Hawthornes rises from the ashes
Prospects for beery brunches at the South Philadelphia beer specialist took a most remarkable turn for the positive recently when Hawthornes, almost miraculously, was rebuilt and reopened within just 11 months after a fire.
The week did not begin well for fans of the beery brunch. The owners of Hawthornes were awoken in the middle of the night by an alarm, turned on the security cameras, and saw a thief jumping on their restaurant's counter, trying to pry the cash register loose.
The week then got considerably worse when they were awoken early again a few days later. Heather Annechiarico and her husband, Chris Fetfatzes, turned on the cameras and this time . . . all they could see was smoke. On this rainy Friday morning in February 2014, Hawthornes, their immensely popular Bella Vista destination known for wacky waffle combos and its enormous selection of beer, was engulfed in a six-alarm fire.
No one was hurt in the blaze, which began as an electrical wall fire in one of the apartments upstairs, and ended with a collapsed roof, five feet of water on the ground floor, and a floor ripped down to dirt.
But prospects for beery brunches took a most remarkable turn for the positive recently when Hawthornes, almost miraculously, was rebuilt and reopened within just 11 months. The sunny corner space should be familiar to regulars who pack the room on weekends - all earth tones and classic rock on the stereo, with a few added flourishes to the open room. There's a new marble counter for an updated diner-vibe near the kitchen, a large and cozier sofa nook to lounge with a craft brew near the new stone fireplace.
But, most important, those beer coolers are full again to the tune of 850 or so selections available for takeout, dining-in or even home delivery . . . in case you are seriously so lazy you cannot get up for that bottle of Russian River or Smuttlabs Daily Brett, that chalice of Pizza Boy's high-octane Arck Angel, or that growler of Oxbow farmhouse pale ale.
But Hawthornes' greatest charms, I think, must be experienced on-site, because it is simply a pleasant place to be. Many of Hawthornes' veteran servers - including the warm and well-informed Susan Freeman and intense "beer dude" Rob Coliani - have returned for its rebirth. And it is overall better than ever at melding its uniquely Philadelphian hybrid concept - an epic retail bottle shop plus a comfortable full-service dining room - into its role as casual neighborhood restaurant. Sort of like a mash-up of the Foodery and Sabrina's, and not just for brunch.
There was little doubt as I spooned through a bowl of boldly spiced mac-'n'-cheese, its creamy gravy tinted orange with smoky chipotle adobo and studded with tender nuggets of slow-roasted pork belly, or the quesadilla plumped with moist chicken and roasted poblanos zapped with tangy chimichurri, that much of this menu has largely been conceived to stoke some serious beer-drinking.
After a plate of crispy artichoke hearts with harissa yogurt dip, then a pile of house-made tater tots snuggled in a rich short-rib gravy scattered with nuggets of blue cheese, I needed both a Troegs Cultivator Helles Bock and an Avery-Russian River collaboration ale to quench my thirst.
The dinner menu from chef David Murray, formerly of the Gables and Peppercorns, does offer a few, slightly more healthful options - a pan-crisped branzino over pesto roast potatoes for a very fair $18, and a hearty cracked grain salad of warm quinoa, lentils and farro with roasted eggplant bits and feta over baby spinach, which was excellent once we got an extra dose of the charred onion vinaigrette. The ancho-rubbed pork tenderloin, shingled over pureed sweet potatoes with Brussels sprouts and tart cranberry gastrique, was a satisfying and flavorful plate for $17.
But "subtle" is not exactly a Hawthornes watchword. This kitchen is more about updated comforts, bolstered by good ingredients and scratch cooking, if not necessarily delicate compositions.
Any place that stuffs two thick slices of French toast with a warm fresh funnel cake walks a delicate line between witty cool-kid cuisine and unsportsmanlike use of carbs. Too much, for me. Though I'm not surprised that doughy monster is a hit. Philly's funky brunch world is bursting with pile-it-on excess.
And it wasn't Hawthornes' only foray into whimsical breakfast stunts (the peanut butter-and-berry pancakes would have been fantastic if the Cap'n Crunch cereal inside the batter had remained crisp), or unlikely food architecture. I never expected that a burger over buttery Texas toast topped with a fistful of truffled gnocchi Parisienne would ever hold together. But then again, I didn't expect it to be so delicious, either. The superb custom-ground patty was rich with a dry-aged earthiness that took to the soft gnocchi's whiff of truffle. It was excellent in the Hawthornes style, too, with Danish blue and an over-easy egg with avocado and chipotle aioli.
The fact is Hawthornes does not really need many novelty tricks because it has a solid grasp on the basics - especially any dishes where the kitchen's "egg whisperer," chef de cuisine Juan Fernandez, shows his textbook technique. The Hawthornes signature omelet brought tender short-rib meat, sweet caramelized onions and cheddar wrapped in a blanket of fluffy yellow eggs without a speck of brown color. Perfectly poached eggs were essential to their take on the hearty Pennsylvania Dutch classic, chicken and waffles, with a malted flavor adding just the right touch of sweetness to the batter, and brined boneless chicken thighs crisply fried inside their well-seasoned crust. I only wish you didn't have to ask for a side of pure Vermont maple syrup here (a $2 upcharge over the standard maple blend).
Sauces and garnishes, in general, remain an issue that this kitchen can improve on to bring some already appealing dishes to the next level. The hollandaise over eggs was a tad too transparent. The pork jus lacked enough thickness to cling to the house pappardelle with (overcooked) sausage. The Baja tacos were lacking some sort of sauce - a chipotle crema? - to moisten the grilled tilapia and sweet-sour shredded slaw. And I'd rather have seen pureed frijoles, instead of a loose black bean-corn salad, to better anchor the eggs and chorizo over the tostada-like crisp tortillas on the South of the Border.
A couple of diner classics that are frequently sludgy elsewhere, meanwhile, were delivered here with surprising finesse - both the sausage gravy for the Annechiarico family's buttery biscuits, and the creamed chipped beef over toast - were silky, irresistible and lithe.
For dessert, not surprisingly, the fryolator gets a workout. The cheesecake "churros" is really a fried burrito stuffed with cheesecake filling and strawberries. The apple bread pudding might not be quite "the best you've ever had" (it was a shade too dense for me), but the custard-soaked center inside that crispy brick is hard to resist beneath a tawny flow of Honeycrisp caramel. Our favorite, though, remains the Bananas Foster waffles, those buttery, brown sugared-bananas soaked in a syrup made from reduced DuClaw "Euforia" Toffee Nut Brown Ale.
Suffice it to say that, as we licked that plate clean, I knew Hawthornes and its beery brunch had risen from the ashes.
HAWTHORNES TWO BELLS (OUT OF FOUR)
738 S. 11th St., 215-627-3012; hawthornecafe.com
Nearly a year after a devastating fire, Hawthornes has risen like a phoenix fueled by brunch and beer to reclaim its place as one of Bella Vista's favorite hangouts, a unique Philly mash-up of retail bottle shop (with 800-plus choices in the fridge) and neighborhood restaurant focused on affordable comfort food twists. While the kitchen can lack finesse (brunch is still its best moment), the scratch cooking has heart, the service is warm and outgoing, and the cheery corner space (with its cozy fireplace nook) has recaptured the magnetic appeal that made it a hit to begin with.
MENU HIGHLIGHTS Brunch: Hawthornes omelet; Bananas Foster waffle; biscuits and gravy; SOS; South of the Border with chorizo (crispy tortillas and eggs); chicken and waffles; chicken salad hoagie. Dinner: mac-'n'-cheese with pork belly and chipotle; tater tots with short-rib gravy; artichoke hearts; warm cracked grain salad; Hawthornes burger; truffled gnocchi burger special; chicken quesadilla; ancho-rubbed pork tenderloin; crisp branzino special; caramel-apple bread pudding.
DRINKS One of the city's great beer destinations thanks to 850 brews in the retail fridge (with "Beer Dudes" to guide you to a funky Smuttlabs Daily Brett), plus a dozen great drafts, including rarities from Sweden (Omnipollo Erzulie), Michigan (Dark Horse Plead the 5th) and Pizza Boy from Harrisburg, also available by special growlers that remain fresh longer. Retail bottles are a $1 more for drinking-in but still very fair. Beers can also be home-delivered (through Hawthornes' "Quick Sip") for a $1.95 charge per delivery. There is also a small selection of affordable but solid French table wines for $40 a bottle.
WEEKEND NOISE A lively 85 decibels, but conversation is still possible. Brunch is a mellower 82. (Ideal is 75 decibels or less.)
IF YOU GO Breakfast and lunch Tuesday through Friday, 9 a.m.-4 p.m. Dinner Tuesday through Thursday, 5-10 p.m.; Friday and Saturday, until 10:30 p.m.; Sunday, until 9 p.m. Brunch and lunch Saturday and Sunday, 9 a.m.-4 p.m. Closed Monday.
Dinner entrees, $12-$19.
Visa and MasterCard (and cash) only.
Reservations accepted for every meal but brunch.
Wheelchair accessible.
Street parking only.
EndText
215-854-2682
@CraigLaBan