Midtown Lunch

Allergies have got me coughing pretty much non stop. I desperately needed matzah ball soup earlier this week and would have had to wait until the weekend to get some from mom. In a sleep, itchy haze I stopped at Marathon (19th and Spruce) of all places and ordered their matzah ball soup to go ($5.50). The crazier thing, it was pretty good! Fluffy, light matzah ball and well seasoned soup.

Marathon, 1839 Spruce St, 215 731 0800

For a dinner party, I stopped at the sushi kiosk at H-Mart’s food court for a few rolls. They never dissapoint, with fresh seafood and very very fair prices.

I also picked up jajungmien at my usual spot, Mandu Roo, but got it as a combo with an amazing spicy seafood soup (all about that soup this week) for $8!!!! This is probably one of the best lunch combos to exist in Philly.

H-Mart, Upper Darby Terminal Square

I recently sent a tweet about a special breakfast off menu item that we tried on my Chinatown Food Tour and I got a few emails and messages about where to find it. I don’t keep things secret, I am all about sharing the edible wealth. For the unfamiliar, Jian Bing is a popular street breakfast crepe in China. But it tastes good any time of day.

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This week I got to try samples from Jansen, opening in Mt. Airy this month. The cured meat and cheese plate, pea soup shooter, oysters, perfectly cooked scallop, and bevy of desserts were spot on. This place is going to be off the chain.

I also previewed a burger creation one year in the making by Drexel Food lab, served at Sidecar. Food scientist worked on the right ratio of Casanova beef  to Race-West white mushroom and St. Lucifer spices to create a really delicious and healthier burger patty. The hope is this patty will get mass produced by a company that can scale it, be on the look out.

I also got to sample some of the menu at Nick’s in Old City. I dug the mac & cheese, pork slider, & Carolina style bbq sauce.

Casanova Meats beef, Race-West mushrooms, and St. Lucifer spices.

Next Friday, April 8th will be the Philly Showcase of Wine & Cheese  at the Pennsylvania Convention Center. This fun, upscale evening features hundreds of wines, cheeses, and specialty foods along with live entertainment and an enticing silent auction. Proceeds from the evening will benefiting the Boys & Girls Clubs of Philadelphia, an awesome nonprofit that I am sure you have heard of.  Last year over 3,000 people attended and they raised over $1.3million!

I am giving away a set of tickets. Post your favorite spot in Philly for CHEESE: restaurant or specialty shop. Mine might be Claudio’s in the Italian Market, especially when they are not too busy and can treat me to a slew of samples to help my decision.  Mancuso’s on E Passyunk is another super old school place to grab great homemade mozz and the sharpest, tongue tickling provolone.

I will pick a winner by Wednesday the 6th.

For more info on the event:

Showcase Tickets: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/2016-philly-showcase-of-wine-cheese-tickets-20035005240

Showcase Website: http://www.bgcphila.org/news-events/philly-showcase-of-wine-cheese/

Showcase Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/events/452401801615430/

Vendors Include:

·         The Bacon Jams

·         Cappuccio’s Meats

·         Carlo’s Bakery

·         Conshohocken Italian Bakery

·         Herb & Lou’s Infused Cubes

·         MoJo’s Pop Co

·         Oteri’s Italian Bakery

·         Primo Water Ice

·         Procacci Brothers

·         Saint Brian’s BBQ

·         Sweet Pea Ice Cream

·         The Tubby Olive

·         Uncle Ralston’s Homestyle Cooking

Hope to see you there!

Update 4/6

I love all of your comments: Dibruno’s, Weaver’s Way, Tria, Zavino, Green Aisle, and Tallula’s are awesome are we are lucky to have such great cheese sources in Philly.

We have a winner! The random number generator has selected commenter #14:  refinnej100

Congrats! I will be reaching out to get your contact information for the tickets.

Hope the rest of ya’ll will consider buying tickets and joining me, my sister, and refinnej100 this Friday! Remember, proceeds go to a great cause and cheese is great.

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

This week I tried out the casual Mexican spot, La Virgen de las Nieves. While I enjoyed the the tortilla making up the sope base, the carnitas topping was too fatty.

La Virgen de Las Nieves, 1839 S 8th St, 215 463-1059

Post camping trip at French Creek, we stopped at The Schnitzel House in Pottstown,  very no frills German diner. The spaetzle was too plain. The schnitzel was satisfying, though borderline burnt. The mustard stuffed housemade sausage was a winner.

The Schnitzel House, 181 W Schuylkill Rd, Pottstown,  (610) 705-8881

Closer to home and for a much later meal…

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

Up by the Elkin’s Park train station sits Alexander’s Cafe, a really cute little restaurant with a mostly American food, but I stopped in because I heard about a Polish section of the menu.

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

This week started off with a super random and fun evening- making dumplings with Han of Han Dynasty. I finally learned how to pleat!

I also tried happy hour at Alma de Cuba for the first time. It’s super dark in there, so no pictures. But I liked the classic mojito, the strange cuban sandwich on a stick, spinach empanadas, and alfajores- all reasonably priced.

I had a grilled cheese craving and grabbed a sandwich from Milkhouse on 19th Street. Totally fine but not at all worth the price. I should have gone to Meltcraft around the corner, right?

Milkhouse, 37 S 19th St, 267 639-4286