November 2, 2007
Make Ida Mae’s a Must
For me, Sunday brunch is one of life’s simple but most sublime pleasures”"a pleasure I experienced this week (in the form of the most divine breakfast burrito ever) at Ida Mae’s Bruncherie, a row home-turned-cafe in the heart of ever-changing Fishtown.
Helmed by neighborhood gal (and chef) Mary Kate McCaughey and her husband Feargus, an Irish transplant who mans the bar at Fairmount’s Brigid’s, Ida Mae’s offers your standard breakfast fare (although nothing about it tastes standard) like buttermilk pancakes, three-egg omelettes and creamed chip beef alongside non-traditional dishes such as beans on toast, tofu scrambles and soda farls.
In mixing up the menu, McCaughey wisely accommodates her vastly different clientele”"the “lifers” (as they’re known) who have called Fishtown home for decades and the hipsters bringing new life to the neighborhood’s gritty (but great) streets. And while the colorful cast of diners filling the dozen-plus tables at Ida Mae’s may look like they have nothing in common, they all clearly have good taste in food.
Mark and Audrey have visited Ida Mae’s for Illadates. Check that out here.
Ida Mae’s Bruncherie
2302 E Norris St, Philadelphia, PA 19125
(215) 426-4209
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November 2, 2007, 9:29 am
Mark says:
And don’t forget, Audrey and I had a great brunch at Ida Mae’s on our “Frankford Avenue Arts” episode of the Illadates show!
http://www.uwishunu.com/2007/05/24/cheap-dates-3-frankford-avenue-arts/
November 2, 2007, 9:29 am
Mike Mitchelson says:
I hate to be that guy, but don’t believe the hype. This place is expensive for any Phila neighborhood, let alone Fishtown, and the food is ‘fair’ at best. My wife and I have given it 4 shots (3 breakfast, 1 dinner). Highlights are the pancakes, which are definitely some of the best in the city. Unfortunately, those pancakes don’t outweigh the overwhelming lows–the tofu scramble (gross), tuna tartar (disgusting presentation), and the mushroom pasta (pasta was WAY overcooked—my 15 year old cousin can do spagghetti better than what we were served). The service is amateur at best-the tofu scramble is described on their menu as ‘tofu with mixed veggies’. When asked what vegetables were included, the young waitress simply responded with ‘i don’t know’. Not, ‘let me check’, or ‘hold on let me see what’s in it today’. Nope, just ‘I don’t know’.
In short, with North Third, Silk City, Mercer Cafe and The Standard Tap all serving exceptional brunches and dinners in this neighborhood, for several dollars cheaper, avoid this place.
I get the whole ‘support the new local business’ mentality. We live down the street from Ida Mae’s and gave it 4 shots! But this place is just not good. Hopefully they can turn it around. But for now, its frankly just way way sub par.
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