Too Much Love

Sabrina's Cafe and Spencer's Too has not suffered in any way from the sequel syndrome.

by Elisa Ludwig

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Published: Jul 31, 2007

Nothing inspires as much skepticism as a sequel to a favorite movie. It's practically universal law that a second installment will not be as good as the first. Fortunately, this rule doesn't apply to Sabrina's Café and Spencer's Too, the sequel to Bella Vista blockbuster Sabrina's.

The new outpost, named for both the owners' daughter Sabrina and the sibling who came after her — it's been six years since the opening of the original restaurant — is located in an old Callowhill Street diner. The space has been spruced up with clay-colored paint and mix-and-match booths in a variety of bright floral prints. The drop ceiling, telltale Mediterranean arches and a counter with floor-mounted stools have been left intact. Though the overall effect is cheery, it's an atmosphere that doesn't call too much attention to itself. Which is as it should be when the eating is this damn good.

Does anyone, anywhere, do egg whites better than Sabrina's? I doubt it. The rubbery option of virtuous cholesterol counters becomes pure morning decadence in this kitchen. Consider the recent Rock the Casbah breakfast special: A fluffy cap of fried albumen rests atop chunks of apricot-glazed pork and zucchini and herb "fritters" (in actuality, more like savory, creamy, cinnamon-scented pancakes). The whole glorious concoction is drizzled with a yellow-pepper olive sauce, like a sweet liquidy tapenade. Another special, the Tuscany Way omelette, studs a thick layer of egg whites with oven-crisped cauliflower, spinach and mozzarella — a sophisticated and interesting combination made even tastier with its new-potato homefries strewn with caramelized onions.

What's nice about SCST's lineup is that it doesn't sacrifice the hominess of comfort food in the name of innovation. Usually, you get both. There's the regular stuffed French toast — half a loaf tented on your plate — with cream cheese and bananas, or the daily variety, which was a super-sweet orange-molasses-butterscotch flavor on a recent visit. There are gigantic polenta fries, golden bricks of fried cornmeal embedded with jalapeño peppers that, with a side of marinara sauce, are a meal in and of themselves.

Brunch, thankfully, is served all day. But just because the eggy offerings are so excellent doesn't mean you should overlook dinner here, which is full of similarly satisfying comforts. A crisp, freshly made vegetable spring roll with distinctly identifiable slivers of mushroom, carrot and cabbage; a surprisingly transcendent hummus plate with warm pita, olives, feta, roasted peppers; a hunk of juicy, macadamia nut-crusted salmon in a sunny lemony butter; a chocolate chip cookie dough torte that's a melty slice of brown sugar-walnut goodness.

Clearly, SCST has not suffered in any way from the sequel syndrome. I'm just wondering how long we'll have to wait for the next one.

(e_ludwig@citypaper.net)

Sabrina's Café and Spencer's Too
1804 Callowhill St.
215-636-9061
Tue.-Sat., 8 a.m.-10 p.m.; Sun.-Mon., 8 a.m.-4 p.m.
Appetizers, $3.50-$10.95; Entrees, $8.29-$23.95
BYOB.

 

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