PhillyLunchBox

Bonte

Bonte
130 South 17th St.
Philadelphia, PA 19103
215-557-8510

Dear Bonte,

Close the damn doors!!!

We don’t mean close your business. Just close the doors, literally. It’s fucking freezing in there all of the time. Are you guys Eskimos or something?

Me and Mr. Lunchbox have been there at least half a dozen times lately, and every time we’re there either the front or back door is wide the f open.

We’re only asking because we care, care!! We love your shop – the La Colombe coffee, the wireless Internet access, the newspapers, the staff, the sandwiches, the marketing postcards people leave there.

It’s just that, we can’t keep coming there is we’re gonna freeze our nuts off every time we sit down and have a sandwich and coffee.

I even tried closing the back door myself last week, but the fucker wouldn’t even budge. Maybe it’s welded open or something, who knows.

I guess the cold does one good thing – it keeps the chocolate bars from melting. I bought two the other week – a regular and a dark chocolate bar. They’re like 3-something each, so we didn’t drop even a shaving of chocolate. But they’re worth it – our office mates devoured them in minutes...

Sansom Kabob House

Sansom Kabob House
1526 Sansom St.
Philadelphia, PA 19102
215-751-9110

Went back to the Sansom Kabob House yesterday. It's on Sansom Street, off of 16th St., when you get there just go downah-stairs and into what is easily one of our favorite Middle Eastern food places.

We got there at a little before 12, and there was only one person there – the guy who does the cooking. There's usually a super-nice gal who does all of the table-waiting, but she obviously wasn't there, so the guy brought us our menus, apologized for the wait, and hurried back to the kitchen.

Five minutes later, the woman came finally, along with her little daughter (I presume) who just lit up the place with her laughter and smiles – she spent the next 30 minutes walking and jumping around the entire place, talking to the customers, following mom, checking out the grills. That isn't something you see in many restaurants, at least in this country. Mr. Lunchbox thought it was annoying, but I found it refreshing – I guess I'll see you at the my-biological-clock-is-ticking party.

Anyway, my usual dish is the Qurma Chalaw. I get the version with chicken – it’s cooked with onions, tomatoes, green peppers, and spices – all served on a bed of basmati rice. The dish comes with the rice spread out thinly on a larger plate, with the chicken and the rest of the ingredients served in a bowl on the side. I like this setup, since it lets you dip bread into the bowl to sop up the juice from the sauce.

I love the lovely smell of basmati, something which it’s known for. Some friends of mine in Nepal even call it "wedding rice" because (yep) it’s served at weddings and other special occasions – it’s better quality than everyday rice, and a bit more expensive. It seems to be heavier on the stomach than other rices though.

One quirky thing about this place is that the plates are wide but very shallow. I’m not sure if it’s an Afghani cultural thing or what. When I first started coming here, I thought we were getting a huge helping of rice – but alas, it’s basically a thin layer of rice. Don't worry though, it’s definitely enough for lunch, it’s filling, just don’t go there expecting the huge-ass portions you get at places like Olive Garden or Maggiono’s.

After we finished our meals, we left the cash on the table and said goodbye to the folks running the place. It’s refreshing to go to a place and actually get smiles from the staff. The little girl was running around the back part of the place, so we didn’t get a chance to say goodbye to her though, oh well.

Interestingly enough, I noticed on the way out the door a magazine called the Executive Intelligence Review, laying on the counter near the door. The rag’s put out by Lyndon LaRouche. I sometimes see Larouche’s goons on the corner of 16th & Chestnut St., handing our literature and ragging on the current state of affairs in the world. They can be pains in the ass, especially when the sidewalks are clogged.

Know what though, Lyndon? Fuck ‘em – anyone who wants to give hell to W and his ass-wipes in DC is fine with me. Maybe I’ll even read that crappy magazine of yours the next time I’m in the Kabob House. Like Chuck D says, Fight the power!!

Mexican Post

Mexican Post
104 Chestnut St
Philadelphia, PA 19106
Phone: (215) 923-5233

I went to the Mexican Post in Old City the other Friday night. No offense, but I find the place kind of tired. Not sure why, just seems kind of the same-old scene to me, like the place is just punching the clock. It’s not the staff – they’re very nice.

Maybe it’s the food. They have the usual lineup of burritos, enchiladas, refried beans or whatever that pile of stuff is called. But my taco and burrito didn’t come out hot at all, in fact it was barely luke warm, like it had been sitting back there for an hour. It was just bland. Aussie’s fajitas were kind of OK, but where was the sour cream? The guacamole? You’re kidding me, right?

The margaritas at the Mexican Post are good, no question. I’m sure that’s what keeps people coming back. I guess it can be a really laid-back, fun place to drink. There are a couple of tv’s that always seem to have ESPN on, so there's something to do during sips.

We've had more than a few 'happy' happy hours here over the years. Mr. Lunchbox and I have stumbled out of here several times. But hey, we still prefer to get trashed and laid for cheap at Tiki Bob's. Sniffing those beer caps just gets me bombed big-time.

Actually though, for really good Mexican food, I prefer some other places in Philadelphia – even the new chain in town Qdoba has much better food than at the Mexican Post – it’s just fresher and more tasty at Qdoba’s.

Oh – I didn’t see the waiter guy who has tattoos all over his arms. Is he still working there? He's nice, and the tats are neat to look at.