El Vez restaurant in Philadelphia

By Munia Islam

Starving on a Saturday morning with no idea of what to eat is not a fun way to start the day. Recently, in a haste of studying for grad school midterms (ick!), we needed a quick and filling brunch.

Our saving grace? El Vez! With its flashy signs and mix of formal and informal decor, the ecclectic restaurant is a must to visit if you’re ever in Philadelphia. I’ve been there on several occasions–once on my own birthday–but always at night. I did learn from these dinners though that the queso fundido de hongos (truffled wild mushrooms with chihuahua cheese and huitlacoche served with flour tortillas, $12.50) is a must for my appetizer. Luckily, that’s also available for brunch so it’s exactly what I ordered.

The days are getting colder which in my mind translates to soup season. So, we ordered the roasted corn soup (pan seared scallop, tomatillo and jalapeno mermelada, $9). I think this would the best soup I’ve ever had! It was just the fix that I was craving for days. If you’re a soup lover, you have to try it!

For our entree, we shared a steak and eggs dish (carne asada with two fried eggs, grilled scallions, guajillo steak sauce atop green chile potato hash, $12). Personally, I’m not a fan of eggs, so I skipped over that part (sorry!), although the steak, sauce and steak eaten together was a burst of flavor. And that sauce — I’m on a mission to find the recipe of that sauce.

Lastly, to get us through the rest of the day, we needed a sugar-rush of mexican chocolate ice cream ($7). Yum! I ended up taking a nap after my brunch, but it was worth it, and I was full right up until dinner which means I clocked in even more time to study.

Restaurant Info:
El Vez
121 South 13th Street
Philadelphia, PA 19107
(215) 928-9800

REPORT CARD
Meal: Brunch
Occasion: Hunger
Price: $$
(Out of three stars)
Ambiance: ***
Food: **
Service: ***
Would I go back?: I always do!

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