Savannah Coffee Roasters

215 W Liberty Street
Savannah, GA 31401
(912) 352-2994
Website


A quick stop for some coffee in Savannah led to sausage stuffed in pastry. I am weak of will.

The interior is quite nice, open air, high ceilings, delicious smells. I decided that a french sausage roll would not cut it alone, so I also sampled the scrabbled eggs with cheddar and bacon on an English muffin.

The egg sandwich was buttery and well toasted. The eggs were studded with fresh herbs, and the filling did the trick without being over-stuffed.

The "French sausage roll" was one of the stranger breakfast foods I have tried recently. It is literally a sausage wrapped in puff pastry and baked. I had no idea that they French rolled this was during breakfast hours. While this was a pretty good option for out of the ordinary meats, it would probably be even better as an afternoon snack.

The spicy sausage was juicy and had a crisp skin. There was quite a bit of butter in this roll, and it was quickly devoured. Healthy? Absolutely not. Delicious? You know it.

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.

Milkcrate Cafe

400 E Girard Ave
Philadelphia, PA 19125
(267) 909-8348
Website

Brunch is just so overrated. All I ever really want is a quick and cheap breakfast, in sandwich form. Enter my favorite neighborhood coffee spot, Milkcrate Cafe. I've been eating here regularly since their opening in 2009 and the quality is consistent every time.

Everything on their menu is cleverly named, they put a spin on each item with food & band mash-ups like the "A Tribe Called Quesadilla" and the "Ike & Tina Tuna." In addition to being a full service breakfast & lunch cafe, it also doubles as a record shop. You can head downstairs and peruse the collection of new & used vinyl at your leisure.

But me, I'm only ever there for the food. They serve La Colombe coffee and their bakery items come from Le Bus - they also do a customer card system, buy 10 drinks, get one free - so be sure to sign up for that.

My two absolute favorite menu items are the "Bagella Fitzgerald" and the "Notorious E.G.G." seen above, respectively.

The Bagella is fresh and delicious every time, piled high with cream cheese, avocado, tomato, cucumbers and S&P. I don't know how the ingredients don't slip and slide right out the side, but everything's made with such care, the stack almost always stays put. Talk about a refreshing (and [mostly] healthy) breakfast.

Of course, with anything healthy, I must balance it out with some over-indulgence. Bring on the Notorious.

First, you choose your sandwich vessel: bagel, wrap, bread or English muffin. I skip right along to the croissant for an extra $1.50 - it's completely worth it. Next you add your cheese: American. Then add tomato ($.50). Then add bacon ($1.00). They'll provide the 2 eggs cooked omelette-style. Ask, also, for a dash of hot sauce & ketchup plus S&P.

Eggy, cheesy, bacon-y, buttery perfection. I do believe the croissant is the only way to go here. It ends up costing you around $6, but it will be some of the best breakfast bucks you've ever spent on a croissandwich.

The staff are friendly and the coffee is always good. Stop in and see for yourself.