Judging from the yawning young crowds that sauntered up to the line already forming along the sidewalk at East Norris and Tulip Streets one recent Sunday, the smell of huevos rancheros and freshly made creamed chipped beef had wafted from Ida Mae's kitchen through bedroom windows far across Fishtown. A half-hour wait for us at 10 a.m. suddenly seemed like a pretty good deal.
Ida's chef and co-owner, Mary Kate McCaughey, always knew she wanted a "bruncherie" because of the sense of community that morning meal taps. And she's a local, having grown up in Port Richmond and Fishtown, where as a girl she used to buy penny candy at the grocery Ida's eventually replaced.
That corner space, most recently a coffee shop, was transformed by Mary Kate's husband, Feargus McCaughey, into a charmingly cozy cafe, with a bustling counterside grill in front, and a rear dining room that feels like a well-kept parlor, with stained-glass windows, wooden banquettes, arty photos, and granite cafe tables.
Those seats hum to capacity on weekends. And though our mellow mop-topped waiter could have moved with more pep (and remembered the water, o.j., and cutlery), the kitchen works like a well-buttered machine (about a pound of it goes into the creamed chipped beef).
McCaughey knows the magic of brunch, having worked in neo-diners like the original Silk City and Sam's Morning Glory, where the funky brunch really found its South Philly groove. And with a commitment to local ingredients and fresh cooking tinged with a distinct Irish brogue (thanks to Irish-born Feargus), Ida Mae's has crafted itself a menu with a distinct emerald flair that has an appeal all week long.
