Midtown Lunch

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 Amy, who gets to plan chili competitions and is looking for the best pork in town.

Name: Amy – Amaryllis (people know me as both)

Age: 29

Occupation: Development and EventPlanner for BigBite’s Philly Chili Bowl

Where in Philly do you Work?: 36th and Market

Favorite Kind of Food: My preferences are pretty diverse, but to be specific…I am in love with pork. That’s the love of my life. However, I have a few side mistresses: cheese,charcuterie, raw fish (oysters, ceviche) and plantains…prepared in any way,shape or form.

Least Favorite Kind of Food: Cucumbers. Ginger. Liver.

Favorite Place(s) to Eat Lunch in Philly: Sang Kee (several locations) shrimp steamed dumplings. I prefer to hop on the El and get my dumplings from the Reading Terminal Market location. They also have a great sesame chicken. New Delhi (40th and Chestnut). Thanks to my father, I can get down with buffets. They have a great $9 buffet with the Indian staples like tikka masala and mutter paneer. You also cannot go wrong with the mango ice cream. Outside of my work area, I enjoy Mixto (12th and Pine). Almost everything on the menu is very good, but the ropa vieja is great!! Pura Vida’s (6th and Fairmount) shredded beef tacos are awesome and so are the people. Morning Glory (8th and Fitzwater) does everyting well. Great cheddar chicken sandwich. For a weekend lunch, I recommend heading north and trying Tierra Colombiana (5th and Wyoming). They, in my opinion, have the best bistec encebollado (steak and onions) in the city.

“Go-To” Lunch Place You and Your Coworkers Eat at Too Often? In West you have food trucks galore. One that we enjoy is Magic Carpet (34th and Walnut). For a meat-eater, this cart is doing a good job of convincing me I could be a vegetarian. The tofu meatballs and the veggie chili kill it. The gang also enjoys Zocolo (36th and Lancaster). Great guacamole and tostadas. They recently changed their menu but we haven’t had a chance to explore it yet. Another common stop for us is Lemongrass (37th and Lancaster). A great Thai places with a awesome lunch special. You can get a three course meal as quick as you can say “put it on the company card”. All for $9 bucks. Can’t beat that when you have an hour for lunch. The coconut soup and lemongrass soup are wonderful. The beef thai basil, evil jungle princess and even the pad thai are all great!

If you could work anywhere (just because of the lunch) where would it be and why? France or Puerto Rico. I would definately say Chez Grand Mere (translates to “grandmom’s place”) in Aix En Provence in the South of France has been one of the best places I have ever eaten. Obviously, the French do what they do very well, and I love their views on food and the experience of eating. This family-owned restaurant is super friendly and love showcasing their local ingridients, flavors and culinary skills. I can go there every day. If not the South of France, I’d also love to live Puerto Rico, specifically Cabo Rojo, where you can find some of the finest seafood on the island. I would love to work and live on the beach and eat some amazing seafood every day!!

Is there anything you’d like to ask the Philly Lunch readers? I’m a sucker for pork. Where can I get some good pork in the city? It can be prepared any way or style. Can’t wait to hear some answers!

How about the pork sandwiches at Jake’s and DiNic’s? The pork chops at Empress Garden are a favorite of mine. El Principe does killer chicharon. But my favorite pork has got to be from El Fogon, all the way up at B and Venango. INSANE pork.

If you would like to be next week’s Profiled Philly Lunch’er (or know somebody you’d like to nominate), email me at jamie@midtownlunch.com.