Chef Imondi's

Description: Chef Imondi’s is a unique little restaurant located in beautiful Down Town Panama City. From their New Orleans style beignets and café au lait to their famous She Crab Soup served in a homemade bread bowl there is definitely something for everybody.

Atmosphere: With live music poring out of a vintage piano and a small collection of beautiful art work this place allows you to relax and unwind even if it’s just for an hour lunch break.

The Gist: When you think of Down Town Panama City I bet that somewhere in your mind Chef Imondi’s pops up and a smile comes across your face. For years it has been the place to go during the down town lunch rush but what about Saturday morning brunch? I have been to Chef Imondi’s for lunch at least a hundred times but had never given the Saturday morning brunch a try. So I decided to give it a try. As was expected the restaurant was filled with live music as 10 year old Daniel LaMere banged away on a vintage piano.

As I waited for a seat my eyes wondered over to the beautiful cakes and cookies that were being held captive behind a thick glass display. I instantly started to plan their escape in my mind. “Maybe I could smuggle them out in my stomach”,I thought to myself. Seconds later I was seated which was great because I was famished. From my table I could hear sounds of something sizzling in the kitchen which for some reason excited me. Several smiling waitresses were buzzing around like little bees delivering coffee and steaming eats to all of my fellow brunchers. Then one of them buzzed over towards me, greeted me with a hearty good morning and handed me a menu. The menu was full of the standard breakfast icons and several of Chef’s theme inspired dishes such as The Southern Plantation, The Rhode Island Standard and La Famiglia Omelet for 2. But what caught my eye was the word goulash. When I hear the word Goulash my mind races with the potential health ramifications associated with the partaking of such a mash up of ingredients. But then my stomach takes over the decision making process and I order it any way. Minutes later I was greeted with a steaming plate of Chef’s Goulash. The combination of thick home fries, juicy Italian sausage, sautéed onions and peppers topped with a generous portion of melted american cheese forced me to question everything that I knew about goulash. In other words it was great! I finished off my brunch with an order of Strawberry Blintzes. If you have never tasted these fruit filled crepes I highly recommend them. The mixture of fruit, strawberries and sour cream is amazing. Over all my brunch experience was a memorable one. A return visit to Chef Imondi’s Saturday morning brunch is definitely in my future.