Cafe Apamate

With its lineup of affordable, flavorful and creative dishes, Euro-cool Apamate has reinvigorated the increasingly snooze-worthy Philly brunch menu — reminding us that there’s more to the meal than expensive pancakes. The fluffy, frittata-like tortilla Española is a recipe from chef Ane Ormaechea’s grandma; red-wine-soaked drunken goat cheese from southern Spain adds tangy creaminess to quiches; and more lunch- leaning grilled pork loin sammies on baguettes are welcome departures from boring burgers. But there’s a pancake on the menu, too: Ormaechea’s gravity-defying Venezuelan cooking method transforms homemade pancake batter studded with fresh fruit into the largest, fluffiest cake we’ve ever had.