Midtown Lunch

 Hai Street Kitchen opened at the end of May and has been busy every since. Philly seems to be responding well to  oversized, sushi rolls made to order with traditional and non traditional ingredients.  I waited a bit for my chance to try them, the line out the door the first week was too much for a quick lunch break. When I went, the line was contained to the inside and moved fast.  Pick a protein, sauce, and vegetables or choose from 6 preset signature rolls. Set up like other build your own style places, you make your way down the counter as your ingredients are added to your roll.  

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 Du Jour  is a cafe located in the “Commerce Square” on Market Street. The menu looks like a lot of basic  sandwiches and salads all hovering over the $10 mark. But take out tacos, normally $11 are $6.99 on Tuesdays.

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The restaurant industry can be chaotic. Its nice to know that some places are not going anywhere.  Su Xing is definitely on that list. A favorite lunch spot of meat eaters and vegetarians, the place always has a solid lunch crowd. Lunch specials, which include soup, rice, and a side, max out at $8.

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 Devon & Blakely opened in the Spring of 2013, bringing another mostly generic lunch option to city workers. Expect soups, salads, sandwiches that cost about $2 more than they should due to the location and convenience. While I take my lunches seriously, every once in a while convenience is the priority.

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A few years ago I loved my sandwiches and sides at Plenty on E. Passyunk. I was all for the opening of its 2nd location at 16th and Spruce. Its 2 floor space gets pretty busy at peak hours, so you might had to plan on a take out order. The menu has the same coffee bar, breakfast, sandwich and salad configuration as the Passyunk spot. Though the ownership changed a year after my visit and the sides are no longer on the menu, the two sandwiches I loved are still there. But I wanted to try some new things.

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While I sometimes drink questionable amounts of beer at Drinker’s, I have yet to venture in to Devil’s Alley next door. Today, Luncher John lets us know we should be trying their wings. 

It’s a fact: Center City does not have a plethora of places west of Broad Street serving good barbecue. Perhaps the best such option is Devil’s Alley. Located just a couple blocks north of Rittenhouse Square at 19th and Chestnut, Devil’s Alley may seem like a typical bar and grill with a varied menu and beer selection. What separates Devil’s Alley from the rest is how well it executes its barbecue dishes.

Even though its building is somewhat narrow, Devil’s Alley certainly maximizes its space. It has two floors with outdoor seating during good weather. Glass doors on both floors can also open up on warmer days (they will be here, though its hard to remember that this week), making it appear more spacious. The limited space is evident in the bar area, where there’s not really much room for people to stand between the bar and staircase.

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I am a big pig and have eaten hundreds of exciting lunches this past year. I am both grossed out and proud of myself when looking back at all the damage. I wrangled up my favorites of 2013 to share.

January started the year off strong, with peirogi’s from Donna’s smokey bar, Caribbean platters from Little Delicious, tom yom beef jerky from Ratchada, and the gooey mac and cheese brisket sandwich from MeltKraft.

In February, the Uzbeki meal from Samarkand was pretty legendary.

Taco truck, Taco El Rodeo was a pleasant surprise in April.

Pennsylvania 6 did the fancy business lunch right for me in May. Less fancy, but still satisfying: Poi Dog cart’s fried chicken and Campo’s monster of a meat sandwich called “The Stockyard”. Plus, this month brought the opening of Sizzling Woks (called Xi’an Famous Foods then), which meant slippery, spicy liang pi noodles in my mouth.

In June, I was obsessing over the lamb tacos at Border Springs Farm.

The meatball sandwich at Corner Foodery and the beef sandwich at Pura Vida were stand outs. Slightly more upscale, I loved the grilled pastrami and mac and cheese at Twisted Tail.

The meaty torta from American Sardine Bar and meaty burrito bowl from Animo  provided tasty protein in August.

September is beautiful in Philly. Perfect for a picnic provided by Talula’s Daily. I was also overjoyed to find pupusas at Tamalex. I also ate a large amount of pork from Freddy and Tony’s.

The sandwiches at El Soto and cheesy tacos from Quetzally satiated Mexican cravings for October. I was also in love with the bread from High Street and much of the Cambodian snacks at Kavei Express.

Rounding out the year; in the past 2 months I was impressed by the dim sum at Wokano, the Godfather sandwich from Cosmis, and the soup dumplings from I-Green.

I think its time for a salad. Please keep your fingers crossed that I fit in to my New Year’s Eve dress tonight. So- What were your favorite lunches this year?