Description

Co-Owner Shannon Dougherty always had a penchant for the arts. As Shannon grew and developed into a cultured and eclectic young woman her affinity for the arts began to encompass everything from painting and writing, to culinary creation. Henceforth, A Full Plate Catering was conceived back in 2000.

Through word of mouth and hard work, it grew into a creative and reliable catering establishment, but Dougherty wanted to feed the masses at their whim. Enter Co-Owner Liz Petersen.

Liz had long wanted to own her own business, in which she could create a comfortable atmosphere that appeased all walks of life. Thus was born A Full Plate Café & Catering. Today Shannon and Liz are busy Co-owning and operating the cafÈ, that's buzzing with Good food, Good People, and a Good atmosphere.

The Menu

When making decisions about the menu, we wanted our guests to be able to have some control over their meal. Our concept was simple.

Shannon is a vegetarian and very conscious of the lack of choices here in Philly when you go out to eat with your meat-eating friends. We wanted to create a menu that would make all vegetarians, vegans, and carnivores excited about the selections. So we came up with home cooking, Southern influenced, healthy food. On the whole, our dishes are a la carte, and our list of sides is quite extensive. We encourage you to taste them all and maybe give those Brussels sprouts you hated as a kid another try. We want to introduce people to new ways of eating and preparing food. Whether we feature beets, turnips or salsify, as our root vegetable of the day, we hope that you are trying something new or enjoying an old favorite.

We can't talk about the menu without mentioning the fried chicken and waffles. It is our take on an old Southern favorite; served on a Belgian waffle, topped with seasoned breaded boneless chicken tenders, covered with a sweet-and-spicy BBQ syrup. Voted #2 Best Waffle in the City, by the Philadelphia CityPaper, it is one of our most popular dishes.

The mac-and-cheese is delicious and nutritious! Nicknamed "crack and cheese" by customers, it's addictive from the first bite. The dish is made with multi-grain pasta, (nutritious), and a blend of three different cheeses (delicious). It's an absolute must when you stop in.


The Café

A Full Plate's rustic modern colorful cafeThe design is emphatically rustic modern. We found a balance where old meets new. The walls are awash in concord grape purple, lime green, and blood orange. The tables are hand-painted with a technique called "vinegar paint" by friend and local artist, Lori Albright, emboldened by a menagerie of chairs. The floor is a hand-laid, slapdash medley of wooden planks. Pots and pans, made from old copper and iron, frame the front doors. We included old wooden doors, windows, antique cooking tools, and bric-a-brac throughout the café.

With the help of friends and family, Liz and Shannon were able to build their dream with their own hands.… Read More

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