Midtown Lunch

Way back in the day, after reading about a type of Indian food I had never heard of on the original Midtown NYC Midtown Lunch, I checked it out for myself and was hooked. Chaat means Indian “snack”, and  usually refers to a unique combo of crunchy dough things topped with a yogurt and tamarind sauce.  In Philly, I had assumed that the only place to get some without hoping on a bus back to NYC was all the way in University City. I just found out that the UCity Desi Chaat House opened up a location in the food court of The Bellevue this past winter. I hopped on those escalator stairs immediately with chaat on the brain.

Read more »

• Must have this sandwich now!!!! I have been requesting that tasso make it to Philly! Now in a tasso panini from Plenty in South Philly [Serious Eats]
• Phoodie is all about the Mexican Chicken Soup at Grocery while the weather is still chilly [Phoodie]
• We really could use some more good Thai food, so I was happy to hear Erawan is expanding to Chinatown [Meal Ticket]
• Row Home Eats agrees with us that the chicken lunch at Meme is worth checking out [Row Home Eats]
• Penn Appetit has only good things to say about Marrakesh Express [Penn Appetit]

While I may have gotten some sugah from my diner experience this week, I was craving some actual dessert. I had been meaning to try the Sugar Philly truck for many many months. Finally I made my way over to University City to check out their treats. The first lesson I learned was that college students love their macarons. So much so that many flavors were sold out by the time I arrived in the late afternoon. The chef even mentioned he might be moving towards a more macaron centered menu.

Read more »

This Saturday at 2pm, professional and amateur shuckers will be competing for cash prizes at the Oyster House (1516 Sansom St). The entrance fee is $5 which gets you access to the shucked oysters. Each contestant will be judged on speed and accuracy by Art from Foobooz, Drew from Meal Ticket, and yours truly. Don’t forget to say hi!

These are oysters collected and shucked by my Dad. I’d give him a good score.

I am not sure what possessed me to walk into the Midtown III Diner, but it may have been the hope that some older, gentle but sassy lady would call me ‘honey’. I knew that I wasn’t in for a fabulous meal and that didn’t stop me. I wanted to sit in a retro pleather booth and take a break for a while, forgetting that about the fact that I was in a busy part of a major city. Can you relate?

Read more »

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 Jen, a lawyer looking for patio dining.

Name: Jen

Age: 33

Occupation: Attorney

Where in Philly do you Work?: Federal Courts at 6th and Market

Favorite Kind of Food: Anything with pasta or noodles. Also, cheese.

Least Favorite Kind of Food: Fast Food

Favorite Place(s) to Eat Lunch in Philly: Veggie Lovers at 225 N. 11th street
has a fantastic $5.50 lunch special with huge portions & fresh ingredients. I’m also a huge fan of the daily-made pizza at Fork, etc., (306 Market Street), the amazing paninis at Café Ole (147 N.3rd) (which are half-price after 6pm), and Old City Coffee’s spinach, cranberry & goat cheese salads (221 Church Street). And of course, Reading Terminal Market. I will wait in line for the $5.50 red curry bowls at Little Thai Market any day.
Read more »