Midtown Lunch

 *new weekly feature for 2016: brief photo recaps + not lunch

I don’t even usually like cannolis, but a sugar craving led me to Cafe Crema in the Italian Market for a chocolate and nutella cannoli that blew my mind.

Cafe Crema, 1205 S 9th St, 267 928-4501

At Imli Indian Kitchen on E Passyunk, I was really impressed by their butter naan. Chicken tikka and chicken thigh kebabs are other good choices.

Imli, 769 E Passyunk Ave, 267 858-4277

In a different state, I did some more adventurous eating.

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Nanee’s Kitchen is a stall in Reading Terminal that I have overlooked. (I believe they changed stalls-  I recall a seafood stand being in this place a while back) I don’t usually visit the Terminal for Indian or Pakistani food. But, walking by en route to pick up produce, I noticed the chicken samosas- just the little snack I needed.

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A pre New Year round up of my favorites bites is a fun excuse to look back on each year of dining. It is also incentive to get down and hold the plank position until the ball drops.  Here are my 2014 eating highlights:

During my first overseas trip of the  year, I ate my way through Beijing, Xi’an, and Shanghai!

Soon after, I started giving Chinatown Food Tours! (if you still owe someone a belated Holiday gift, its not a bad idea!)

I wrote a few fun articles for Zagat, including one on shopping at “ethnic” markets.

On an outing to Graffiti Pier in Port Richmond, I put together a Polish picnic that you can replicate.

For my birthday, we celebrated with beer and a Puerto Rican Pork feast.

I coordinated a food truck festival for 15,000 people in Mt. Airy.

On a solo vacation in Mexico City, I ate a ton of street meat.

I was really proud of my Federal Donuts costume this Halloween.

Way more, after the jump…

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Lunchers: this Thursday, September 18th from 6-10:30pm is the Mt. Airy Street Fare. The evening with over 50 food trucks and local restaurants along Germantown Avenue. I have been working with Mt. Airy USA to put the festivities together and I would love to see you there. I have also been learning about Mt. Airy and its diverse food scene. Today, I want to share a lunch from one of the local restaurants that will be participating in Street Fare. 

Jyoti Indian Bistro is a family run restaurant  on Germantown Avenue. Every day, you can get a platter made up of a meat/chicken dish, a vegetarian dish, rice, roti, and a side salad for $8.50 (or 2 veg for $7.50). There are rotating specials along with some guaranteed staples like sag paneer and butter chicken. There are a few seats inside though it is predominately a take out spot.

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As the #2 most popular restaurant in the city of Philadelphia, Mood Cafe has a perfect score. What could possibly have an entire city so enthralled-crunchy bits, covered in a mix of colorful sauces, with vegetarian and meat options.  Mood Cafe serves chaat and lassis to the lucky people of West Philly and visitors. I didn’t realize until after I was finished eating here that the same intense guy also owns Desi Chaat House, which I enjoyed a few years ago. Both are located along Baltimore Avenue (in the 40’s) along with Desi Village that I have yet to visit, which makes me jealous that my neighborhood doesn’t have even ONE quick chaat take out shop for me.

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When  Spice End first opened, I ran over to check out the kati rolls and was pretty pleased, especially by the lamb kebab. On my revisit, almost exactly a year later, I intended to try a Spice End platter. However, the new 1 year anniversary lunchbox  caught my eye- a kati roll and biryani for $7.50. It is available Monday-Friday, during lunch.

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Last summer, Indeblue opened on the 13th street previously occupied by the Korean restaurant, Pastoral, I wanted to love but didn’t. Lunch service soon followed; it consists of a slew of familiar and modernized small Indian bites and a few larger entrees. In a city where there are several under $10 Indian buffets, how should we feel about a place where one small plate costs as much as all the Indian food you can eat?  I had been curious about the menu and had to take Indeblue up on their offer to have me in to try their lunch.

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