Midtown Lunch

Today Morgan is reporting on the semi- fancy, semi- chain, Le Pain Quotidien, the name of which I could not pronounce even with a gun pointed to my head.

The first PA location of Le Pain Quotidien opened in Philadelphia on January 19th. Think classy, organic Cosi with a liquor license (eventually). You can be seated and served by a waiter, or order food, pastries, and beverages to go.

Truthfully, I was a little hesitant about trying out LPQ. I checked out the online menu of soups, salads, and open-faced sandwiches and only counted 7 selections under $10 for lunch. Of these, none really appealed to me. I was pleasantly surprised, though, when I actually arrived at the restaurant. There were way more selections within the Midtown Lunch price range than the menu let on. There was a cold case of prepared sandwiches and salads (all <$10). A menu next to this case listed all their to-go selections which included several more items under $10. Also, a black board on the wall listed the current selection of take-out baguette sandwiches and these were just $7.50 a piece. That seemed to be the way to go.

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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 Phil, who clearly loves his matzah ball soup.

Name: Phil

Age: 28

Occupation: Marketing “stuff”

Where in Philly do you Work?: Center City

Favorite Kind of Food: Pizza, Schmitters [Ed. Note: I had to look this up, apparently it is a beef sandwich with fried onions] and anything with ketchup on it.

Least Favorite Kind of Food: Anything my grandmother cooks, except for her baked and re-baked potatoes

Favorite Place(s) to Eat Lunch in Philly: Marathon Grill,  Matzah ball soup. Schlessinger’s, formerly known as the Kibitz Room.
Delicatessan . . . . I think you get my favorite lunch concept.

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• The veggie plate at P.O.P.E. is as guilt free as it is tasty [Two Eat Philly]
• In honor of the Philles season starting soon, Jake’s Sandwich board has added 4 new (or previous offered for a limited time) sandwiches on the menu. I am looking at the “slow roasted turkey breast, smoky grilled bacon, cranberry apple spread, savory brown gravy and crispy potato pancakes” [Grub Street]
• The Far from Home truck started serving at Love Park his week with kinda weird but tempting burgers, hot dogs and…. empanadas! [Phoodie]
• An organic/green burger place is coming to South St [Meal Ticket]

Harmony Bakery is my #1 obsession of the moment for the fresh strawberry smoothie with yogurt bubbles in them. Since trying them in November I have been make countless times to get my bubble fix. Along with my regular order, I recently tried some more of the food on the menu and I was pleasantly surprised.

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This week Profiled Luncher Lauren went to check out the empanadas at Cafe Clave in University City.

There’s almost nothing I love more than a good empanada. I’ve had Cafe Cláve on my to do list ever since its mention in Daily Candy over two years ago, but I’ve tried my best to avoid empanadas in an effort to protect my waistline. After reading that the cafe’s empanadas were actually baked and not fried, I decided to give them a try.

Cafe Cláve is a cuban coffee shop on Locust street between 43rd and 44th, a great block that also boasts Koch’s Deli, a favorite spot for some of the biggest and best sandwiches in Philly. Open in 2003/2004, the spot changed hands to the Green Line Cafe, but returned to its original concept in October of 2008. I stopped by this week for lunch and was really impressed with the decorated interior and community vibe. The friendly server was chatting with many of the patrons and I heard her ask a few times if they wanted “the usual.” The crowd was a good mix of people who were hanging out for lunch and students doing work. For those looking to work on their laptops, the cafe has an outlet at every table.

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