With the farm-to-table organic ingredients, cozy environment and extensive vegetarian and vegan offerings, it’s hard not to love Farmicia. This Old City gem effortlessly captures an earthy farmhouse feel in the middle of the big city — complete with high ceilings, large bay windows and ingredients that taste as though they came straight from the restaurant’s backyard.
Farmicia prides itself on using only those high quality ingredients delivered by local, organic and artisanal producers — and you can tell with your first bite.
In fact, their signature bread is baked nearby at Metropolitan Bakery and delivered daily to the restaurant. But the ties to the cafe go further than that: inside the restaurant stands a bagel bar (complete with their signature breads, pastries and scones) that complement the home-grown, café feel of the place. But at night, the Farm Bar is where it’s at, offering unique concoctions.
While they offer breakfast, lunch and dinner, Farmicia’s real specialty is brunch. For the perfect lazy Saturday or Sunday morning, make your way to Old City and try some of their delicious offerings.
Each table receives a wooden bowl with fruit preserves, ketchup and butter arranged in a tidy presentation, as well as a selection of organic bread brought by the server to each table. We couldn’t resist the omelets ($9), cooked to the perfect consistency (particularly the feta and red peppers combo) and the Amish cheddar grits, part of their special prix fixe brunch menu ($26 for three courses).
But even when the dishes strayed away from basic brunch fare — think eggs Benedict topped with salmon and spinach ($13.50) or the hacienda eggs with a Tex-Mex spin ($9.50) — they still hit the spot. In most of the dishes, the ingredients oozed with fresh flavor. Even the French toast ($4.50/slice) was light, fluffy and delicious. However, a surprising number of dishes were bland and lacked that extra kick.
For the full Farmicia experience, their incomparable happy hour features unique concoctions served at half price. Try their signature drink, the “Barn Burner”($9) — a fun twist on the standard Bloody Mary — or their similarly unique mimosas and ciders.
One drawback was the price, but if you arrive a little earlier you can snag similarly delicious, but slightly cheaper, options like pumpkin muffins or chocolate croissants from the breakfast menu.
Plus, it attracts a unique crowd. You’ll see everyone from hard-core vegans indulging on some of the city’s top healthy and sustainable options to businessmen in suits knocking back mimosas while stepping out of the office.
It may be out of the way, but it’s worth the trip: Farmicia puts the West Philly brunch competition to shame.
Farmicia 15 South 3rd St. (215) 627-6274 Don’t Miss: Eggs Benedict with smoked salmon, plus a Barn Burner (or two) Skip: Keeping it basic Bottom Line: Delicious brunching for the locavore.
