Midtown Lunch

In December, The Kibbitz Room changed owners and became Schlesinger’s. Luckily, Center City did not lose out on a Jewish style deli, the general gist of the restaurant has been maintained. But the hours of been expanded and the menu has grown a bit.

I stopped by to check out the quality of the deli sandwiches. But the question on my mind was a serious one, what became of the briny heaven that I loved about Kibbitz Room, what happened to the pickle bar?

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Today, we are getting a report from profiled luncher Stephanie about a colorful dumpling platter and secret spot for coffee in Chinatown.

Tucked away at the edge of Chinatown on 9^th Street is a little eatery called Ray’s Cafe and Tea House. Unassuming and charming, Ray’s Cafe has been a neighborhood establishment since 1989, serving up delicious Taiwanese food, carefully curated teas, and a selection of truly remarkable coffee.

Scanning the menu for options, including standard lunch specials and a few enticing Taiwanese staples, I noticed that Ray’s Cafe leaned more towards home-cooked dishes you would find at an aunt’s house rather than restaurant fare. In fact, proudly printed on the menu was a health-conscious blurb that read: “No MSG and 0G Trans Fat!” — a practice more Taiwanese restaurants should implement.

When I noticed a section devoted to dumplings, my taste buds began to salivate. The simple dumpling often gets overlooked at restaurants, disguised as an appetizer or accompanying side. However, in Taiwanese cuisine, dumplings are much regarded as a meal in itself – and an especially auspicious food choice during Chinese New Year! I ordered the dumpling sampler, an assortment of ten handmade dumplings, featuring five different flavors, for $8.50.

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As is 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 Michelle, the new Yelp Community Manager for Philly.

Name: Michelle

Age: Let’s just go with late twenties…

Occupation: Community Manager, Yelp Philadelphia

Where in Philly do you Work?: Technically speaking, I get to work from home (Graduate Hospital), but I am all over the city at any given moment!

Favorite Kind of Food: My grandmom’s Polish and German cooking (pierogi, kielbasa, pork and sauerkraut with a side of mashed potatoes and gravy) is tops. When dining out I’m all over the place with the types of food I like: New American, Northern Italian, Mediterranean, Thai, Mexican, Sushi, you name it. I’m also a junk food connoisseur.

Least Favorite Kind of Food: Fennel is my nemesis and I despise beets. I also have a very ambivalent relationship with asparagus.

Favorite Place(s) to Eat Lunch in Philly: Han Dynasty: spicy cucumbers and dan dan noodles, always. Paesano’s II: pretty sure it’s a special, but the smoked turkey, sharp provolone, arugula, roasted red peppers and garlic mayo sandwich is crazy good. Good Dog: the Good Dog burger with sweet potato fries and garlic aioli dipping sauce. On weekends: Pub & Kitchen for a spicy pulled pork sandwich, fish & chips with mushy peas or pretty much anything else Jonny Mac whips up. I’m also dying to try the fried chicken Thursday lunch at Mémé. [Ed. Note: Me too, lets go!!!]

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Last April, Cooperage opened inside the Curtis Center. I had never been inside the impressive Curtis Center before, but choosing the wrong entrance allowed me to look around. The Cooperage has a disjointed, cowboy decor that at the very least, gives your eyes different things to focus on, whether it be the disco mirror wall panels or the wood chandeliers. For lunch, sandwiches, soups, and salads are on the agenda with a pick 2 option for $10.  Whenever given the choice of sticking to one thing, or picking the combo- I am going to go for the combo. All of the lunch menu was available for the pick two except the burger and the crabcake, since  a half version of those would look pretty weird. I had to look no further than the first sandwich listed on my clipboard menu- short ribs!

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Photo Courtesy of David Kover

• Plenty is open and serving charcuterie sandwiches, fancy fancy [Meal Ticket]
• The pizza at Ikea doesn’t compare to the famous meatballs [Slice]
• Big juice burgers at Sketch [A Hamburger Today]
• A list of healthy lunches…. do we approve? [PhillyMag]

Over the last few weeks, I’ve realized that the King Kabob truck has returned to 38th & Spruce.  The cart has apparently been open for a few years, but was on hiatus last semester because of a change in ownership.  Now that King Kabob is back, I decided to give it a try with a few friends.