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 Rebecca, who shares a Magic Carpet obsession with her friend Rachel, who was profiled last week.

Name: Rebecca

Age: 21

Occupation: Student

Where in Philly do you Work?: University City

Favorite Kind of Food: Almost all Mediterranean. Sushi/maki, especially rolls that contain tuna. Anything with cilantro, and anything that combines peanut butter and chocolate.

Least Favorite Kind of Food: I know that this kind of goes against my whole love of Mediterranean food thing…but olives.

Favorite Place(s) to Eat Lunch in Philly: The staff at Magic Carpet Food Cart (36th and Spruce) tends to know my favorite order by memory: tofu meatballs and hummus over a salad. But their specials are all-around pretty fantastic, as is their tempeh. Egg white omelets with goat cheese at Metropolitan Bakery (40th and Walnut) are a pretty regular Friday feature, especially because their cherry jam is incredible. If I’m feeling particularly indulgent on a weekend I’ll go to White Dog (3420 Samson Street) for their smoked salmon eggs benedict. And for a post-lunch dessert, if I’m really lucky, I’ll go for the salted caramel budino at Barbuzzo (110 South 13th Street).

“Go-To” Lunch Place You and Your Coworkers Eat at Too Often? Gotta go with Magic Carpet.

Place you discovered thanks to Philly Lunch? Grocery. Really, I want everyone of their salads. Also, they give samples.

If you could work anywhere (just because of the lunch) where would it be and why? Mykonos Island. Best Greek salad — feta, tomatoes, and all — I’ve ever had, and absolutely the best views. I would not complain about working in Paris and eating copious amounts of almond croissants either. I’d also go back to Charlotte Street in London, where I lived last semester — Google calls it the Number One Foodie Street in the UK. Also, I’d love to work near to (or better yet in) a Whole Foods.

Is there anything you’d like to ask the Philly Lunch readers? Any must-try bakeries? There aren’t too many up near Penn, and I’m a big fan of cupcakes…

Cafe Clave in UCity has both savory and sweet baked goods like empanadas and bundt cake. Check it out!

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.