Smokin' Betty's

Smokin' Betty's restaurant in Philadelphia's brunch is ... well, smokin'. The bar and restaurant is a happy hour favorite, I've been told, but our visit for brunch was truly epic.

The thing about brunch is that it's an exquisite dichotomy of sweet vs. savory, and eternal tug-of-war that will never be won. It doesn't have to be, of course, because with brunch you get the best of both worlds: the breakfast-lunch fusion to satisfy all salty and sweet cravings and appease all appetites.

Smokin' Betty's has the sweet for the sweeties: the pancakes and waffles, and the cinnamon bread pudding french toast, which is every bit as decadent as it sounds. Our server told us they actually make classic bread pudding the night before - douse the cinnamon bread in custard, chill to set into thickness - and then cut thick slices of the bread pudding to fry up on the griddle and coat in fluffy powdered sugar. Served with honey butter and maple syrup, the french toast is super-rich sweet with a few nibbles of apple mixed in, a towering pile of bread pudding-french toast that one can only hope to finish. We ordered one french toast for the table of seven to share, which sounds impressively constrained until you take into account that this was the "appetizer" to the meal. Go big or go home in Philly.

The selection of savory dishes on the menu never failed to impress as well - from smoked salmon hash topped with sweet potato, bacon and a fried egg, to the breakfast burrito filled with bacon and guac, to the country gravy and biscuits - homemade Southern-style biscuits doused in sausage gravy, done right to make your grandma proud, everything was a hit. For the lunch side of brunch, the grilled cheese sandwich is what I call "grown-up gourmet grilled cheese" - fresh melted mozzarella, prosciuto and fig jam, a perfect combination of chewy cheesey goodness and the unexpected sweetness of fig on toasted sourdough bread - delectable. The signature dish, the Betty Burger, was a truly epic gourmet burger (see photo above), with 1/2 pound sirloin, confit pork belly, avocado, cheddar, lettuce, tomato, roasted garlic aioli and a fried egg on top (just in case it wasn't already enough for you), so tall it needs a knife skewered through it to keep the burger upright. The fine cut of juicy meat with the soft, almost creamy avocado and perfect meld of flavors takes a massive bite to get every layer, which can only leave you with meat juice dripping down your chin. Now I'm rarely a red meat eater, but even I took a bite of this infamous burger and appreciated its finesse. Paired with sweet potato fries - I'm a huge fan - and you will be ready for a Sunday afternoon nap.

The gastropub chic decor provided a nice, serene atmosphere (my fellow diners were particulary impressed with the modern brick sink in the bathroom ... yeah), and the large French doors overlooking the street let in the Sunday morning light and provided a nice view for people-watching. The staff was friendly and accomodating, offering to substitute prosciutto on my vegetarian friend's open faced omelette for anything on the menu (she chose mushrooms to go with mozzerella and fresh arugula drizzled with balsamic) and not a coffee cup was left unfilled. Smokin' Betty's has great food at a reasonable price - all the brunch menu items I described are around $9, such a great value for the quality of food - and really hits the spot, for whatever spot you're craving.

Panoramic view of brunch at Smokin' Betty's