Midtown Lunch

This week I sent Luncher John on a mission to Day by Day.

I lived a block from Day by Day for a year and have worked in Center City for over a decade. I’ve even tasted Day by Day’s food through its catering service at wedding receptions. Still, until recently, I had never ventured to its restaurant location at the corner of 21^st and Sansom. Despite a couple of hiccups, Day by Day turned out to be a pleasant surprise, and I’ve wondered why I haven’t eaten there any earlier.

My first visit to Day by Day started off somewhat inauspiciously. I went on a Monday only to find out that it happens to be closed on Mondays. Strike one. After returning the next day to the 60 seat restaurant, I really felt like having the gazpacho soup that appeared so appetizing on a picture on its website. It turned out that the soup selections vary from week to week, and the gazpacho was not available for a couple of weeks. Strike two.

Putting those two early misgivings aside, I kept an open mind and perused the rest of the menu. There are more than twenty sandwich and entrée selections (most of them between $8 to $11), as well as soups and salads. I ordered up a small order of the fruit salad ($4.50). It was a refreshing dish on a hot day, with fresh and varied fruit such as pineapples, grapes, strawberries. Yes, the order was somewhat small for the price, as the waitress warned, but the dish was still satisfying a first course.

I then tried the tuna cheddar melt ($8.00), which is served on a croissant. The side of red bliss potato salad was well seasoned and hit the spot. Regarding the tuna melt, on one hand (literally and figuratively), it was tough to eat sandwich-style without getting hands messy. On the other hand, you definitely do not get cheated on the portion and taste. There’s cheddar melted over huge tomatoes, piled on top of ample tuna salad, all within the soft and warm croissant. All the parts make for a delicious sandwich. Factoring in the potato salad, this dish is a very good value.

One thing that must absolutely be complimented is the service. The waitresses are extremely friendly, and the food is served very quickly. Because Day by Day has a pretty regular lunch crowd (I have heard of at least one person who eats lunch there every day), it understands the importance of serving people as efficiently as possible. Given the quality of the food and service, I may yet be joining Day by Day’s regular crowd.

THE + (What somebody who likes this place would say)

• Extremely friendly and quick service
• Sandwiches are a good value with the side of red bliss potato salad

THE – (What somebody who doesn’t like this place would say)

• Closed on Mondays
• The tuna cheddar melt is messy to eat with your hands

Day By Day, 2101 Sansom Street, 215-564-5540