Walking into Continental Midtown for brunch on a Sunday morning, I didn’t know exactly what to expect.
Would the menu focus on breakfast items? Or would it be more balanced with lunch entrees? Looking over the menu, it seemed that the answer was the latter.
Yes, there were the standard egg dishes, pancakes, waffles and breakfast meats, but they also had a wide variety of salads and sandwiches as well as other obviously lunch-worthy items, including seared tuna ($18), Thai chicken skewers ($10) and their famous Lobster Mac 'n' Cheese ($18).
Perhaps the most intriguing item was the “The Big Bang,” which had all of the following: a short stack, applewood bacon, turkey sausage, home fries, toast and scrambled eggs all for the modest price of $14. In fact, the best thing about this brunch was the low prices.
In addition to The Big Bang, one of the better deals was the “Protein Platter” which consisted of cheddar scramble, turkey sausage, bacon, ham and sliced tomato for just $10.
But the one item that really caught my attention was the Pumpkin waffles ($10). I’m a huge fan of pumpkin, whether it’s pie, bread, soup, latte or even cream cheese. However, I was a tad disappointed in the waffles. While they tasted great and the spiced walnuts accompanying them were a nice touch, unfortunately the pumpkin taste was a little too subtle.
As for my companion, she enjoyed an egg white frittata, which had the double benefits of being both healthy and cheap at just $8. Consisting of foccacia croutons, parmesan, spinach and tomato, it sounded great. However, it turned out to be simple and light, not to mention a little bland. A few more croutons would have made it significantly better.
The absolute highlight of the meal was the dessert. As our waiter explained, the desserts are like tapas, served in small portions, just two or three bites per person. The 10 items are divided into three categories, priced at $3, $4 or $5. We shared three of the $5 choices, and oh were they succulent.
The first, “Midtown Monkey,” was basically a banana split with vanilla ice cream, caramel sauce and the same walnuts from my waffles. It easily earned a five out of five. The second was a carrot cake with cream-cheese icing, vanilla ice cream and delicious rum-soaked currants. Just like the pumpkin in the waffles, the carrot taste was quite subtle, but this was a welcome consideration.
My favorite dessert, by far, was the “Blond Bombshell.” Not surprisingly, it was a blondie. Normally I prefer your standard brownie to a blondie (in general I’m a chocolate guy), but the butterscotch sauce, whipped cream and malted vanilla ice cream made up for any lack of chocolate and then some. It was absolutely delicious.
In the end, I really enjoyed eating in this restaurant, whose decor could be described as that of an upscale diner (we sat in a booth). Although the two entrees I sampled fell slightly short of my expectations, considering the cheap prices, large portions and relative proximity to Penn’s campus — we took a $7 cab ride, but at 18th and Chestnut, it’s only 15 blocks from University City — this place is definitely worth it.
Continental Midtown 1801 Chestnut St. (215) 567-1800 Don’t Miss: The "Protein Platter" Skip: Egg white frittata Bottom Line: Upscale diner great for hungry brunch enthusiasts
