Lift of the Magi

A long-overdue brunch trend has hit Philadelphia.

by Trey Popp

On the first day, there was the BYO craze. Philadelphians put wine bottles in tote bags, headed for cute corner restaurants and saw that it was good.

On the second day, the tabletops burgeoned with small plates. Foodies tucked into tapas and meze and cast off the tyranny of the stomach-size portion.

On the third day, bistros reconquered the east side of Broad. Steak rejoined frites, and the townspeople brandished their knives.

But on the weekend, everyone went hungry, weeping and gnashing their teeth, for there were only two good places to eat brunch, and the lines were three hours long.

No more! At long last, an overdue brunch trend seems to have hit Philadelphia — excellent daytime fare in spots you'd never dream of finding it. And though this year has already offered up hidden surprises like Under the Oak and Café Estelle, let us pay homage to an established gem like Café Lift.

Located on the ground floor of a converted warehouse, the café is a few steps away from a bridge overpass that could pass for a hobo stage set in Hollywood. A maze of steam pipes punches up the interior's industrial character.

Not a whole lot of light got through the windows on our visits, but an inspired series of photographs by Jeffrey Stockbridge made up for that. Each oversize print captured sunlight spilling through the doorway of a vacant abode, lending an illusion of brightness to the room while perhaps also paying testament to the kind of urban vacancy that Café Lift has filled.

Weekend brunch options are long on the savory, with a special predilection for big, fluffy frittatas. My favorite combined sweet red onions cooked to a perfect al dente with roasted peppers and broad ribbons of prosciutto. Just the right amount of gorgonzola lay across the top, barely blistered.

Panini also strike close to the bull's-eye. Each version I tried balanced its ingredients just right. Pork tenderloin got some extra depth from shaved sopresetta, and sweet roasted peppers on top benefited from the counterpoint of a hot chili spread. A chicken breast and pancetta special was on the milder side, but that helped its admixture of sautéed spinach to unexpectedly shine. The Cubano popped with a zingy mustard that played off the sweetness of caramelized onions.

My lemon ricotta pancakes seemed to be missing the lemon, but a gratis amuse bouche of chocolate chip bread pudding made up for it. The only downside, really, as I sipped complimentary refills of La Colombe coffee, was having to feel sorry for all the poor souls in line at Sabrina's.

(t_popp@citypaper.net)

Café Lift

428 N. 13th St., 215-922-3031, cafelift.com

Hours: Tue.-Fri., 7:30 a.m.-4 p.m.; Sat.-Sun., 10 a.m.-3 p.m.; closed Monday.

Breakfast, brunch and lunch, $2.50-$11