Midtown Lunch

I was upset at first when I heard that S &H Kebob house, a favorite South St cheap eats Turkish spot, had turned into Leziz Turkish. But, luckily it was just the name that changed. The menu is intact. And lunch specials are still under $10  including my favorite dish- the manti. I made a return trip to try some of the other lunch specials, like the lamb shawarma.

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The last lunch date of my Israel travel friends at Mamma’s was very successful. We wanted a new place to try when we all got together again. After doing some online research, I found out that the speciality food store Bitar’s also serves Middle Eastern food. A long walk to Federal street worked up our appetite.

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Today, recently Profiled Luncher Rachel checks out a new food truck in UCity.

At Penn, people think they are food cart experts. You constantly overhear conversations about “my regular order at Bui’s, or how “Obviously the people at Magic Carpet  know me.” That being said, new food carts on campus are no small deal, especially this one. When I heard that Marrakesh, a restaurant previously a little further west than I’d probably venture, gave up its storefront for a food cart closer to campus, I could not wait to be one of the first to try it. People who knew the place raved, and people who though they new food carts (me included) got very excited.

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I was in the mood for shwarma, so I stopped by Kamal’s in Reading Terminal. The menu is exactly what you would expect: falafel, shwarma, dips, etc. with options in platter or sandwich form. How could you mess up shwarma, right?

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It was finally a less sweltering day, so lunch at Love Park was perfect. But where to eat? Right on the corner was the self-proclaimed King of Falafel. Although after experiencing what the King is capable of, I might proclaim him that as well.

The tiny cart serves vegetarian and meat sandwiches, platters, and sides. You know what to expect- gyro, hummus, falafel… all that jazz, except done right.

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The pictures on the walls of Hamifgash caught my eye as I walked by recently, with promises of both Israeli and Turkish food and some intense giant pictures of shwarma. Unfortunately for me, it was Shabbot and the kosher restaurant was closed. I vowed to return on a less holy day.  On my return trip, the waitress, who must have also been an owner, told me she was Israeli, while her husband is Turkish- explaining how the combo restaurant came about a few years ago.  The menu leans more towards the Israeli influence, though  the main courses of grilled meats are typical to Middle Eastern cuisine in general. A few Turkish appetizers are squeezed in there, but I wish there were more. I was hugely disappointed when I found out they no longer sell lahmacun (Turkish meat pizza). The waitress explained there was just no real customer interest. That is a real shame- so I urge all Philly lunchers to get down to Hamifgash and request for lahmacun- dough, meat, spices, what is not to like about that? Great lunching potential that we are missing out on.

But on to the food they do serve…

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I went down another set of stairs this week for lunch, this time, for Moroccan sandwiches. Argan makes both vegetarian and meat sandwiches, as well as salads, and for some reason they also have a whole coffee menu.

Argan offers choices of meats, veggies, and spreads that can be combined in their lovely version of  pita bread. Picking from the meat choices is harder than picking your favorite Victoria Secret model, good thing there are only 7 options here.

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