The Dinner Doctor and I had the pleasure to brunch with MsL-Foodie and MrR-Foodie at a wonderful spot just off of Rittenhouse Square in Philly – a.kitchen 135 South 18th Street. Philly is turning into a go-to destination city for foodies of all types, and has arguably the best brunch selection of any major city. The a.kitchen is part of a bar and elegant extended stay hotel (AKA) in one of the city’s hottest spots. The brunch menu at a.kitchen was intriguing, with selections such as Vegetarian Scrapple (a nice, playful, healthy version of the Amish meat Scrapple), Chorizo and Mussels with Braised Eggs, and Grilled Flank Steak, Asparagus, Turnips and Sunny-Side Up Eggs.
However, there was one item that stood out, literally, from the rest of the menu: The Death Star. We were forewarned: this was an evil burger that might kill even Obi-Wan and Luke Skywalker together. 
About 3/4 pound of prime ground meat surrounded a slab of burrata, which was coated with a cheese combination. All of this was chicken-fried, topped with a fried egg, served on a homemade english muffin (sort of), along with a killer gravy of onions, mushrooms, and truffle oil. Of course this was a must-have for the SeriousFoodie. I got through about 1/3 of this monster, loving every bite of the crusty cheese, moist meat, creamy burrata, and the amazing mushroom gravy. My other guests ate about another 1/3, and raved liked I did – the absolutely best “burger” we’ve ever tasted. Kudos to the a.kitchen chef who created this master piece.
Oh, by the way – the rest of the meal was also outstanding. Check out their great selection of reasonably priced wines.
