Carman's Country Kitchen

Sun. morning after the blizzard, I ventured out into the streets of Northern Liberties around 9:30 am. The back streets of South Philly were terrible, but with no time frame and a background of driving in New England, we made it 1301 South 11th street.

It may sound over dramatic but this breakfast/brunch spot restored my faith Philly and society in general. In a world of Walmart and Fast Food, Carman's restaurant, seating 12-14 people has survived. Why?

Let's begin with the ambiance. Carman's restaurant is a plethora of awards from local critics, photos of friends and family, local events in philly, and the occasional porcilin nipple mug or penis. I should let you know that Carman's motto is "She puts the cunt back in country cooking."

Next we have the staff. I quickly made friends with Dan, who was wearing a Bo Sox hat, and turned out to be an accomplished jazz musician (I ended up being so impressed I purchased his CD). Beyond friendly, it was clear that they really cared about who I was and where I came from.

Then there is the food. Unreal. Carmen makes whatever she wants. My two guests and I all had the specials. Carman made a stew for me of chicken, lima beans(which I usually can't stand), various veggies, in an amazing sauce. My girlfriend had an orange chocolate chip pancakes with orange candy side. The sausage was fresh from the Reading terminal market, a veal blend. Amazing and unique.

Most importantly is Carmen. She strolls out, a very attractive woman in her fifties in tight stretch pants and stilleto heals. We chatted for about 15 minutes and covered everything from local politics to guys that materbate over her.

Finally, I took a look at the photo albums of her friends family, and co workers. I left with plans to meet up with Dan at a local pub for the first sox game, and a wonderful feeling of happiness I have not felt in relation to an establishment in a long time.

Huge thanks to Pax for the tip. Right on point as usual.