U.S. Hotel Bar & Grill Reopens and Debuts Brunch
Manayunk is an area in Philly that’s home to a number of favorite place to eat, drink and party. There’s one reopening I’m sure neighbors were anxiously anticipating, the U.S. Hotel Bar & Grill located at 4439 Main St. Phila, PA 19127. They reopened on April 3rd, 2019. New owners have taken over and there’s a new chef residing here. Executive Chef Tim Thomas, owner of SouthernBelle private catering, is now gracing their kitchen with his culinary skills. I previously dined at one of his former establishments, so I knew I was in for a treat! Brunch just launched so I just had to check it out.
I decided to order a few brunch items so I could get a full experience. First up, the Brisket Benedict. This was served on an English muffin with poached eggs, horseradish hollandaise and a side of home fries. I’m not sure how the brisket was made, but I was pleased with it. It was tender, moist and had a smoked flavor. The eggs were perfectly poached and the home fries were seasoned very well. Next, I tasted the eggs in purgatory which was recommended by Chef Tim himself. This was something I wouldn’t normally order, but I kept an open mind. This was made with two fried eggs, a spicy tomato sauce and a side of toast. The spiciness of this dish definitely put a nice spin on this item. I really enjoyed the kick of heat and I actually doubt I would enjoy it as much if it weren’t spicy.
After being satisfied with the first two dishes, I was excited to try the other items I ordered. The third dish was the Shrimp Étouffée made with creamy cheese grits, shrimp and an Étouffée sauce. Shrimp Étouffée is usually served with rice, but the grits made it more appropriate for brunch in my opinion. Hands down this dish was the one for me. The consistency of the grits were so smooth and creamy. The shrimp were not skimpy at all, they were a very good size. This was a bowl full of flavor and it felt like a bowl full of comfort. Every spoonful was so damn good! It was time for the next item, the sticky bun French Toast. I normally order savory dishes for brunch. But since this was the first weekend debuting brunch, I just had to try it. This was topped with walnuts, warm caramel sauce and golden raisins. Oh boy, I was shocked. I feel like everyone doesn’t know how to make French toast, but Chef Thomas certainly managed to execute it right. All I’m going to say is if you love bread pudding, then you’ll love this. It was warm, fluffy and sweet! I would definitely order this again.
After everything I just devoured, I needed to end it all with dessert. I ordered the Chocolate Pot de crème topped with whipped cream. This dessert was very chocolatey, rich and dense. I managed to finish halfway through until I couldn’t eat anymore. I was very happy with my choice of dessert. What a way to end a meal!
Thank you Chef Tim Thomas and thank you everyone at U.S. Hotel Bar & Grill. I was so happy with the service, food and restaurant’s new look! I’m really excited to try more at my next visit!
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Photography by Bruce Loatman from www.RoninZero.com
