Ants Pants Café: The Bees Knees
Last Saturday, Penn Appétit travelled to the land down under–well, actually, we just crossed the South Street Bridge. Located on 22nd and South, Ants Pants Cafe serves an array of freshly prepared Aussie food. After nine years of whipping up brunch, the cafe decided to try something new: dinner. With its affordable prices, substantial portions, and absolutely delicious tastes, Ants Pants Cafe is the perfect getaway (and it’s not too far from home).
After many years of working in various cafés in Philadelphia and Sydney, childhood friends Liz Fleming and Nancy Silverman made it their mission to offer locals in Philly’s Graduate Hospital neighborhood an immersive experience of Sydney’s café culture.
Following the closing of a psychic reading store, Liz and Nancy leaped on the opportunity to serve a transforming neighborhood, made significant renovations, and officially opened the doors to Ants Pants Café in October 2004.
Liz’s experience working at Cool Beans in Sydney’s inner-city Pyrmont neighbourhood solidified her desire to provide an environment in Philadelphia that celebrated a love of good food and coffee and created a place for friends to gather to enjoy it. Menu items are authentic and could be found in any Aussie cafe, including coffee from Australia’s Toby’s Estate.
Our meal began with a bursting plate of succulent Szechuan Pepper & Sea Salt Calamari with lemon myrtle tartar sauce. With its flaky, not-too-heavy-handed coating, the calamari was incredibly tender and tasted slightly spicy. The citrus wedges on the side added a complementary burst of acidic flavor.
A steaming bowl of Mussels with Thai Coconut Sauce arrived next. Packed with flavor, the sauce tempted us to just eat it by the spoonful! We couldn’t resist dipping the fluffy bread into the savory sauce either.
Roasted Root Vegetable Salad with brussel sprouts, radish, parsnips, butternut squash and Toby’s Estate vinaigrette made the perfect winter salad. Served warm, the vegetables melted softly on our tongues, while the vinaigrette united their intense flavors.
The Pork Banh Mi with pickled carrots and radish, cilantro, jalapeño, paté, and sriracha aioli on a baguette was served with a heaping pile of eggplant fries. The pork, tender and sweet, paired well with the fresh vegetables and lightly toasted baguette. In addition, we were thrilled to find that the eggplant fries lacked the greasiness they are so often plagued by.
To accompany our desserts, our waitress (who doubled as our barista, who made beautiful foam art!) brought us each a Flat White, an Aussie drink composed of a double shot of espresso served with steamed milk and a thin layer of froth. The beverage warmed us from the inside out.
We had the pleasure of digging into two different desserts: Tim Tam Ice Cream with Lamington Cake and Espresso and Star Anise Pot de Creme. Lamington cake is of Aussie origin, consisting of squares of sponge cake coated in a layer of chocolate icing, and was slightly dense and crumbly. The ultra-creamy ice cream was a fan favorite, especially with the cookie base surprise– we could have eaten a giant bowl of this alone. The thick pudding had lovely licorice accents from the anise and was refreshing for our palette at the end of the meal.
With nine years of brunch service under its belt, Ants Pants Café has adapted incredibly smoothly to dinner service. It instantly became one of our favorite restaurants for the quality, presentation, and affordable pricing for all of its dishes. Only a 20-minute walk from campus, we highly recommend a visit to Ants Pants by Penn students, Philadelphia residents, and city visitors alike.
— Katie Behrman & Nicole Woon