I happen to live a few houses away from Carman's and I've eaten there only once when she first opened, swearing to never go back again. The food there is not particularly great, but it is filling, as you receive large portions, and some of her dishes are ""unique"". However, there are several things that has thrown me off with this place...\r
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1) Her restaurant isn't very clean. Yes, she does have a sinkload of dirty dishes which she frequently goes back and forth to wash, in between cooking her customer's meals.\r
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2) Occasionally she keeps her dog inside to roam around the dining area freely to interact with customers while they're eating.\r
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3) Her business card says, 'She put the c*** back in country cooking'. I don't know about you, but I don't want her c*** anywhere near my food. Even the suggestion is enough to make me hurl! :-o\r
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4) You're able to dine al fresco... In the back of her pick-up truck on a picnic bench, complete with an umbrella for those ultra-sunny days. A far cry from a hilltop in the countryside, sitting on a blanket under a shady tree, with a picnic basket. Instead you get the load noises and distinctive smells of the city streets, complete with litter wafting by on a windy day.\r
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5) B.Y.O.B.??? Are you kidding me? This place is closed by 2pm. Who the heck is drinking alcohol before then? Maybe it's the people who want champagne with their Sunday brunch. Conveniently enough, there's a liquor store right across the street, so if you didn't bring any booze, it's a hop, skip, and a jump away. You'll be back before your eggs are done cooking. I don't know.\r
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This may be just my opinion, but this place is an absolute ""dive""! I really don't know what all the rave is about this place. Maybe it's the lure of country cooking in a big city, or the small diner atmosphere the place tends to exude. As for me, I've still never gone back to eat there and I have no intention to do so, anytime in the near or distant future.
Pros: Lots of food for your money
Cons: As listed above
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