Father’s Day at Carmel Café

The Carmel Café invited my family to celebrate Father’s Day with a Mod Med style brunch.  With my mom visiting family up north, we included my dad in the Father’s Day foodie festivities.  Having never visited Carmel Café before, he was in for a real treat.  I knew he would love it.

But first we had to teach him how to order from the menu pad.

For Father’s Day, the Carmel Café offered its full dinner menu in addition to brunch items such as citrus-kissed French Toast L’Orange served with warm maple syrup, powdered sugar and bacon, which ordered for the kids but couldn’t resist tasting.

The French Toast L’Orange had a gorgeous crispy crust with a moist center almost resembling bread pudding with a lovely light orange taste.  Of course, Allan Chef and I picked the managers’ brains to replicate the dish at home.  To serve French toast posing as bread pudding , they allow they bread to soak up to 5 hours.

Especially for dads, Carmel Café offered a new dish, Steak & Eggs Benedict, which Allan couldn’t resist.  Honestly, I’m not a fan of Benedict style eggs because often times the hollandaise sauce is usually too heavy and drowns the dish.  The Carmel Café served a much lighter hollandaise sauce made from scratch which enhanced the poached eggs.

Brunch potatoes, another Carmel Café signature side item, complimented each breakfast entrée.  I could have eaten a pile of those deliciously crispy feta potato patties.

My dad selected the Tunisian Chicken but I began brunch with Bellini, a salad and shared Carmel Café’s signature Chick Pea Fries.  For my entrée, I selected the Rustic Grilled Chicken Skewers.

And I washed it all down with a mimosa.

Since many dishes at the Carmel Cafe menu are ideal for sharing, we rotated the plates around the table to taste each other’s food.  We enjoyed dessert, Chocolate Lava Cake and Pound Cake with Strawberries in the same family-style fashion.

Allan and I frequently visit the Carmel Café’, but I loved hearing my father rave about the food to the Manager, Emily Consolino, Operating Partner, Mike Jeckel and Founder, Terry Ryan.  My dad thoroughly enjoyed his meal and planning another visit with my mom when she returns home.

To locate a Carmel Café near you, view the view or make reservations, visit carmelcafe.com.

I savored each morsel of time with my dad almost as much as the meal.  As I watched my dad smile and enjoy the food and the company, I was grateful for every moment.  Although this Carmel Café brunch was intended for my dad and husband, it became a gift I could appreciate too.

This Father’s Day I celebrated two great fathers with one brunch and I felt blessed.

For Music Mondays, I’m now teaming up with my good friend and fellow Marathon Mama, Chrissy.

Visit Xmas Dolly and Jade Louise Designs for more Music Monday.

11 comments

  1. Lucy says:

    Love that John Mayer song. Your family photos are lovely and what a special day you had, that food made me hungry, your kids were dressed so adorable and I loved your dress, so beautiful.
    Have a wonderful week 🙂

  2. Danielle Royalegacy says:

    What a great Father’s Day that was celebrated with such a feast of food. Ours sorta went flat. Someone accidentally turned the stove off when I was cooking the chicken for our enchiladas that I was going to make. I didn’t keep a close eye on them because we were Skyping with our daughter. Then the cake my daughter made – was supposed to be a castle, but the castled looked like it had aged a thousand years. Everything did turn out well though.

    I linked up my Father’s Day tribute.

  3. XmasDolly says:

    Loving your family pictures they’re wonderful. Such a handsome family you have! Lovin’ John Mayer’s song too! Thanks for joining us, and sharing all your beautiful memories you just made! 🙂

  4. Cathy Kennedy says:

    What a beautiful Father’s Day tribute to your husband and dad! Great family and food photos & music for this MM. Moving slowly while on the mend amongst our lovely 4M party-goers this week as I listen to all the fabulous musical selections. Thanks for linking up, my friend!

  5. Chris says:

    What a wonderful day! The meal is making me drool! I love the photo of your dad and the kids! So sweet. One for a frame for sure!

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