Midtown Lunch

• The gator gumbo impresses at Beck’s 30th St Station location [34th St]
• Neat, savory crepes are an “adventure for the taste buds” at Beau Monde [Philly Phoodie]
• Circles is debuting new Thai noodle soups [Foobooz]
• Tomorrow is the Philly Mobile Food Association’s Mobile food seminar [PMFA]
• On Tuesday, the prices for lunch at Day by Day is reduced to the 1981 prices for its anniversary [The Insider]

Today Luncher John forgets about calorie counting and checks out the fried fare at the new soul food spot in Reading Terminal

Last year’s demise of Delilah’s at Reading Terminal Market left a temporary void in soul food cuisine at the market. Fortunately for everyone, the KeVen Parker Soul Food Café now capably addresses the craving for good soul food. Opening up in January with a sleek, modern look in the exact same spot vacated by Delilah’s, the Soul Food Cafe takes up where its predecessor left off. KeVen Parker owns Ms. Tootsie’s on South Street, which is famed for its fried chicken, and he brings many of the same menu favorites to Reading Terminal.

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I didn’t really get Hiro Ramen, the less than a year old ramen spot on 11th and Chestnut. It almost seems like they are still in soft opening, though the actual soft opening was back in October. The website is virtually blank and there is no updated menu online. But I knew what I needed to know, they serve ramen. And since my goal is to try all of the ramen in Philly (Ramen Bar may be the only  spot I haven’t tried yet), I went to check Hiro off my list.

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• The Corner Foodery is open in Center City with some $10 sandwiches [Foobooz]
• Usually a slice or 2 is enough for me, but Takeru Kobeyashi eats a whole pizza in 1 minute. Kind of a turn on… is that wrong? [Slice]
• Mood Cafe has stewed curry meats but also vegan lassis [City Paper]
• A round up of Philly dumplings spots [Zagat]
• Thrillist checks out some food trucks: Just Jackie’s, Mac Mart, and The Cow and the Curd [Thrillist]

Paesano’s makes some of the best  sandwiches I have had in Philly. The attention to layering of flavors, the original sandwich spreads, and the brazen use of meats (fried livers?) make the difference. Having tried a whole bunch of what Paesano’s has to offer, when I saw a sandwich I didn’t recognize at the Italian Market location, I had to try it.

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