Brunch at Farmicia

This week I will be highlighting meals I had on a recent trip to Philadelphia. While I'm not of the mind to think of the City of Brotherly Love as the 6th borough, I do love the fact that it's super easy & quick to get to, and there's tons of amazing food to sample while you're there. AND, Brownstoner just launched a Philadelphia chapter, so the overlaps are numerous and increasing.

Next on our trip was a visit to Farmicia (15 S. 3rd, between Market & Chestnut, 215-627-6274) for Brunch. It's a really popular spot and I recommend making reservations, as we had to sit at the bar because tables were being held for those who had reserved them. Sitting at the bar was nice, but I noticed that only half of the tables that were "reserved" had people sitting at them by the time we left. Not sure what that's about. It also seemed like there was MAJOR tension among the staff. There were a ton of wait staff, but a lot of people waiting around for menus, to have their orders taken and to receive water and drinks once they were ordered. It certainly was a weird, slightly unsettling experience, but we managed to go with the flow and be curious instead of upset with the slightly chaotic vibe.

The menu was full of delicious sounding dishes which made it difficult to narrow it down. It's created, as much as possible, around what's local, in season and sustainably raised. We eventually decided on one savory, one sweet and a side. Our savory dish was Scrambled Eggs with Cheesy Grits, toast and two, large breakfast sausage links. The grits were creamy and had just enough cheese grated into them which melted and created a nice, thick texture. The eggs were substantial and basic but the sausages were incredible. Juicy and flavorful, slightly sweet, just salty enough, they were the highlight of the dish.



The sweet dish we chose was the Brioche French Toast with a Pear & Cherry compote. This dish was incredible. The warm sweet pears and the tart cherries added just the right amount of sweet to the brioche. Real maple syrup was also available, but wasn't necessary.



We also got an order of plain yogurt and a side of fruit. I think our eyes were bigger than or stomachs, because while tasty and fresh, we were both pretty full by the time we got to this!



I would love to go back to try dinner, and one of the amazing-sounding specialty cocktails they make. Definitely a special spot, perfect for celebrating.