So... having spent a few weekends making our way across Callowhill street in search of breakfast, Cafe Estelle, tucked away in a seemingly inconspicuous location within the Apartment/Condo's at 444 North 4th street - called out to us, having taken the title of Philly's Best Brunch this year.
We had passed by the place on our way to Honey's Sit n Eat and other venues in Northern Liberties - and were always put off by what seemed to be a large crowd milling about outside. Not that we mind waiting for good food, but breakfast always feels a little more urgent than other meals of the day.
So we bumped up our arrival time to between 9 - 9:30, and breezed right through the front door, being greeted instantly with a friendly hello. The place was starting to fill up around 9:30, but a few empty tables remained. The first order of business being coffee, when asked we responded "absolutely", and were handed bottomless mugs to fill up at the coffee bar. We observed two great things about this - your cup can never go dry as you go at your own pace, and you're not relying on the waitress to get free with the clutch to get a refill.
Arriving at the coffee bar, my choice was made very easy for me - anything with the word Sumatra in the title I figure will be dark, strong, and satisfying. Estelle offers Blue Water Coffee, which we had never heard before - however, the quality of this stuff speaks for itself. With about four varieties available on the bar, the choices were not restricted - I was sipping Sumatran Mandheling and loving it.
Side note about Blue Water Coffee - they're all the buzzwords - organic, free trade, and local (Germantown, Phila.). The coffee is also excellent, holds its own with La Colombe and Stumptown - a very close second, possibly even a tie with LC's Corsica! Feeling a side trip to their shop in Germantown to get a little more familiar. We've actually switched our weekday morning brew from La Colombe to Blue Water, which is available by the pound in all its varieties at Cafe Estelle.
On the different occasions we've been there we've sampled the quiche, breakfast sandwich (bacon egg & cheese on toasted bagel - super high quality), house-made scrapple (by some accounts the city's best - no argument here, with crispy fried skin and creamy innards), and Sweet potato pecan pancakes (challengingly dense and filling, deceptively so...). All the dishes are more than satisfying, and meant to savor or devour - the quality in the ingredients and assembly showing through on every bite.
Another detail to be known about the place - it's a BYO, a fact highlighted by their offering of caraffes of Bloody Mary mix, housemade to order and looks delicious. We haven't tried it yet, however it's on our to-do list for the next time we find ourselves there!
Further, the payment process is likewise self serve, you simply mention your table number at the host counter when you're ready to pay.
Top marks for this lesser known gem - get there early, bring vodka, and leave happy.
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