Posted at 10:02 am, January 29th, 2010 under Lunch Links.
Ugh, Jose is soo hot right now! Aren’t we all buzzing about the opening of Jose Garces’ new spot at 1111 Locust St? I know I am. I can’t help it, gotta support Philly’s Iron Chef. The Garces Trading Company will sell things that are dangerously tempting, including wine, cheese, and baked goods and if thats not enough, there will also be a cafe.
What can us lunchers expect? During the week, it will be open from 7am to 10pm, with lunch served daily starting at 11. According to their management, the cafe will offer sandwiches, salads, pizza, pasta, cheese, charcuterie, pastries, bread and coffee. I am keeping my fingers crossed for some under $10 lunches for us!
In a Meal Ticket interview, Garces said he was expecting to open November 15th. Now they say they are opening February 8th… what do you think from these photos? Will they be up and running by then?
Posted at 10:22 am, January 28th, 2010 under Jose Garces.
I went down another set of stairs this week for lunch, this time, for Moroccan sandwiches. Argan makes both vegetarian and meat sandwiches, as well as salads, and for some reason they also have a whole coffee menu.
Argan offers choices of meats, veggies, and spreads that can be combined in their lovely version of pita bread. Picking from the meat choices is harder than picking your favorite Victoria Secret model, good thing there are only 7 options here.
Posted at 9:52 am, January 27th, 2010 under Moroccan, sandwiches, Team Baba Ghanoush.
As is now customary at Philly Lunch, every Tuesday we turn over the site to a different lunch’er for his or her recommendations for the best lunch in Philadelphia. This week it’s Matt, a consultant who knows his deli sandwiches and is taking me to this Savoy deli place sometime soon, though he doesn’t know that yet…
Name: Matt
Age: 27
Occupation: Management Consultant / Resident foodie
Where in Philly do you Work?: 18th and Market…and wherever else in the world they send me (right now exploring Midtown East in NY — which is MUCH better for lunch than White Marsh, MD)
Favorite Kind of Food: Tough question. Nothing beats old school Russian Jewish food to me (kishke, kreplach, chopped liver, etc.) but that’s because I grew up on it. I also will always go for Japanese and Korean food as it’s pretty healthy and clean without sacrificing on taste. I love me a good arepa, although I haven’t checked out Sazon yet.
Least Favorite Kind of Food: Grapefruit. I don’t know what it is but I can’t do it.
Favorite Place(s) to Eat Lunch in Philly:In terms of generic sandwiches, the Reuben at Old Nelson Deli is surprisingly fantastic — they just get the balances down pat; the Brian at Coventry Deli (2000 Market St @ 20th) is another favorite (garlicky greens, pears, turkey, muenster on sourdough), and if I’m up for a walk, the turkey schwartzie at Primo’s is also solid. Gia Pronto makes a mean Chicken Parm, and Marco is a great guy — I’ve known him since he first opened the store at Penn.
Outside of that, I’m a huge fan of the falafel at Mama’s Vegetarian, the beef chow fun at Yue Kee Mobile Kitchen (if you’re there, it’s a good excuse to get some Stumptown coffee from Hub Bub next “door”), Magic Meatballs (with cheese and hot sauce) from Magic Carpet (I swear, you’ll forget it’s tofu), and the chicken torta at Tacos Don Memo. (3800 Sansom St. @38th St.) The Jerk Chicken at Gigi and BigR’s is pretty great too. If I’m really aggressive and can get to the terminal market, I’m getting me a plate of Sang Kee duck, rice, and greens and maybe having a peking duck roll on the side. Keeping under $10, I can live off two rolls and a miso soup from Vic Sushi (2035 Sansom St. btw 20th and 21st) any day of the week. I live in Rittenhouse so on Saturdays sometimes I’ll grab tamales from Savoy Flowers, just don’t be put off by the randomness of the deli. (262 S 18th St. @ Manning St.)
Posted at 9:30 am, January 26th, 2010 under PROFILE: Philly Lunch'er.
Through a door, passed a jewelry counter, down the stairs, and to the right of the grocery store is Tasty Place- serving cheap Chinese food. If you require a white table cloth to accompany your dining experience, this is probably not the place for you. I tried two dishes to feel the place out. I had no idea what to expect from the quality of the food here, but I was pleasantly surprised.
Photo Courtesy of Isaiah Thompson at City Paper
Posted at 9:30 am, January 22nd, 2010 under Lunch Links.
Jean’s Cafe is an unassuming spot for freshly made sandwiches of quality ingredients. I can’t quite decide whether the menu is adorable, crazy, or slightly irritating, but with spelling errors and items such as “Cheesy Coo Coo Steaky Hog ,” (that translates to chicken cheesesteak) it will at least entertain you while you wait for your order. I went with The Gobler, a large sandwich with Boar’s Head sliced smoked turkey breast, melted Swiss, bacon, coleslaw, lettuce, tomato, and Russian dressing served warm. Look how big it is! Check out The Gobler unwrapped, after the jump…
Posted at 9:26 am, January 21st, 2010 under East of Broad, sandwiches.
