Caution – a word contained in a picture below may not be suitable for all audiences and may be deemed inappropriate and offensive by most. Except Brits. Consider yourself warned.
Jenny and I hardly squeezed our way through the door of Carman’s Country Kitchen (11th and Wharton, Friday-Monday, 8am-2pm), partly due to our ample backsides, but mostly because of the large crowd of people waiting to eat and trying to beat the sweltering 102 degree heat outside. A staple in the South Philly brunch scene, and one of the primary members of the Philadelphia “brunch belt,” Carman’s is basically just a small room with three tables (accommodating 2-3 each) and two counters (adding another 9-10 seats). It’s rumored that larger parties are able to sit in the bed of Carman’s pickup that’s parked outside, but I haven’t seen it in my many passes by.
We had made a reservation (it’s recommended), but were told by the waiter (who we later found out was Carman’s son, Jaret) that we’d still have a 10-15 minute wait. (Carman offers everyone coffee while they wait, so you don’t have to sacrifice your caffeine addiction in order to get a seat.) Four minutes later, we settled into our seats at the far end of the counter near the door, taking in the atmosphere of the place, which was full of tchotchkes (mostly of the sexual variety) and signs of all types, many of them bearing the motto of the restaurant.
are there 16 of them? are they 16 years old? and what exactly does "smart" mean?
jaret has been sufficiently guilt tripped into being helpful.
enough. said.
***If it isn’t yet obvious, you probably don’t want to bring your kids here, unless you’re a bad parent.***
Each day at Carman’s there are four menu items – a pancake/belgian waffle dish, a challah french toast dish, an omelet, and a special. As someone who truly struggles at brunch to make the choice between sweet and savory, I was thankful that Jenny wanted to share so my tastebuds could be fully satisfied. We opted for the challah french toast with jersey blueberries and south carolina peaches and the special – a large piece of shrimp with crab grits, two eggs any way you want them, yukon gold home fries and toast. We also had coffee (of course) and sides of bacon and homemade country sausage. (I know good sausage, and Carman’s is right up there with the best I’ve ever had. It’s definitely worth the $2. Don’t skip it.)
mmm...french toast.
this was much more tasty than the picture implies. the grits had so much crab it was shocking.
Almost everything was absolutely delicious (though I’ll admit that I’ve had better potatoes in my day), and I ended up feeling full but not uncomfortable. Unfortunately, Jenny wasn’t quite so lucky – “I’m so full that when I sneezed, I felt like I was going to vomit.” (That’s what she gets for having a cold and a weak immune system.)
Overall, the mix of the over the top inappropriateness and unintentional kitschiness made me feel right at home. Carman cooks every dish, making it feel as though you’re at an eccentric aunt’s house for breakfast. To me, that’s comfort at its finest.
