Brunch from a Cypriot Kitchen: Kanella

  

This Sunday I had the gastrological pleasure of checking a major "Must Try" off of my restaurant list: Kanella! On the corner of 10th and Spruce in Center City, my lazy Sunday brunch was an experience full of sensational surprises.

I'll be honest-- based on "word of mouth" I had it in my head that this was a Greek restaurant.  And though the cuisines have some similarities, this was a learning experience for me.  Here are some of the lessons I have learned:

1. Cypriot food is diverse.  I knew Cyprus was on the Mediterranean, but I had to reference my map to be sure from where these enchanting dishes originated.

Nestled in the eastern Mediterranean, Cyprus is a nation with many neighbors.  Turkey is to the north, with Syria and Lebanon to the east, Israel and Jordan to the south and east, and Egypt directly south.

2. Cypriot food is unique! Though I firmly believe phones at the table are rude, there were some menu items I simply had to research—Lounza (a meat delicacy from Cyprus made of dried, smoked pork tenderloin), Halloumi (a Cypriot semi-hard, unripened brined cheese made from a mixture of goat's and sheep's milk, and sometimes also cow's milk), and Seftali (a traditional Cypriot food- a type of crépinette or sausage without skin that uses caul fat, or omentum, the membrane that surrounds the stomach of pig or lamb, to wrap the ingredients rather than sausage casing).

We decided to order a variety of dishes and share (as to maximize our Cypriot experience).  After many minutes of indecision and having drained our pot of coffee, we were ready.  We ordered Shakshouka: two eggs with Merguez sausage, poached in a cumin scented tomato and pepper stew and served with grilled bread (see right); Lahmajun: an Armenian ground lamb flat bread, served with an arugula, grilled eggplant and pomegranate salad (see below); and Organic pork and Sieftali kebab: a house made Cyprus sausage with Berkshire pork kebab in pita, with Greek chips and tahini or pikla.

3. Cypriot food is delicious. Everything we ordered was incredible.  The eggs in tomato stew were perfectly cooked.  The stew itself was deeply flavored, and the sausage brought a lovely bit of richness to the dish.  The flatbread was incredible, and the lamb was also richly flavored.  I had been concerned it may be a one-dimensional dish, but my fears were soon quelled.  The kebab was served sandwich-style nestled in a warm pita.  A single bite was all I needed to explore a myriad of flavor.  About 30 minutes later, our plates were nearly empty and our stomachs were quite full.  Kanella was genuinely one of the best dining experiences I have had.

This restaurant had waited patiently on my list for about two years, and as my friends and I pushed in our chairs and left, I couldn't help thinking what a shame that was.