Just off Dickinson Square park, neighborhood spot Fourth & Cross is now open, aiming to elevate the sort of simple dishes you'd find at a diner with farm-to-table sensibilities. Eggs, pancakes, sandwiches, and burgers anchor the breakfast and lunch menus, leaning on seasonal, local produce. (The lunch menu is served through to closing time; expect dinner specials to be added around August.) Owner Andrew Michaels told the Philly Voice last week, "fact is that we're paying a lot for good ingredients, and the only thing that could mess it up is if I mess it up by making things too complicated."
[Photo: Eater Philly]
A jocular Craigslist ad posted last month seeking line cooks suggests that a responsible ethos extends beyond sourcing ingredients: It promised "above-average" hourly wages, health insurance, and paid vacation and sick days. And we dig the inclusive bathroom signage, too:
Fourth & Cross is BYOB and cash-only; hours are 7:30 a.m. to 9 p.m., Monday through Saturday, and 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Sunday. Here are the opening menus, with the caveat that they are subject to change soon — Michaels tells us he expects to rotate the breakfast menu every few months, but that changes to the main menu will likely come much sooner:
Fourth & Cross, 1527 S. Fourth St., (215) 551-5200, now open.