Midtown Lunch

For about a year now, several Reading Terminal purveyors have offered a $7 lunch special. Pearl’s Oyster Bar is located at the entrance of Reading Terminal with several counters for seating and a menu full of fried and raw seafood. Their lunch special consists of a soda, your choice of Manhattan or New England clam chowder, and a fried cod sandwich.

The fried cod piece (teehee) was very flaky and fresh tasting. I have very low tolerance for super fishy flavor, and there was none of that here. The sandwich would have been enhanced had more attention been paid to the ragged chunk of lettuce and thick cut slice of tomato. I appreciated the to- go mini containers of tartar and cocktail sauce.

Never one to say no to heavy cream, I went with the New England chowder. The consistency was suiting for lunchtime, not watery at all, but not so thick as to make you feel lethargic. As expected with this price tag, the soup was not full of clams, but it certainly tasted of clam and the small potato chunks made it hearty enough. I strangely enjoyed the thick oyster crackers that came with the soup.

Pearl’s menu features many other platters and sandwiches that fall under $10, but the whole combo of the soda and soup makes this a good deal.

Pearl’s also serves snapper (as in the turtle) soup, a Philly special that I have been scared to try. Are their fans of snapper soup out there?

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

• Flaky, fresh fried fish
• Decent, not overindulgent cup of chowder
• Smart take out packaging

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

• I don’t like big chunks of tomato and lettuce on my sandwich
• There could be more of the fish

Pearl’s Oyster Bar, 12th and Arch St, 215-627-7250