Culinary Quest

After spending a fabulous night at The Bella Vista B&B, my girlfriend and I walk a few blocks to Fitzwater Café for Sunday Brunch.  We arrive late in the seating, so the crowd has diminished.  We are seated right away at a table by the window.  The host hands us three menus from which to make our selections:  breakfast, lunch, and brunch.  Deciding that it is too late for breakfast and a bit early for lunch, my girlfriend and I choose the brunch menu.

Our server arrives with water and asks if we would like some Italian coffee.  We readily accept the offer of caffeine.

The brunch menu is no ordinary listing of foods.  I sense an Italian tilt to the cuisine being served here at Fitzwater Café.  The use of cheeses, meats, and vegetables all speak of an Italian hand in the kitchen.  There are Nutella pancakes and French toast; great abundance of provolone; even broccoli rabe.  This excites my palate.

The dish that catches my eye is the sausage, roasted red pepper, broccoli rabe, and provolone omelet.  This is served with my choice of toast, sautéed potatoes, and a fruit/vegetable garnish.  The ingredients sound like a delicious combination.

Our server returns and takes our order.

I try the Italian coffee.  It is dark, full of flavor, and robust.  It lacks any unpleasant acidity or bite.  The coffee is very smooth.  The beans used are obviously of a high quality and have been roasted to the optimum level without having been burnt.  This is what coffee should taste like, not the overpriced garbage that has become so popular in chain stores found on every corner and in every shopping center.

As we wait for our order, I notice how comfortable it is sitting in Fitzwater Café.  The temperature is perfect.  The chair is not too hard, nor so soft that I am sliding down in it.  The color scheme is inviting and warm.  Fitzwater Café makes use of large windows to allow natural lighting and a view.  Mirrors and windows to the kitchen are employed behind the diner-like counter to provide a feeling of added space.  They even have a large dessert case, located next to the counter, showcasing their pastry chef’s creations.  The overall effect is very casual, welcoming, and friendly.

The order arrives, and our server says that she will be right back with more coffee.  She returns with this almost before she has left the table.  She refills our water, too.  She asks if there is anything else that we need before leaving us.

The aroma of the omelet is fantastic!  The egg, sausage, provolone, and broccoli rabe can all be discerned distinctly.  The more delicate roasted red pepper comes through as a mere nuance. 

I take a bite.  Oh, the flavors dance in my mouth!  The sausage is Italian sausage as it can only be found in South Philadelphia.  The flavors are powerful, meaty, spicy, and fresh.  The provolone has melted perfectly.  It is full of flavor that wraps itself around the other ingredients perfectly.  The broccoli rabe’s slight bitter taste is a welcome addition to this dish.  Rather than being a contrast, it works in complementary fashion, toning down the predominant egg flavor and taming the spice of the sausage.  And the sweetness of the roasted red pepper cannot be forgotten.  Although this is the most delicate of the flavors involved, it comes through marvelously.  The peppers add a taste that enhances those of the sausage and provolone, while helping to tone down the bitter greens.  What a fantastic recipe!

I had chosen whole wheat toast.  This is served buttered with choice of jellies.  I decide to eat mine with just the butter.  The bread has been lightly toasted with no signs of burning.  There is what appears to be a pad of butter on each slice of toast.  The slices are cut diagonally.  The toast is very good.  It tastes like the bread is freshly baked, which would not surprise me given that Fitzwater Café still functions as a bakery. 

The sautéed potatoes are magnificent!  They are not greasy in the least.  They are cooked perfectly—soft on the inside and brown on the outside.  This is a very simple preparation, being little more than a properly sautéed potato, but how many people are able to do just that? 

The fruit/vegetable garnish is fresh and delicious.  I realize that it is a garnish, but it looks too good to waste.  There is a strawberry, a slice of honeydew melon, a thin, lengthwise slice of cucumber, and a slice of tomato.  Each is sweet and fresh.