Green Party

Fishtown's Irish-inspired Ida Mae's feels like home — but with better food.

by Elisa Ludwig

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Published: May 2, 2007

MEAT AND GREET: Chef Mary Kate McCaughey's bountiful Irish breakfast is accompanied by her husband's fresh-baked soda bread. : Michael T. Regan (CLICK IMAGE FOR LARGER VERSION)

Ida Mae's Bruncherie, a newcomer to Fishtown, is homestyle in the best possible sense of the word. Owners Mary Kate and Feargus McCaughey built their little restaurant on the corner of Norris and Tulip streets, fashioning the space after the breakfast- and lunch-only spots they've visited in Ireland. (Feargus, a real estate agent, is originally from Belfast.) Due to zoning and permit snags, the McCaugheys' project was delayed � it took two and half years to open. Quite a long time to wait for brunch.

The front dining area features a few tables and counter seating overlooking an open kitchen. In back, there are two connected rooms in warm shades of lemon, chocolate and amber, accented with bright stained glass, a painted tin ceiling and a faux fireplace. Upholstered chairs and handmade wooden banquettes are prettier than they are comfortable. (A few cushions would probably help.) Irish folk music swirls from the stereo system.

Order a cup of coffee, and your green-and-white mug emblazoned with the restaurant's name is filled and refilled dutifully throughout your meal. Soon, Philly's own Blue Water roasting company Coffee will supply the eatery's beans. Between the clover-festooned menu and the specials board, you can find your standard eggs and syrupy fare (pancakes, French toast plain and stuffed) with an emphasis on fresh local produce. Even the jams, one of which stars frozen Greensgrow peaches, are house-made.

Mary Kate, who is also the chef, has served time in the kitchens of the city's most respected brunch destinations: Standard Tap, Royal Tavern and Morning Glory. When it came time to open a place in her own neighborhood, she wanted to strike a balance between these sorts of hipster egg emporiums and an old-fashioned diner. It works: It's just really good, really honest eating that you could enjoy on a regular � if not daily � basis.

Since Ida Mae's is a lightly Irish-themed eatery, you would be remiss if you didn't sample the full Irish breakfast, a traditional platter loaded down with pan-fried goodies. There are crinkly fried tomatoes and mushrooms, two eggs over easy, two links of pudgy sausage, rashers of pink Irish bacon, a fried slice of white pudding � the Gaelic equivalent of scrapple, made from pork, oatmeal and breadcrumbs � and a side of smoky, black-pepper-flecked baked beans. To mop it all up, there's a slice of floury soda bread and a warm griddlecake wedge made from mashed potatoes � both prepared in-house by Feargus, who baked breads back home on the Emerald Isle. Other Anglo/Irish specialties include creamed chipped beef with homefries and baked beans on toast with fried eggs and cheese.

The house huevos rancheros are highly composed, with eggs stacked atop corn tortillas amid a sea of soupy black beans. Crowning the plate are sprinklings of diced red and orange peppers, salsa, a molten layer of cheddar cheese and latticework drizzles of avocado sauce and sour cream. The occasional crunch of onion and jalapeno notwithstanding, it's built for a rancher of mild palate.

Chef Mary Kate has a special way with pancakes, evidenced by a recent weekend special that saw finely sliced apples and crunchy walnut halves suspended in the golden buttermilk batter circles; the whole plate was lightly dusted with confectioner's sugar. The pancakes, which come three to a stack, feature the perfect balance of crisp edges and fluffy insides.

The rest of the menu is equally uncomplicated and delicious. An English-style ploughman's lunch with cheddar cheese, homemade vegetable relish and soda bread is available for laborers of all trades. A short list of sandwiches (all served with homemade chips) includes mayonnaise-y diner stand-bys like egg, tuna and chicken salads. The grilled tomato sandwich is simplicity on a roll � melted mozzarella, basil and sliced tomato with garlic � but the ingredients are fresh enough to make it memorable. Sure, you could put this sort of sandwich together at home, but why bother when Ida Mae's makes such a good one?

(e_ludwig@citypaper.net)

Ida Mae's Bruncherie

2302 E. Norris St. 215-426-4209Hours: Tue.-Sun., 7 a.m.-3 p.m.Breakfast, $2.50-$7.50; Lunch, $3-$6Cash only.

 

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