Apple Crisp Stuffed French Toast at Cafe Estelle

Cafe Estelle doesn’t look like much from the outside, so I was skeptical walking in for brunch. My friend Susie was in Philly for the weekend and she suggested Cafe Estelle from a pretty extensive list of Philly’s Best Brunches. The restaurant is below a residential complex, so I was fully expecting bad hotel restaurant food. Boy was I wrong!

The food is impeccable. Once we shed our coats at the table, I began my normal routine of eyeing up everyone else’s food as it arrived. The dishes were artfully arranged on the plate, with plenty of colors and textures to keep the diner’s eyes interested.

I had a tough time deciding what to get. I’ve recently got on board the eggs benedict bandwagon, but I thought it too common a dish when I was faced with Estelle’s choices like sweet potato and bacon pancakes or apple crisp stuffed french toast. I had scoped out the menu before hand and was between those two choices. Luckily, Susie went for the former, promising me a bite so I could order the latter.

Warm cinnamony apples with sweet crumb topping nestled snugly inside eggy brioche.