A Punchy Afternoon: Square 1682’s Punch Brunch
On the corner of 17th and Sansom, you won’t miss the revolving door at the entrance of Square 1682. The restaurant partners with Hotel Palomar Philadelphia, a four-star boutique hotel under the Kimpton Hotels brand.
Square 1682’s chic art-deco interior design promotes an energy reflected in its dishes, drinks, and service.
Square 1682 recently launched their Punch Brunch, a special dining package available on Saturdays and Sundays. The convivial affair combines Lead Bartender Chauncey Scates’ stellar punch bowls with entrees from Chef Caitlin Mateo’s brunch menu: dine on 4 entrees, 4 bottomless coffees, and one giant punch bowl for $100.
General Manager Matt Rafferty gets to work preparing the punch for our brunch. The ice cubes used are specifically designed to have minimal surface area, which reduces melting and diluting of the punch.
Square 1682 gives the socially inclined bruncher a refreshing alternative to the routine mimosa/bloody mary. “Some restaurants offer bottomless mimosas on their menu,” Rafferty says, “but Square 1682’s punch bowl approach encourages lively conversation among friends and food.”
We kicked off our afternoon with a tumbler (or two) of Penny Arcade Punch (Bombay Sapphire Gin, St. Germain, Organic Breakfast Tea, Grapefruit Juice, Lemon, Coconut Sugar, Peychaud’s Bitters, Rhubarb Bitters). The punch, light and carefully sweetened, was a welcome contrast to the heavier flavors in the food.
Something sweet was the way to our stomachs: cue the French Toast (creme brulee French toast, mascarpone filling, blueberry compote). The mascarpone oozed in tandem with the blueberries, complementing the egg battered toast. While the bread was slightly soggy, the luscious fruity topping and creamy made up for the lack of varying textures.
The frittata options rotate daily based on the chef’s selected preparation; presented with meat and vegetable options, the carnivores inside of us elected for the former choice. Composed of ham, peppers, mushrooms, and cheddar, the frittata hit the spot for a hearty egg dish. Well-seasoned breakfast potatoes rounded out the plate.
On the other side of the spectrum of egg dishes, the Crabby Arnold was a much lighter approach to the same ingredient. Soft poached eggs and bearnaise oozed over a sliced English muffin, spilling into the breakfast potatoes (the perfect mop to the thick sauce). Atlantic red crab, the meat still in its claws, caressed the yolky pouches on either side.
The custom blend burger was cooked to a perfect pink, and the tender meat released its juices with every bite. The beef melded well with the melting Lancaster cheddar and smoked mushrooms; a small quail egg no larger than the head of our spoon hung precariously on the edge of our patty with a lighter nuance than the standard fried egg. The copious pile of garlic parmesan fries were excellent dipped in the Thousand Island-style sauce (In-N-Out fans, you know what sauce we’re talking about).
Mateo and Scates plan to rotate the flavors of their food and drink menus, respectively, with the seasons, so visit Square 1682 with friends on your next available weekend to share a punchy experience.
Penn Appétit’s picks: Custom Blend Burger, Penny Arcade Punch (of course!)
— Katie Behrman, Raquel Macgregor, Nicole Woon, Connie Yu