Rating: 💋 💋 💋
Happy March!
This past weekend, I had the pleasure of catching up with the ever-lovely Rebecca and, this time, I went to her. You need to have a balance in relationships. She shouldn't always have to be hauling herself to New York City for us to hang out. Initially we wanted to do brunch in Philly and stroll around Old City while we were there. Unfortunately, it was so terribly cold last Saturday that there was no way any strolling was happening outside. Running into the nearest heated shelter to escape the wind seemed more accurate. To save ourselves from the chill, we hit up Sabrina's Cafe in Collingswood, New Jersey instead. It is located on the most adorable little main street with lots of cute shops to browse through. We enjoyed a fabulous brunch there during winter break our senior year of college, so it was time to revisit.
Rebecca ordered coffee because, in her words, she just isn't "Full Becca" without it! The girl needs coffee to spill tea properly, WHERE is her refill?? I was disappointed that they only have coffee specials during the holidays. If there aren't any fun drinks, I'm not buying. I wanted a hot drink badly to ward off the chill from the high winds outside, but they did not offer a chai latte on the menu and I was not in the mood to drink something bitter. I stuck with water. The waiter was very attentive. He filled our water glasses the moment we sat down, checked for our order multiple times before we made our final decision, topped off our drinks often, and brought me ketchup for my hash browns in a snap. This meant a great deal too, because the place was popping. When we arrived, the hallway was full of people waiting, and we expected we would have to join them. Lucky us, a table for two had just opened up, and the hostess snuck us right in to secure it.
We simply could not get over Rebecca's ginormous pancakes. They were sweet and delicious, but best of, their fluff-level was in the thermosphere! It was the perfect texture to absorb the sweet maple syrup and dusting of confectioner's sugar, and made a nice change of pace from Rebecca's usual order - Sabrina's scrumptious Eggs Benedict. You'll find it as the header photo on my website, photographed on our last visit.
I wish I could have followed her sweet lead, because every time I go to brunch I consider French Toast, and I really want to try Chicken & Waffles. Sabrina's had both. No matter where I go to brunch though, I can just never seem to bring myself to do it, and I wind up with an egg and veggie dish. Delicious, but the day I order a sweet entree will be monumental. Next time, I tell myself.
Last time I was at Sabrina's, I got one of my favorite dishes anywhere I go - Huevos Rancheros. It was spectacular, but this visit I wanted to branch out. For some reason, I considered ordering the "Mexi-Scramble" branching out. Rebecca accurately described it as a "deconstructed Huevos Rancheros". I just cannot resist the avocado. The vegetables were mixed in so well with the scramble, and the fusion of fresh tomato, ripe avocado, bright green pepper, and herbs really packed a great flavor into the eggs. It was not spicy, but the herbs made sure the eggs didn't get boring, and it all tasted delicious when scooped up with a triangle of multi grain toast. I didn't eat much of the toast though because the tortilla chip strips added a fun crunch, no bread needed. The onions were sautéed perfectly, and the potatoes had a nice crisp skin with a flaky texture. I do have some regrets though. The hash browns needed more seasoning. I tried to eat them without ketchup, but it was necessary. Also, they advertised my meal came with black bean grits. I was most curious to try those, but they were missing from my plate! It bummed me out for a second there, I have to say.
While we ate, we did what we did best: digest our current place in life and plan for our next steps. We both have apartments to search for in our respective cities, so that makes an exciting prospect of change for us. My search has not even got off the ground yet, but she is going on tours and has a roommate all set, so I'll be looking forward to christening her new place when move in day comes! She shared stories from work and we celebrated my new job ventures. As always, we discussed books, movies, passing thoughts, and creative projects, and she always makes me appreciate having a friendship where we can get lost in conversations about the things we love together. I mean, she agreed to go on a trip to LA with me just because I won't shut up about screenwriting. When it comes time for her to make her dreams come true and move up to New England, I'll be there to help her move into the beach cottage she's always wanted. Long-distance relationships often make me a little suspicious, but I don't doubt us for a second. We make Philly/NYC work great now, so I know when we get where we really want to go, we'll make NE/LA absolutely fabulous. It'll be a cross-country friendship to write cheesy movies about, if that's your thing. Personally, I eschew cheese in my scripts, but never say never.
All in all, generous portions, delicious food, good service - Sabrina's Cafe will not be able to get rid of us just yet.
XX,
MK
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