Yesterday, I had brunch at one of my favorite restaurants for the very last time. After roughly four years in business, Carmon's Creperie has closed its doors. I am sad beyond explanation.
It is true that Ashley & I had grown to think of Carmon's as a wonderful little respite from daily life, and of the staff as family. The charming decor made for a cozy atmosphere, with the music sheet wallpaper, the gorgeous chandeliers, award-winning bathrooms, simple but functional tables, unique salt & pepper shakers, beautiful wooden wine racks, quirky propeller fans, and intimate booth. Oh, and where else could you go and have, as background music, Dusty Springfield, Rufus Wainwright and ABBA?
Owners Mike and chef Kerry were great at making us feel at home. We so enjoyed chatting with Mike about our favorite old films, actors, and what we were watching on Turner Classic Movies. Chef Kerry would always give us a welcoming 'hello!' from the kitchen. And how are we going to find a better wait staff than Grant and Bridgette? Grant should teach a course on how to be an expert waiter. He embodied humor, efficiency, talent and affability like no one else. And Bridgette was, well, Bridgette.
The food was always -- and I mean always -- exquisite at Carmon's. Chef Kerry hit it out of the park every time. Whether it was one of their stock-in-trade crepes, or a special seafood dish, or salads or soups, the food was always prepared with excellence and an eye to flavor. Even the salted butter that came with the complimentary bread was unstoppably delicious.
And don't even get me started on the Saturday & Sunday brunch special of sausage gravy (in a crepe). I always had it with cheddar cheese, and it always hit the spot. Last July, after I'd had radioactive iodine for my thyroid cancer, and my tastebuds were pretty much out of commission for the entire month, the sausage gravy crepe was the only thing I could taste. That crepe nearly saved my life.
Carmon's (at least as the creperie owned by Mike & Kerry) now exists only in our memories. Eventually, I suppose, that happens to everything. I feel sad that it's gone, but find happiness in that it even existed, that Kerry & Mike gave it a go, and created so many happy memories and satisfied taste buds for so many. I thank them, and will miss the sausage gravy.
Thanks for this writing this post as a tribute to the restaurant. I ate at Carmon's for the first time last year, and I wish I had known it was closing so I could've gone one last time too.
ReplyDeleteHi Kristiana,
ReplyDeleteYes, a bit of notice would have likely been appreciated by many of their regular customers. But I don't know when the decision was made and, from what I've seen in the past, many restaurant closings seem to happen very quickly.
A sad situation all 'round.
Thanks for the commenting!
Matt