Midtown Lunch

It’s completely normal to travel over an hour in the South for good BBQ. But in the North East, we don’t really do that.  I would guess it is mostly we are spoiled with a lot of great food options within a mile radius. I stumbled upon Jesse’s Barbecue and Local Market while looking for a substantial meal the day after a friends wedding in Landsdale.

Jesse’s seemed like it was in the middle of nowhere (sorry, Soudertonians), but it was love at first sight, with the wooden shack to order from and smokers just beyond the seating area.

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• Can you find me in this Street Fare photo recap? [Philly Mag]
• Breaded chicken in an Italian sandwich is possible at Taproom on 19th [Philly Weekly]
• Really lovely pictures of Southgate [Foobooz]
• Some tempting details to get you excited for Rooster Soup [Zagat]

What’s better than all the best food trucks and live music on a Thursday? Those things + me. Maybe you know this, maybe you don’t- I work for a non profit and today is the big event I have been working on for months, the Mt. Airy Street Fare. So, if you are anywhere in Philly, you should come! I hand picked the trucks after all.

Complaining about the lines? Don’t be a loser. Grab 3 friends, get beer, split up in to groups of 2 so you have someone to chat with on the line, order enough for the 4 of you and share.

Look what I am going to do for you- an annotated guide to all 50 trucks!

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There have been a lot of new bubble tea places popping up in Chinatown and I am not into it. While I do like tea, and appreciate a good tea shop, I’d rather the spaces be occupied by something else. Mostly, I am just not a bubble tea person. I was when I was a kid, but now I find the chewy tapioca balls in my tea just get in my way. (The one exception is the yogurt popping bobba, but this place says they do not carry it)

So I was walking towards one of the newest shops- Vivi Bubble Tea and didn’t think much of it. But then a hot dog caught my eye. The drink menu behind the counter also had a small section of snacks.

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• Opening: Lil Pop Shop [The Insider]
• Open: Stargazy [Zagat]
• and Meltkraft [Foobooz]
• Closing: Tashan [Eater]
• And speaking of opening and closing (that’s a book of life New Year’s reference for ya) a Rosh Hashanah dining round up! [Uwishunu]

We all know the Italian Market is 50% the Mexican Market, and I don’t mind, I like it all. But, when there is something even slightly more “novel,” I am all about it. Thus, when I noticed Moctezuma at 9th and Washington served Honduran along with the standard Mexican menu, I immediately stopped my produce shopping and went inside.

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While I tend to do most of my Chinese eating east of Broad, Chili Szechuan has earned a reputation for legit Chinese food in West Philly. With jellyfish, kidney, and duck lips on the menu,  Chili Szechuan is not catering to basics. I ordered take out from the 42nd and Chestnut Street location.

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