PhillyLunchBox

Berkserker Cuts A Slice Out Of Alex's Pizza

Alex's Pizza
Leverington & Mitchell Streets
Philadelphia, PA 19128

I stopped by Alex's in Roxborough on Saturday night with my best friend, who I hadn't really hung out with in two years (long story, my fault). Turns out that our friendship is still intact (yes!), but alas I can't say the same for Alex's pizza.

I've been going to Alex's since the 1970's. The most memorable trip was a basketball championship celebration - our team of 8-12 year olds had won the local title at the rec center.

Our coaches piled about 20 of us kids into Alex's ultra-tiny corner shop, where there's still no seating - it's all take-out. We ate in anyway, having the time of our lives, throwing down about 20 pizzas.

Alex's changed hands a couple years ago. I heard that it sold for 1 million, and that was just for the business, not the building too. I'm not sure I believe all that, but it makes for some good gossip around the 'Borough.

The pizza is mostly the same - thin crust, relatively small in diameter, slightly sweet sauce, and a circular swirl of the cheese and sauce throughout the whole pie. I do find the sauce to be a bit sour lately, but that didn't stop me last fall from discovering that I could still eat an entire pie in one sitting - I'm not sure if that's a good thing, but it's there.

The biggest change is in the staff; and not just the names but the demeanor. The counter girl is just awful - she's been surly and just plain miserable every time I've been there. It's as if they took the most horrible candidate they could find, and stuck her up front because they didn't know what to do with her.

But, I don't blame here, I blame the owner/manager - they gotta see her bad 'tude, but they still let her answer the phone and deal with the walk-ins. Guys, even if she's family, get her out of there, she's costing you business. I hear this from lots of people that I've talked to in the neighborhood.

I miss John, the former owner, who was always there, behind the counter working as the sauce guy, saying hello to every single person who walked in, and - just as important - sincerely thanking everyone as they left with their pies (and it's only pies - they sell nothing else).

And the older lady who worked the counter - her sweet, grandmotherly persona always made the long wait on Friday nights that much more bearable. What a sweet woman, real old school.

So, if you can get past the grumpy counter gal and the sometimes sour sauce, Alex's might still be worth the trip and the wait. For me though, I might be done with the place for a while. But not so for my friendship with my buddy, we're back on track...

Berkserker Reviews Minar Palace

Minar Palace
1605 Sansom St.
Philadelphia, PA 19103
(215) 564-9443

Berserker spices up Minar Palace:

I went to Minar twice in the past week, and just had to write about it. Actually, I had been there a few months ago, but I'm just getting to the review now.

It's a good thing too, because in the past visits, there was a funky smell in the basement-floor seating area, like the kind of odor you get with a wet basement in an old house. I'm happy to report now though that the smell isn't there anymore, hooray...

I've had a couple India friends along for most of the trips to Minar, and they both agreed that this India food is the real deal. They're both from south India, where they eat chili peppers like Hershey's kisses, so they like their food spicy as hell (me too, although I'm merely from Manayunk).

Unlike many Indian places, Minar's setup is not buffet - you order at the counter. The whole setup has the feel of a walk-in pizza shop, which I like, and, I suspect, so does the rest of the lunchtime crowd - these office people like speedy service. The girl at the counter, and the guy too for that matter, could use some happy pills, but the heat from that kitchen is brutal, so it's partly understandable.

These are the dishes ordered in the two visits:
Chicken Tikka Masala*
Chicken Korma
Kofta Curry
Chicken Biryani

*(masala means "spice", for you goras...)

The portions are really big, American-style, so you will not leave the place hungry. There's a measly little salad included, but it's not worth the plastic it's served on.

But, I do love the free water downstairs, which can help save you money on drinks. Mr. Lunchbox said the huge old jug looks like it survived World War II (I'd say the civil war - India's, that is!)

There is a side cup of 'yogurt' included with every meal. You take small spoonfuls of this right into your mouth, to cool down the spices. I had the same thing in Nepal, but over there it was very sour.

Overall, a real nice place to get cheap, tasty Indian food, with no frills...

Matyson Reviewed

Matyson
37 S 19th St
215.564.2925

Berkserker likes more than just the food at Matyson:

Stopped by Matyson for lunch today with Mr. Lunchbox. Classy place on 19th Street, lots of money there. I felt a tad under-dressed in my fleece top and corduroy pants, but we still got treated like royalty.

Our first impression of the place was the hostess, a beautiful, tall young blonde woman, dressed in black skirt, black hose, and big heels. I didn't notice this until we sat down and had our bread - but she had an incredibly sexy hole in her hose (about the size of a half-dollar), at the back of her left knee. The hole may have been by design, but alas Mr. Lunchbox and I agreed that we aren't fashionable enough to know these things.

Our waitress Linda was perfect - professional, prompt, and very pleasant despite a crowd that became overflowing by the time we left the place. And, she even laughed when she took away the chocolate wrapper left by Mr. Lunchbox, who stole one from the hostess station on the way in.

Well, my trout sandwich started out mushy and disappointing. But, things turned around when I took the fish off of the bread, put it on the plate and just ate it like an entree. After eating the fish by itself, I then returned to the pumpernickel rye bread, and polished it off with gusto. It had a mild mayonnaise-ey spread on it that I liked a lot.

I told Mr. Lunchbox that they should serve these things separately - the bread and the fish - because they taste much better apart then together. Well, when leaving the place - just to fast-forward a little - we had a very Seinfeldian moment, when Mr. Lunchbox noticed that the guy at the next table was doing the same thing - eating them separately! Keen, Mr. Lunchbox, keen...!!

The only real negative with Mathyson is the noise, it's just loud as hell there. We could barely hear the mood music playing. Mr. Lunchbox said the acoustics sucked, but I thought the sauce was fine - it was the damn noise I couldn't stand.

I tried a bite of the New York Strip sandwich that Mr. Lunchbox ordered. The taste was divine, I'd definitely order it the next time I go - and there will be a next time for this place, perhaps when my hunnie from Ecuador flies in next month....

But I digress...Actually, I'm done...Bon Appetite!!!

The Corner Bakery Rocks

Corner Bakery Store
1701 Market St
Philadelphia, PA 19103-2903
Phone: (215) 569-2533

Berkserker is NUTS about The Corner Bakery!

I first learned about Corner Bakery (corner of 17th & JFK) from the catering they did for some meetings at my company. I went there myself a few times for coffee in the mornings, then this week I had lunch there two days a row with two work friends, including Mr. Lunchbox himself.

Whoever designed their entire process/people-flow knew what they were doing. Despite the huge crowds that come in at lunch everyday, they handle them with ease.

When you walk in, there is an aisle that funnels you to the ordering counters. But before you get the counters, there are cases of food, beverages, and soups (did I miss something?) for those who want to get a quick bite and run.

For those who want something hot and/or needs preparation, you just head to the counters, where there are 3 lovely young ladies ready to take your order. They're always friendly, even under the stress. I especially liked how the black chick with dreds handled herself - so nice to everyone, and fast too.

Another thing I like is that the counter gals hand you a numbered card, then you find a seat, put the card in the holder on the table, and they magically find you and deliver your order.

The 1st day, I had the Tuna Salad on Olive Bread ($5.99) - it has tomato, and mixed greens on the sandwich. I loved the bread, just the right amount of olives, and fresh as heck too.

Today it was the Turkey Derby ($5.99) - with swiss, tomato, lettuce, and 1000-Island on harvest bread. The raisins in the bread really make it.

The customers are the usual office cock-punch crowd, I guess because it's a wee-bit more pricey than the hot dog carts. But it is the same prices as Cosi, but Corner Bakery has Cosi beat by miles, if you ask me.

Oh, the Corner Bakery's website is really neat - you can see their menu per location
(The Corner Bakery), as well as stuff like "Bread 101" that has the history of bread (it goes way back!).

Basically, the Corner Bakery rocks...We might even take our boss next week.

Maggie Nerz reviews Fitzwater Café

Fitzwater Café
7th and Fitzwater
215-629-0428
BYO/Cash Only
Dinner only, Mon-Fri

Philly Lunchboxer - Maggie Nerz reviews Fitzwater Cafe and vows to return:

I had no business going into the Fitzwater Café at 7th and Fitzwater last night. I had a half hour to order and eat and pay and then get to the lecture I was attending at the Fleisher Art Memorial half a block a way. What I really wanted was a slice of pizza and a Coke and I kept thinking about that dinner as a possibility as I hurried from the Broad Street Line to my south Philly destination. But I remembered the little restaurant I had passed in June on one of my other journeys to the Fleisher, the little café that looked like an old bakery, which turned out to be the Fitzwater Cafe. Being a lover of all bakery, café, luncheonette-type establishments, I felt drawn to the place I remembered, avoiding my recurring thoughts about pizza to find out what they served at the old bakery.

When I entered I saw a pretty, well-lit open space, with certain retro touches that one would imagine in a converted bakery. There was a counter with stools and refrigerated cases lining the front. The tables lined up along the edge of the entrance room and expanded into a wider room toward the back. I was immediately welcomed by a good-natured waitress who told me that I could order something light, even though my quick perusal of the menu she offered me showed that the menu was not burgers and sandwiches but nicer fair, $14-$20 pastas, chicken dishes, and seafood dishes. I didn’t want to spend a lot of money (remember I was originally shooting for a slice of pizza) but I could not stop my attraction. The waitress’s kind “make yourself comfortable” welcome made my decision for me, so I did exactly what she suggested. As I was taking my coat off she said, “We have red wine tonight, would you like some?” I suddenly felt like I was at a hospitable friend’s house and I had just stopped in unexpectedly for a chat. “Sure, I wasn’t planning on wine, but that sounds great,” I said.

And so a wonderful little slice of life played out for me last night. I not only had that nice waitress, but I think four all together by the time I was done. I ordered the soup du jour ($4), (cream of mushroom), and an arugala salad ($7) with poached pears, raisins, and parmesan shavings. As I waited for my order I took a closer look around. I noticed Frank Sinatra playing in the background and black and white 1940’s scenes framed beside my table. In one of the refrigerated cases I saw trays of homemade ravioli covered in saran awaiting a boiling pot of water and in another case my sweet tooth cried out for a wide array of pastries and other desserts. I could see into a big kitchen from my seat, where all the various industrial kitchen tools entranced my culinary imagination. Perusing the favorable photocopied review of this seemingly new restaurant I noted the interesting piece of information that the Fitzwater Café is owned by Richard Santore, who also owns the nearby and venerable south Philly institution, The Saloon. The Fitzwater Café only serves dinner Monday-Friday evenings, a concept I found intriguing.

Back to the food. My nice team of waitresses made sure, even though I was a cheap “soup and salad” gal, that I was outfitted with warm crusty though not unusually special bread, a plate of roasted red peppers in a light flavorful oil, and a glass of water. When my soup came in its one size fits all bowl, I immediately noted the flecks of mushroom sprayed out across the rustic finish of the cream. My first taste brought one word to my mind: mushrooms. I also immediately began thinking about Campbell’s soup and how the saltiness and processed flavor that is the hallmark of canned soup was not present in this dish. When I shared this comparison with one of my team of waitresses she laughed with me in dining camaraderie. This soup was not rich, not salty, not oily. It was merely mushroomy, subtle in flavor though indeed flavorful, creamy but not over-processed. There was a nice piece of crustini in the bowl that was hard for me to get to break up but once it was in my mouth I must say it added a nice buttery dimension to the simpler flavors. Next my kind waitress brought my salad which was a plentiful heap of dark green arugala, dotted with poached pears, raisins, accentuated by long shavings of hard parmesan leaning up against the leafy pile. The sweet and savory flavors, always my favorite alliance in any salad, worked their charms on me. The dressing was light and purposeful without being overpowering, which is really how I would describe both dishes I had at the Fitzwater Café last night.

When the bill came, and I saw the $11 total and how I was not charged for my glass of wine and that there were two of those nice almond paste flavored bakery cookies sitting fortune-cookie style on my check, I made a secret vow to come back to the Fitzwater Café. Next time, I thought to myself, I will be not just a “soup and salad gal” but a full-fledged appetizer, pasta (gnocchi?), and dessert gal. I certainly had no business having a first rate supper on a hurried Wednesday night, but I found at the Fitzwater Café a warm generous welcome and some lovely tastes for a vagabond diner like myself.

Starr's Real World

MTV's Real World is finally coming to Philly. Seven strangers will live in some ritzy-titsy apartment in Olde City complete with a multi-person shower.

Why is this news on the lunchbox? Well, glad you asked. The fab 7 are going to work at one of restaurant mogul Stephen Starr's establishments.

From E!Online:

To earn their keep (and booze money), the seven strangers will be working at one of restaurant king Stephen Starr's many outposts, according to the Inquirer.

Starr has worked with MTV before--a 1997 episode of Sex in the '90s was filmed in his Continental restaurant and featured staffers and patrons on the quest for love.

I wonder which place it will be.. The Continental? El Vez? Maybe the new Continental II on Chestnut?

Stay tuned...