner

352 Lancaster Ave.
Malvern, PA 19355
(610) 725-0515
Website

I don't want to say I'm not a breakfast person, because that would be a lie (a buttery, over-easy fried egg between 2 slices of white with mayo and hot sauce is pretty much the best thing on the planet), but I will say that I'm definitely not a brunch person. I hate going out for late breakfast, standing around for an hour waiting to eat fancy eggs and potatoes and then pay handsomely for something I could have cooked & eaten in 20 minutes for $1 or less. That said, I had a friend visiting from out of town and being the early riser that I am, we were up and ready to head out by 8am on Sunday, so we knew we could beat the mainline crowds at The Classic Diner.

On the way to our seats at the bar (food bar only, no alcoholic bevs here), I was sure to take account of what other diners were having and it was your usual range from eggs benedict to oversized waffles piled high with sugary fruits and syrups. And then I saw a guy with a side of bacon that stopped me dead in my tracks. It was like 6 slices of thick cut, perfectly browned bacon on a regular sized dinner plate and I knew I had to try it.

But then I saw the menu and realized a side of that mouthwatering meat was $6.50. My dining partner wasn't into sharing (the cost, mostly) so I was resigned to saving money and getting 2 eggs over-easy with toast, homefries and bacon built right into the dish for only $11.50, which seemed pretty reasonable to me.

I was glad that I did because it came with 4 hugely thick pieces of deliciously salty slab bacon. I mean, the eggs were fine, the toast was fine, the homefries were good too – especially the smaller ones that crunched nearly all the way through – but like I said earlier, I could do that at home.

My mate was even cheaper than I (we had no idea the 'diner' would be so posh) and seriously ordered a cheese omelet. I mean, there was eggs and a couple of slices of American in there and that's it. I think it cost $7.50 or something. Likely the most basic item on the menu and was in need of some S & P love.

Same well-cooked homefries and toast with a side of jam, not much to say there.

I will also mention that the coffee was pretty delicious, it was fresh ground and not your usual diner-style Folgers or Maxwell House variation. They care about their coffee here.

All in all, it's above my price point, but a nice place for out-of-town visitors, so on my next visit, I'm throwing caution to the wind and going for the full-sized side plate of slab and not sharing it with anyone.

Cafe La Maude

816 North 4th Street
Philadelphia PA 19123
(267) 318-7869
Website

I have ridden past La Maude countless times, but if I am stopping for food on this block, it always ends up being Honey's. I figured it was high time that changed. This place is just a few doors north of the famous corner spot, and you can't miss it.

The façade is really nice, with a great awning and wood framing. According to their site, they "look like Paris, and taste like Beirut."

They had a wide selection of pastries and desserts. Although I was tempted, I was here for some brunch.

It's all about high quality presentation here.

Prices are a bit high, but there is a great ambiance. And the food has a lot of creativity.

Also, the coffee is fantastic.

The benedict was delicious. Their version was served over thin slices of Canadian bacon with a generous smear of Brie, fresh avocado and topped with a bright & citrusy hollandaise.

Not to mention the skewers of fresh fruit...

The eggs were poached to perfection, and served with a side of some nicely crisped potato wedges. Everything on this plate was prepared just right.

I also got the Halloumi press, which consisted of grilled halloumi cheese, roasted tomatoes, green olives, mesclun greens, and pesto served on a French baguette.

While it may not have been the largest sandwich I have eaten, it was among the tastiest. Simple, refreshing, and delicious. There was a level of acidity that made the ingredients come alive, and the crispy toasted bread held everything together nicely.

I have to say, the next time Honey's is too full, I wouldn't think twice about heading down to La Maude. Even if it means a few extra bucks. I actually may be craving that sandwich in the near future and head down that way for a coffee and a sandwich on the sidewalk. Weather pending.

Ida Mae's Bruncherie

2302 East Norris St.
Philadelphia, PA
(267) 259-6493
Website

Ida Mae's is a Fishtown institution – part greasy spoon and part low-key brunch spot - it is great for a leisurely breakfast or lunch. Just make sure to bring cash.

When you walk in, you are greeted by the open kitchen. There is a bar with some seats, and additional seating in the rear.

They are famous for their huevos rancheros, and you don't have to tell me twice to order anything with eggs and salsa, I am already on it. The huevos are prepared with crispy corn tortillas, two sunny side up fried eggs, avocado coulis, sour cream, salsa, and cilantro over black beans.

This is a visually appealing dish, and it's quite tasty as well.

One issue I had was the overly watery and abundant black beans, seen below. Other than that, add some hot sauce and dig in. Highly recommended.

I can never pass up some SOS, so getting the creamed chipped beef was a sure thing. This one is pretty standard, nicely seasoned with a good consistency, served over toast, and accompanied by crispy hash browns. Definitely a solid offering.

Ida Mae's is a great neighborhood spot with flavorful and reasonably priced breakfast food. If you're up that way looking for something along those lines, you can't go wrong.