Breezy’s Café | The newest addition to the sparse Point Breeze dining scene is a tiny sandwich-centered cafe with a one-eyed cat named Sergeant for a mascot. The menu offers smart updates to local classics (think grass-fed beef cheesesteaks and pork roll perched on pretzel rolls) in addition to plenty of variety for the vegetarian set — that pretzel roll also figures into a melt made with Kennett Square mushrooms. Sandwich supplements include a daily selection of soups, salads, hand-cut fries and some unexpected touches: boiled Cajun peanuts, anyone? Open Tue.-Sat., 8:30 a.m.-8:30 p.m.; Sun., 8:30 a.m.-3:30 p.m., 2011 Reed St., 267-858-4186, breezyscafephilly.com.
Fitler Dining Room | Few empty restaurant spaces have been watched as closely as the one that once housed Mémé and, before that, Melograno. Its latest occupant is this French-accented, homey-chic spot from the owners of Pub & Kitchen and the Diving Horse. Highlights of chef Rob Marzinsky’s deft opening menu include gnocchi with Burgundy snails, hazelnuts and Chartreuse butter and Ozark Mountain Berkshire pork tenderloin, belly and boudin blanc with creamy coco beans en cocotte. A prominent cheese case invites you to peek inside; the quality of its contents dictates that you absolutely should. Open Sun., Wed., Thu., 5-10 p.m.; Fri.-Sat., 5-11 p.m., 2201 Spruce St., 215-732-3331.
Toast | This section of Spruce has seen a confusing array of short-lived coffee shops over the past year or so, but here’s hoping that Toast sticks where previous tenant YOLO could not. The new spot offers breakfast and lunch plus brews for all palates from a variety of local roasters (Philly Fair Trade, One Village and Green Street represent). The eponymous specialty is the “egg toast” — house-made English muffins topped with poached or fried eggs and a variety of toppings, like sautéed greens and mushrooms or sausage and warm apples. You’ll also find standards like egg sandwiches and oatmeal; the mid-day offering of sandwiches and salads includes one very handsome ABLT (where the A denotes avocado, not an editing oversight). Open Mon.-Fri., 7 a.m.-7 p.m.; Sat.-Sun., 8 a.m.-6 p.m., 1201 Spruce St., 215-821-1080, toastphilly.com.
