Friday Food Photos: 3 Spots to Grab Breakfast, Lunch or Dinner this Weekend in Philadelphia

Happy Friday! It's 60 degrees out, Easter weekend and we're starting to spot some flowers... could spring finally be here?? It felt like this day would never come... 

Time to shake off winter hibernation mode and get back out on the food scene. Here are three Friday food photos to inspire your next breakfast, lunch and dinner around town. 

Breakfast: Breakfast Burrito from Cafe Ynez. Despite all the great food options around Graduate Hospital, we'd been missing a good Mexican restaurant until Cafe Ynez opened last year. Brunch was the immediate draw and I can vouch that the giant, stuffed breakfast burrito is worth the trip. All the ingredients tasted very fresh and none overpowered their companions. (Overkill on rice or beans can be so frustrating.) It comes vegetarian with scrambled eggs, refried beans, pico de gallo, good guacamole, sour cream and rice in a flour tortilla but you can add any meat you'd like - I highly recommend the carnitas. Their homemade Mexican hot chocolate also hit the spot and friends were very pleased with the huevos rancheros. 

Philly Food Photo of the Year? Say Hello to the Franolli, fka the Donnoli

Social media is a funny thing. We can scrutinize and analyze and philosophize all day long about what people want/like and then all of a sudden something hits the spot. In our world, that would be the Franolli. Philadelphia's best contribution to the cronut craze, it's a delicious doughnut sliced in half with a mound of cannoli filling in the middle, created by Frangelli's Bakery in South Philly. Oh mio dio!

This shouldn't come as a surprise, considering that - despite all the incredible chefs and restaurants in Philly - our two most popular posts of all time were on cupcakes and baklava. Dessert rules.

Our Franolli instagram proved to generate more likes and tags ("OMG." "@bff we are so getting this." etc...) than any photo I can remember. And frankly, it's well deserved.

Purchased on a total whim from DiBruno Bros at 9th & Sansom

This heavenly little creation was, until recently, known as the Donnoli, so you might find more info about it under that name. Frangelli's just branded it a little closer to home. We'd read about the Franolli many places, mainly here from Phoodie.info with whom I agree that part of the appeal is that ricotta and chocolate chips cannoli filling is less sweet than other creams and fillings you see combo'd with doughnuts, so the Franolli doesn't give you a crazy sugar headache. Trust me, I ate the whole thing in, like, 30 seconds. Not to mention, the traditional doughnut would be great on it's own, too, and powdered sugar sprinkled on top is a nice extra touch. It's just all around awesome.

Frangelli's is known to make some of the best - according to some, the best - doughnuts in Philadelphia. We have yet to do a side-by-side comparison with Federal Donuts, Bieler's in Reading Terminal and others, though come to think of it... what an amazing feast that would be! (and calorie-rich but let's forget for a moment that nothing about this conversation is healthy...)

Roll down to Frangelli's at the corner of 9th & Ritner for a Franolli asap or pick one up at DiBruno Bros' bakery counter. I got mine at the new DiBrunos at 9th & Sansom. They are delivered fresh on Thursday and Saturday to both that and the Rittenhouse location. Frangelli's itself is closed on Sundays during summer though, so plan accordingly.

Photos of the Week: Let's Get Cultural

Here are some great bites we've had recently of Indian, Mandarin and Cuban food:

First up is the warm, soft garlic naan at IndeBlue, the new-ish Indian restaurant along 13th Street. I really enjoyed our entire meal there - great colors and flavors across the table. You don't find goat on many menus, but here the goat biryani is a regular item and was quite a treat on a cold night. Before you go, know that IndeBlue puts a trendy, modern twist on Indian cooking, so traditionalists should temper expectations. Adding to 13th Street's already-hyper cool appeal, IndeBlue is one more fun place to go on a date or with friends. Dinner party anyone?

To get even warmer, check out this hot pot from Sakura Mandarin in Chinatown. Our video below does the best job at showing just how H-O-T this was to the touch and to the soul... we're talking red cheeks, eyes-watering, snot-dripping hot. And delicious, too. You have several options of meats, fish, tofu and veggies to toss in there so make it your own. Sakura's steamed crab and pork soup dumplings are also supposed to be the closest thing to Dim Sum Garden's beloved favorite, but we agreed that they still aren't nearly as life changing. As for other dim sum, the scallion pancakes were awesome, shanghai siu mai a little boring. Regardless, this hot pot left its mark. 

Last but not least... the Calle Ocho from Rosa Blanca. It's a twist on the traditional Cubano, with roast pork, chorizo, caramelized onions, pickles and Swiss cheese. We grabbed it at the bar one evening with some empanadas and ceviche. Overall a quality, quick little meal if you're hopping around the city, especially the sandwich. Not quite iron chef material, but we'd like to go back and try the entrees. Rosa Blanca is Jose Garces' latest Philadelphia restaurant, replacing Chifa with a Cuban and Caribbean-inspired diner. If you'd been to Chifa, expect the dining room to be the exact same with dark wood and big booths. The front of the restaurant, however, is bright white, blue and coral with an island-meets-diner vibe. You can also stop in and get an empanada or Cuban pastry to go.

Photos of the Week: Two Food Truck Favorites for Winter Weather

We love food trucks, period. But God bless the people who keep their trucks running all winter long. It's COLD out there! We've read about all sorts of truck breakdowns on Twitter this season and don't envy anyone who has to spend hours cooking out of a tiny mobile hut. 

In honor of those efforts, here are a few recent, cold-weather food truck favorites. 

Macaroni and cheese ON pulled pork ON a giant sandwich. Holy crap, this was good. Not only was it good, but it was constructed and wrapped by the owner of Phoebe's BBQ with the most impressive precision, so that not a single noodle nor sliver of meat came loose during transport back to the office. The mac was just the right amount of creamy and the barbecue sauce had just the right amount of punch. Admittedly, I ate this with a fork because it's obviously quite sizable and I didn't need the extra carbs. But it made my day nonetheless. Follow @PhoebesBBQ for truck location and tweets from its South Street storefront.

Another hit from last week... sweet & sour fried chicken tacos from Taco Mondo, ordered with a chicken and cheese empanada on the side. My initial visit to the Taco Mondo truck didn't leave me impressed with their basic pork tacos, but that was during it's first few weeks of business. Fast forward to today, and these guys were something special. The scallion, pickled veggies and sesame seeds on top balanced out the tangy, slightly hot sauce over fried dark meat, with more sauce hidden underneath. The empanada was still crispy after a 10 minute walk, with a hearty portion of chicken/melted cheese enclosed and tasty dipping sauce on the side. Follow @TacoMondo for its location.

Photos of the Week: Mobile Food

For this week's Friday Food Photos, we bring you our latest finds on the mobile food scene...

For additional pictures, check out our Facebook album of Wyebrook Farm. It was a fun day trip out to Chester County for two awesome burgers and a day at the farm. Their cafe is closed for the season but keep it in mind for next spring or fall.

Big fan of the Turkey Meatball Bahm Mi from the Just Jackie's food truck this week. Could have used a few more honey ginger meatballs but the garlic, lemon herb mayo on top was a great combo with picked carrots, jalapenos, cabbage, cucumber and cilantro. Many food truck sandwiches end up being delicious gut bombs, but this was a lighter (and still delicious) alternative.

Photos of the Week: Vietnamese Dinner at Nam Phuong

TGIF! We just hit up Nam Phuong in South Philly for the first time. It was the perfect spot for dinner after an early movie. Mind you, the place was packed at 6:45pm on a Saturday night. Must be good, right?

As relative newbies to pho and other Vietnamese dishes, we're trying to make the rounds on Washington Ave to see what we like best, especially as the weather gets cooler and pho really hits the spot. Nam Phuong is definitely on the recommended list now. Here are some highlights.

Vietnamese crepe, recommended by friends as an appetizer. Pork, shrimp, rice, veggies and other deliciousness inside.

Photos of the Week: Oodles of Noodles

There are a dozen different ways to get your noodle fix in Philadelphia. From traditional Italian pastas to centuries-old hand-drawn Chinese noodles, we wholeheartedly advocate for carb loading on a regular basis when there are so many delicious ways to do it.

Here are some photos and quick notes on some of the best noodles we've had in Philly lately.

(speaking of photos, check out all our pics from The Farmer & The Chef on our Facebook page. Great restaurant/farm pairing event in Wilmington, DE.)

Cold Sesame Noodles from Cheu Noodle Bar. (Washington West) Served with cucumber, seaweed and cilantro for just $10, they are a perfectly cool little dinner when ordered with some BBQ pig tails, pork belly buns or the best thing on the Cheu menu, the broccoli and Vietnamese sausage in peanut sauce. Cheu is also known for it's several ramen options. A trendy and casual little spot, you may have to sit at the bar but it's fun to watch them cook. Good lunch specials, too.

Go with the shaved noodles, they were the best at our table.

Shaved Noodle Soup at Nan Zhou Hand Drawn Noodle House. (Chinatown) Huge menu, dirt cheap, incredible noodle dishes with more than a century of history behind them. You can add a variety of different meats and fishes - beef, chicken, duck, ox tail, shrimp, clams, you name it - or go vegetarian. Great place to go with a group of friends, too. Bring some wine or beer and get there on the earlier side before the crowd. A must-try especially in cooler weather. You will not find noodles like this anywhere else.

Rigatoni in cream vodka sauce, shallots and prosciutto

Rigatoni Locanda at Sotto. (Rittenhouse Square) Tucked neatly in the shadows of the Walnut Street bridge on 24th Street, Sotto is an unassuming little BYOB from the much-respected owner of Radicchio Cafe. It serves traditional Italian pastas, pizzas, apps and entrees. We weren't blown away by the pizza but both our pastas, the Rigatoni and the Spaghetti Matriciana had surprisingly good sauce. If you're in the neighborhood, it's worth a stop in for a low-key, quality and affordable Italian meal.

5 Philly Brunch Photos of the Week

Happy Friday food-loving friends. Here are some Friday Food Photos for you, honoring delicious brunches we've had around Philadelphia recently. 

Talula's Daily opened this summer just off Washington Square. The next two photos show you one of their big slices of quiche, enjoyed at a sidewalk table overlooking the square, and a ham n' brie croissant, eaten inside at one of Talula's rustic wooden tables. You can also get sandwiches, baked goods, meat/cheese and other quick bites here, as well as a seasonally-inspired, ever-changing, five course dinner. 

Cafe Lutecia, a little french cafe at the corner of 23rd & Lombard, is beloved from Fitler Square to the 'burbs. We've heard of people coming all the way in from the Main Line just to eat brunch here. Pick a croque madame (below + tea and coffee), breakfast sandwich, quiche or soup (tomato bisque is best) off the simple menu, grab an old copy of Paris Match and check out of reality for a while...

Only a couple blocks from Cafe Lutecia is Gavin's Cafe at the corner of 25th & Pine. Run by Argentinian chef Jezabel Careaga, two featured items at Gavin's are the daily empanadas and the alfajores. The empanadas are a fun treat for any time of day and a nice alternative for brunch. On an occasional Friday night Gavin's stays open and serves them along with frozen mint lemonade for a BYOB dinner (bring rum to make a mojito). The alfajores are shortbread cookies with dulce de leche filling and grated coconut on the outside. I LOVE THEM. I heard recently that they sell mini versions now too, but honestly, just get a large. You'll want the whole thing plus a few more to take home.

3 Food Photos of the Week

Here are three pics we snapped in the past week(ish) of food we liked. HAPPY FRIDAY!

Barbecue chicken egg roll from Foo Truck. The roaming foo-wich shop occasionally offers a little somethin' extra/fun on the menu, in addition to their traditional lunch pita/wrap hybrids and kickass red velvet cake balls. On a recent Friday at The Porch at 30th Street, Foo Truck sold this amazing treat - it was like barbecue chicken pizza in an egg roll. Two of my favorite things. If you see it on the menu again, GET IT.

Hot Bagels & More in Margate, NJ, was the perfect Sunday morning savior after a night out in Atlantic City and on the beach bar circuit. Also found in Somers Point, Northfield and Brigantine, NJ, it was a refreshing change from the giant bagel void in Philadelphia. Below is an egg bagel un-toasted with chive cream cheese.

I've been a NatureBox subscriber for about 6 months now. For $20 per month I get a new selection of 5 no-fake-anything healthy snacks sent right to my office. So far, it's maybe 60/40 success rate on snacks I liked vs. didn't like. These cranberry macaroon granola chunks were the best so far. Check out NatureBox if you're looking for something different but healthy. I found a number of other bloggers who researched what it would cost to buy similar snacks at Whole Foods and vouched that the $20 price was an alright deal. Plus it's just fun to get a monthly package of surprise food.