Midtown Lunch

The list of peanut butter sandwiches posted outside drew me into Cafe Loftus. More a coffee shop than anything, but it also fills in that peanut butter sandwich niche. I was hoping for sweet-ish bread and pillowy peanut butter with fresh add-ins. It didn’t quite meet my expectations, but it is at least another vegetarian lunch option and an easy thing to grab with your expensive machiatto.

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So many Profiled Lunchers have recommended vegetarian paradise Su Xing House, it is silly it took me this long to go. I guess my excuse is that I prefer some meat with my lunch. Chinese food without some sort of pork product seems sad to me. But they have to be doing something right, since everyone seems to love it.

The lunch specials are awesome- for about $7 you get served your main dish, rice, soup, and a side. It is a lot of food.

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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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Photo Courtesy of VittlesVamp

• Apparently, Philadelphians love to chat about food [Chicago Tribune]
• Denise’s jerk chicken gets some love [VittlesVamp]
• Leban gives Trading Co. 3 bells [Inquirer]
• Out of bounds languid garden lunch at The Green House Cafe [Philadelphia Weekly]
• A global- vegan spot just opened on South St… can someone else check this place out for me? I don’t know if I can handle vegan sushi [Meal Ticket]

Today we are getting a report on two funky food  trucks on the Philly streets from Profiled Luncher Matt.

For the past year, I’d heard lots about Honest Tom’s Taco Truck, but never found myself near Drexel around lunch time.  A couple of months ago, they started parking in Center City on Fridays with Fish Tacos (they’ve since added Chicken and Sweet Potato tacos on Wednesdays) at their 18^th and Vine location.

The menu at Honest Tom’s is small – one or two types of tacos per day (although they say they will soon add breakfast tacos), plus Stumptown iced coffee and lemonade.  Tacos go 2 for $5, with drinks at $1.50.

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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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Somehow I had made it though life without ever trying Maoz. Yes, they are a chain, but any chain with such an extensive selection of as much pickled items as I can fit in my pita is really ok by me. I got the “meal deal”, the falafel in pita which comes with fries and a soft drink and went with $1 upgrade to get a fresh carrot juice instead.  You are free to stuff that pita with whatever is out on their salad bar.

The pickled carrots won my heart over. I also liked the slaw and beets. I made sure to pack the veggies in there.

Check out how big it is…

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