I gave a little presentation in Philly recently to a group of smart, fabulous women and I decided to stay over that night in Center City just so I could hightail it over to Middle Child Clubhouse for breakfast the next morning. I knew they were jam packed on the weekend so a Friday visit was the perfect time to finally try their talked about treats. And I had heard so much that I was expecting greatness. And I was still utterly blown away.
The Clubhouse is in the Fishtown section of Philly and occupies a clean, bustling space. When you enter, the friendly cashier hands you a menu and instructs you to join the line to place your order with him at the counter. Then you find a table and when your food is ready, they bring your chosen items to you. Very efficient.
I kicked off my Clubhouse experience with a House Clemonade which was an iced homemade lemonade with a splash of fresh clementine juice. Super big pour and super refreshing. Michael got a coffee that he loved.
We each started with the Classic Breakfast Sandwich– fluffy eggs, cooper sharp American cheese, and fresh peppery arugula piled high on squishy toasted potato bread. The bread was wonderfully crispy and the eggs were piping hot. The combo of eggs, cheese and greens created a brilliant balance of flavors. So savory. We loved every bite.
For a side we knew not to skip the “Latka’d” Hash Brown with Dill Cream which was two ultra crunchy sticks of potatoey heaven and a generous schmear of dill cream for dipping. We fought over the last dollop of that addictive spread. It was a total wow.
And for dessert we shared Olivia’s Big Pancake. Using locally-milled whole grain flour from their neighbors at Lost Bread, this plate-sized malted buttermilk pancake was swimming in smiley honey-butter, and laced with fresh citrus. It was absolutely incredible! The texture was cake-like and the drizzle was to die. We barely made a dent in the portion so we boxed up what we didn’t finish and happily enjoyed Olivia’s at home for the rest of the weekend. Even reheating it on day two it was perfection.
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