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

Hungry for tacos in Nolibs, I steered my group towards Que Chula Es Puebla.  Its one of those no -frills taco spots that are more common in South Philly. The staff happily accommodated our big group and our big bottles of tequila. To start, fresh guacamole and a goblet of mixed seafood in a tomato sauce.

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• The Dutch has opened and serves all day brunch, I like sounds of the savory scallion waffle with creamed chipped beef [The Insider]
• Fine Palate now serves lunch on Friday [Fine Palate]
• Spruce Harbor’s food offerings this upcoming season include tacos, sausages, and short rib fries [Foobooz]
• I am very excited that Philly is finally getting a poke restaurant [The Insider]

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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Dim Sum Garden has been a Chinatown staple for as long as I can remember. In 2014 some ownership drama went down and the 1th Street original, dive-y, by the bus station location was closed and a more visually appealing Dim Sum Garden opened on Race St leaving questions about what would come of the original storefront. Quite recently though, the 11th St spot re-opened and rebranded as Tom’s Dim Sum. Both locations still serve soup dumplings and noodles along with other classic dishes.

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• Hai Street is opening another location AND a ramen spot inside Liberty Place this spring [The Insider]
• Vetri is now serving $85 lunches on the first Friday of every month. Who wants to treat me? [The Insider]
• Or for something less pricey, 26 North has started a $20 lunch prix fix [Foobooz
• Loft District workers will now have access to rotating food trucks for lunch Wed-Fri [The Insider]

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.