Midtown Lunch

I have been counting down the days until Kermit’s Bake Shoppe opened. Part pizza shop, part bakery, Kermit’s brings fresh, doughy items to a pretty barren block. The pink, floral murals alone brighten up Washington Ave. It was nice to see a stream of people from all walks of life arriving via car, bike, or foot  to check out this new spot.

After checking out the available goods for the day behind the glass, order at the counter. Its a strictly take out, delivery, or eat standing up  sort of place.  Plus it is HOT in there, so don’t bring a bottle of wine and plan to stay for a while.

For pictures of the interior, check out Zagat’s recent post.

I tried ALL the “hot pockets” plus a few desserts…

I really wanted to try all of the 4 hot pockets ($4 each). The quad of pockets are: sausage and peppers, pesto, wild mushroom, and cheeseburger. I had to make a 2nd trip for the mushroom, since they ran out my first visit. It was worth it though, it was my favorite- intense mushroom flavor coming from the shitake/crimini combo. The menu says it also contains ricotta, but I didn’t really taste it. My second favorite was the cheeseburger; a simple ground beef, cheddar, and onion combo. It was the most empanada like. I enjoyed the pesto pocket, though the red pepper flavor stood out over the others. And as I am not a huge pepper lover, the sausage and pepper was my least favorite, though I enjoyed the garlicky of the house made sausage. Its just a personal taste thing.

I heated the pockets up myself in the toaster oven rather than wait for them to heat up in the oven at Kermit’s. Each pocket was flaky and had a good proportion of filling. I bet they would be even better deep fried….

I also tried the mustard bread, which is shown in the first image, it was just ok.

With the rows of sweet baked goods surrounding you, its hard to resist picking up a dessert or two. I tried the Kermit Hole ($3), a thin nutella filled cookie, an almond cinnamon pop tart ($4), and the salted caramel brownie ($4). The brownie was by far my favorite. It’s moist, with a crunchy layer, and the bit of salt for balance. It’s pretty perfect.

I am pretty excited to explore the Kermit’s menu further, especially the pizza. Not everything is home run, but there are enough fun baked things to keep you coming back.

THE + (What somebody who likes this place would say)

• Fresh baked goods for lunch and dessert
• Perfect brownie

THE – (What somebody who doesn’t like this place would say)

• Its hot in there

Kermit’s Bake Shoppe, 2204 Washington Ave, 267-639-4267