PhillyLunchBox

Bella Bistro

506 S 20th St
Philadelphia, PA 19146-1302
Phone: (215) 985-3222

Citipaper reviews Bella Bistro:

"For dessert, we enjoy banana spring rolls with a melting center that finds a home in the chocolate dipping sauce. The Lancaster poached pear with saffron and vanilla bean is dull; the raspberry and honey semifreddo with peach puree is also strangely lacking. The chocolate indulgence: Flourless dark chocolate cake with chocolate soup is definite overkill unless you're a hopeless chocoholic. I found the cake too dense -- more like fudge -- but some people will die over it. This may be the time for a sweet drink -- say, a s'mores martini that is made of Absolut Vanilia, cream and chocolate sauce, and sports a graham cracker rim. It takes our old campfire buddy to new heights."

I'm a sucker for a great desert.

Le Bus in the Park

135 S 18th St
Philadelphia, PA 19103-5228
Phone: (215) 569-8299

I dropped by "Le Bus" today and picked up a sandwich to eat in the park. Last year I was all over their sandwiches, but after eating there 3-4 times a week, I got a little tired of them. Well, I'm back on board. I had the "Dehli" sandwich, lightly toasted. It's great, it's basically chicken salad with curry. But what makes it really tasty is the freshly made bread with raisins and walnuts in it. Ummm...

Dropped by Capogiro on 13th and Sansom

Capogiro Gelateria
119 S 13th St
Philadelphia, PA 19107-4807 Phone: (215) 351-0900
Business Types: Ice Cream Parlors, Restaurants

If you like Gelato (and who doesn't?), you're going to love Capogiro. For those of you who don't know what it is, I found this nice summary on Mondo Gelato:

What is Gelato Most people do not know that ice cream was invented in Italy, developed by Sicilians using a freezing process involving ice and salt. In the 16th Century, a Sicilian monk, named Francesco Procopio, perfected this technique. The tradition of gelato making was passed on from generation to generation by gelato artisans. Today in Italy, Sicilian gelato is still regarded as the best gelato overall.

What is the difference between Italian gelato and North American ice cream? North American ice cream is made with a much higher percentage of air content and fat content. Premium brand ice creams are about 16% fat while super premium products are over 20% fat. A higher fat content gives a creamier texture, however the true flavors are masked. Gelato has much less air content, therefore smoother and very low in fat content (2-8% depending on which product). Gelato is also freezed less deeply, tastes lighter with an intense flavor. This is why after having gelato it feels less heavy than most North American ice creams.

We believe Italian Gelato should be enjoyed fresh. Our Gelato is made daily by hand only with premium ingredients. Unlike commercially produced Gelato, we do not add preservatives. Once people have experienced Gelato, it will become as well known as ‘pasta’ or ‘cappuccino.’

I stopped by yesterday for the fist time, and bought a small bowl (Pollacto?) of Gelato. I order the "La Colombe Moca" and the "chocolate and banana." It was fantastic. There were too many other flavors to mention. The only draw back, and it is a big one... It cost $4.55 for a small bowl. And it was SMALL! If I go back, I'm gonna get the pint, which was about $10.00.

Updates... Some Changes ..

I have added categories to this site, in order to add some organization to the Lunchbox. Not all of the posts are organized yet, because it is a time consuming process. But if you click on any of the cuisine categories, you should get some related posts.

Sorry about the lack of original content lately, but it's due to some budget constraints (hey, it's expensive to eat out daily). Also, I must admit, I've been slacking lately. So, please look forward to more Lunchbox reviews headed your way. BTW, we are still accepting guest reviews from anyone interested in donating to the Lunchbox.

Finally, I am open to any suggestions which you feel might make the lunchbox more helpful, useful, etc.

Thanks for visiting!

The Philly Lunchbox

Craig LaBan "breaking plates"

PLATE
105 Coulter Ave.,
Suburban Square, Ardmore
610-642-5900

The Inquirer's Craig LaBan reviews Plate:

"I expected better from owner David Mantelmacher and executive chef Tom Harkins, who do a fine job maintaining Circa as one of the better-quality values on Walnut Street's Restaurant Row. But their best intentions to create a stylish, affordable venue haven't translated clearly to the Main Line."

I don't eat outside the city much... I guess I am a "philitest!" Anyone try this place?

Speaking of Circa, I thought they were just a middle aged, post yuppie dating mecca?

Monk's - love them for more than just their frites

Citipaper has a great story describing how the owner uses old vegetable oil as a fuel.

"So it happened that in fall 2001, when he saw several containers of old fryer oil by the back door at Monk's Café in Center City, it struck him that vegetable oil equals fire, which equals heat. Couldn't old oil therefore be reused to good effect as fuel for, say, a greenhouse? He knew that crankcase oil and engine drain oil get reused to make heating fuel. "I thought, Why wouldn't vegetable oil burn in a regular waste-oil heater?' I knew there had to be a way to do it," he explains."

He's really thinking "out of the bun."

WARSAW CAFÉ

306 S. 16th St. 215.546.0204

Philadelphia Weekly reviews Warsaw Cafe:

Now fall has arrived with surefooted bluster, blowing in on crisp azure skies over Labor Day weekend as if to say, "Enough of this halfhearted, lame-ass summer nonsense. I'll show you a season that's not afraid of commitment!" And so we must adjust--rather quickly, it seems.

Luckily, we are blessed with dozens of cozy restaurants and pubs serving meaty entrees and dark lagers to ease the transition. But I've found none in this regard to surpass little Warsaw Café, whose simple red and gold sign hangs like a clockmaker's shingle a mere block from the Kimmel Center.

It sounds good, I haven't had Eastern and Central European in a while.. Well, not since Grandmom used to cook for me.

Please don't hurt'em Craig!

Carmella's

1 Leverington Ave
Philadelphia, PA 19127
(215) 487-1400

Craig LaBan pummels Carmella's with his lowest rating:

"The food, either way, was inexplicably lame. It's not a good sign when the best thing on the menu is a concoction called "Italian nachos," an homage to the old Arroyo that brought fried pasta chips topped with something akin to chicken a la King. Weird, but tasty."

Ouch!

Restaurant Week

Does anyone have any suggestions for Restaurant Week? It begins on tomorrow. I was hoping to check out the ribs at Roy's Hawian Fusion.

El Fuego - Review

El Fuego
723 Walnut St., 215-592-1901

I finally went to El Fuego Friday night for a quick meal before the Red Hot Chili Peppers concert. If you don't know by now, I am a big fan of Mexican food, even Taco Bell. El Fuego replaced my old favorite sandwich shop, Mezzafico. Much of the interior of El Fuego looks like the old Mezzafico interior, except they have new seating. They also hung some nice new modern blinds. Anyway, I ordered the chicken soft tacos, and my wife had the chicken quesadillas. We also ordered some salsa and chips, and I had a $2 Corona. I have to say overall, I thought the food was very good. The soft shells of the quesadillas and the tacos were excellent. The lettuce in the tacos was real fresh. The only gripe I have is that some of the tortilla chips were a little stale (I was pretty shocked, considering how fresh the tacos were), and the Salsa was nothing special. Mexican Post salsa is my personal favorite. My wife was not impressed at all (she will post in comments).

For a quick bite, and a drink, I highly recommend El Fuego.