9th Street's Good For Fried Dough
Bonte and Pat Bombino's. One is an chain that opened earlier this decade to fight the Starbucks monolith in Philly and the other is South Philly's newest Italian restaurant. But one thing unites them both: Killer desserts made from fried dough.
As Bonte goes, their waffles are pretty authentic. They're the closest the Delaware Valley comes to authentic Brussels/Antwerp/Liege-style waffles, that's for sure; the batter is delicious and the sugar crystals burst in your mouth. Although something's a bit off with them (a bit of over-sweetening to suit the American public? a fear of the lard-lacing that dominates Belgian waffles?), Bonte still hits the mark.
But Pat Bombino's has a hidden treasure on their menu: Homemade donuts. Philadelphia mag's Joy Manning just tried them out:
I knew I was in for something good at Pat Bombino’s, a new Italian joint on Ninth Street, when the server warned me that I’d have to wait 10 minutes for the doughnuts served there because each plate is individually fried to order. Why would I want anything else? And just as I expected the piping hot puffs, served with melted chocolate and orange dipping sauces, were sweet perfection.
Viva la fried dough.
Bonte [MenuPages]
Bonte [Official Site]
Pat Bombino's [MenuPages]
