Archive for November 2014

Lunch Links (The “Enjoy your Thanksgiving Feast” Edition)

  •  Hai Street and Jake’s, two places I really enjoy, are both opening 2nd locations soon in University City [The Insider]
  • Another good meal at newcomer, Nan Yang [Phila Weekly]
  • A Q & A with the owner of the awesome and tiny cheese and meat shop, Philip Mancuso [City Paper]
  • Love fries? Here are 20 to try [Eater]

Kimchee Fried Rice Balls at Kidari

Kidari Sushi Yatai is one of those harmless neighborhood sushi places that you remember to check out when your Groupon for dinner there is expiring. Not that I haven’t had a decent sushi meal there, but you know what I mean. So, when I walked by and saw new lunch specials including one that incorporates bacon and kimchee, I was excited.

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Lunch Links (The “Steam Table is the Best kind of Table” Edition)

  • Well this is about as exciting as food news gets for me- a Latin steam table style spot is coming to South Street [The Insider]
  • New bagel shop, Knead, has kimchee cream cheese [Penn Appetit]
  • 22nd and Philly recommends Hai Street, The Rib Stand, and Mama’s for a quick lunch (and I agree) [22nd and Philly]
  • Zagat Philly completed a massive restaurant survey and compiled useful lists, like this one of favorite sandwich spots [Zagat]

A Borsch and A Steam: Mastering the Southampton Russian Bathhouse

For a truly unique adventure that combines relaxation and ethnic food, consider a drive north and east of the city to the Southampton Russian Bathhouse. During the week, the space is open from 11am until 11:30pm (closed Mondays). Admission is $35 which allows you access to the different sauna and steam rooms, tanning bed, Swiss showers, a cold plunge bath, a pool, and a jacuzzi.  The balcony restaurant will serve you lunch or dinner without needing to pay the entrance fee, however we ate poolside and were able to leave our snacks at our table to nibble at in between sauna sessions.

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The Tastes of South Philly in Center City With Ellen’s Bagels, Hoagies & More

Luncher John is at the Bellevue Food Court this week for sandwiches

While not widely known even among Center City workers and residents, The Bellevue, located at Broad Street and Walnut Street, sports a quality food court known as the Eatery. With only three chains among its eleven establishments, the Bellevue Eatery features plenty of local flavors and eateries. One long-standing spot is Ellen’s Bagels, Hoagies & More, which has had a presence at the Bellevue for almost ten years. And just as the name implies, Ellen’s serves up breakfast, sandwiches, and a lot more.

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Lunch Links (The “Spicy Sausage and Spicy Curry” Edition)

  • College kids love Nan Zhou noodle soup, of course they do! [Penn Appetit]
  • Maglio’s is opening a market in South Philly with prepared Italian food [Foobooz]
  • Philly Lunch Hour tries sator beans and spicy curries at Circles [Philly Lunch Hour]
  • West Philly is getting a beer and pizza spot- Clarkville [Eater]

TT Skewer, Northern Chinese Style Street Food Cooked from the Heart (and yes, they serve heart)

Back in February, I spent time filling my stomach with street skewers from different parts of China.  Its an experience that we haven’t really replicated here in Philly. City government wouldn’t exactly allow nightly open markets of food prepared on outdoor equipment with questionable sanitation levels. Newcomer, TT Skewers, is trying to bring at least a snippet of that to Philly.

Located on 9th Street in a teeny tiny space with only counters for sitting, TT Skewers is run by a very friendly couple from Northern China, the Liaoning province to be precise.

The menu has skewers and hotpot. Use a pen to check off what you want your meal to look like.

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