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One of my biggest nightmares is catching a cold or the flu. For more than a week, I wandered around the house in my sickie nightgown and slippers sipping ginger ale, coughing and sneezing. All I wanted was for the day to come when I could once again enjoy a steaming hot cup of coffee.
Once my taste buds and sense of smell were magnified with such force, I craved a good, old-fashioned brunch.
Edward and I have wanted to try Honey’s Sit ’n Eat ever since it opened a number of years ago. There’s always a long wait, but the culinary gods were smiling upon us as was the brilliant sunshine. We were fortunate to get the last two stools at the counter.
We were in!
Honey’s is a fun place where families are welcome. A steaming hot mug of strong La Colombe coffee ($2.75) was just what the culinary doctor ordered.
When Honey’s opened, it was touted as a cross between Southern fare and good, stick-to-your-ribs Jewish food. You will find potato latkes keeping company with stone-ground grits on the menu.
I never met a latke I didn’t like, and the same goes for grits.
Edward ordered eggs Benedict ($9) and I decided on Honey’s platter ($13).
A good chef and line cook must respect the egg. There is nothing worse than overcooked, brown rubbery eggs or poached eggs with hard yolks and watery, runny whites. I tip my toque to the cooks at Honey’s for respecting the egg.
Instead of using a split toasted English muffin for the eggs Benedict base, Honey’s turns to a slice of toasted challah — rich with eggs and loaded with flavor. Canadian bacon — sourced from local farms — sat on the challah topped with two perfectly poached eggs and rich homemade hollandaise sauce.
Edward broke the eggs, the yolks oozing and running just as they should be. Anthony Bourdain once said, “If you put a runny egg on anything, I will eat it.” These hit the mark as did the smooth and rich hollandaise. Edward chose a potato latke, which was pure Jewish grandma on a plate. The finely grated potatoes were creamy inside with a crisp, golden brown outside.
My breakfast was another winner. I like my eggs gently scrambled, and that’s exactly how they arrived. Honey’s uses organic eggs from nearby farms, and one can tell because the yolks are a deep yellow-orange. Moist creamy scrambled eggs should be a must in every restaurant. Three strips of crisp, thick-slab bacon made me most happy as well.
There were two more tasty components to my first meal since the return of my taste buds: Pancakes and a bowl of grits.
Three slightly thick homemade pancakes arrived on a separate plate as requested. I covered them with a plate to keep them hot while I devoured my bacon and eggs. They stayed hot by the way. I slathered on softened butter, poured on real maple syrup and tossed calories to the wind.
I am a maven when it comes to real grits. I have loved them since childhood when our family took long road trips down south to Miami Beach. The love affair with grits deepened during a year-long stay in Atlanta when I would mosey over to the sweet Auburn neighborhood and dig into cornmeal-crusted chicken livers and grits.
Honey’s version was the real Southern deal — stone ground and packed with texture. Don’t even think they come from the boxed instant variety found in the supermarket. The grits were piping hot, and all they required were lots of butter, salt and pepper.
The staff is well-trained, courteous and work well to insure your meal is just as you want it.
We have to return for dinner and try the brisket with an extra order of potato latkes, please.
Three tips of the toque to Honey’s Sit ’n Eat.
Honey’s Sit ’n Eat
800 N. Fourth St.
215-925-1150
honeyssitneat.com
Contact the South Philly Review at editor@southphillyreview.com.
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