MealPal: Philly Launch Party

Website/Join MealPal

I was invited to a launch party for a new lunch purchase program for folks working in Center City. MealPal lets you pay per month, and then choose from a multitude of vendors for a daily lunch option. Kind of like Netflix for food. You can choose what you want to eat from a mouthwatering display of Pinterest-style food photos, up until 9:30am that morning, and then pick up your meal around . . .  lunchtime. It ends up costing about $6 a day, and you basically just walk in and grab your food without having to pay or wait in line. Some of the vendors were offering samples, so I indulged. My favorite of the night ended up being these Kansas City Beef Dogs from Destination Dogs.

The casing had a great snap, and the short rib chili and house slaw on top added just the right amount of savory and sassy accessories. They also baked the top loader buns in house. I was a big fan.

You could also tell that the care that was put into the assembly process was a carry-over from the general thoughtfulness and "love" that these guys had for the product.

I spent a good bit of time eating these doggies talking to the chef/co-founder Jimmy, who clearly has a passion for what he does and as I mentioned before, it shows. The short rib chili is a task in itself and when you make your own sausages (and other cased meats) and breads in house too, the dudes at DD have their hands (deliciously) full.

I may or may not have eaten three (along with all of the other foods I sampled). I felt a bit like Frankie MacDonald by the time I was done.

Real Food Eatery is another newcomer on the Center City scene that I pleased to meet, literally. I spoke to John (co-founder) about his passion for nutrition and how it shouldn't be considered a bad thing. AKA bland. I was surprisingly pleased with his options. I tried some of the sweet potato hummus and the chicken dish, again both surprisingly good for how healthy they looked.

Plenty of herbs on the tender and flavorful chicken thighs.

And here I was trying yet ANOTHER new place with some Asian flair, Oishii Poke in Chinatown. The spicy salmon poke bowl was yet another favorite.

Look at the color on that salmon!

The shrimp "ebi crunch sushi burrito" rolls were also delicious. Reminded me of my original favorite sushi burrito, but with a little less pizzaz (AKA spicy sauces).

The Farmer's Keep brought some ranch flavored beef meatballs that were not made with your packet of dried ranch mix, but with actual fresh herbs. Surprisingly delicious.

I passed on this one, below, from a local fitness-oriented fast food joint (too healthy for my tastes at that moment) but just want to show you that there is definitely a good mix of options for those who might be watching their waste line.

Matt and Marie's brought some sandwich options including their famous Italian stallion. A decent choice for an Italian hoagie in Center City.

This is actually a great lunch option for people who work downtown and want a reason to get out of the office. You have the option to eat on premises or go back to your desk (like so many of us are guilty of doing). You also get a huge variety of options every day, and can get in and out of the restaurant in less than 5 minutes. Definitely worth a trial subscription, if you ask me.

Sweetgreen

1821 Chestnut Street
Philadelphia, PA 19103
(215) 665-9710
Website


I recently was asked to attend the grand opening of Sweetgreen on Chestnut. I had never heard of it, but figured I would mosey over and see what it was all about.

They are like a cross between Chiptole and Wholefoods. An impressive collection of fresh veggies stored behind the counter let you know that whatever you are eating is going to be healthy.

They handed out a "beets don't kale my vibe" bag to stay hip to the current slang.

The veggie tray was full of . . . veggies. There was also falafel. Hands down my favorite thing was the spicy cashew dressing. I was filling endives with it like it was cream cheese in a jalapeno popper. I can even make vegetables unhealthy!

The roasted butternut squash toast was pretty tasty as well. The parm on top really helped give it some fatty flavor.

The butternut squash "shooters" were unlike any shot I have done. Mostly because instead of cheap whiskey they were filled with organic vegetable puree.

"Falafel" shown below.

The Executive chef came all the way up from DC to welcome everyone and explain the meal. In the picture below he looks to be saying "who let you in"? I assure you, he was merely thinking that while explaining the ethos behind the company.

They serve beer here, which is great if you just want to pop in for a quick lunch salad and beer. I am sure people do that, right?

Here is a pear salad. It tasted fresh, but was missing lard.

This quinoa salad was also very fresh and healthy. I would have prefered some chicken cracklings or lardons, but this would probably NOT take a year off of my life like the things I typically eat.

The below pescatore delight might look like salmon. But it is actually Steelhead. Which is like salmon, but a sort of trout.

It tasted like a cross between salmon and trout.

The charred brussel sprouts with cranberry glaze were one of the crowd pleasers. The tart sauce helped the bitter greens down the gullet. I bet healthy eaters LOVE these things. They were pretty good in hindsight.

This place is perfect for office folks looking for a healthy alternative for lunch, and to be honest, I don't think there are a lot of places in Philly that specialize in local ingredient salads in a fast-casual environment. If you are on a diet or looking to make up for that late night cheesesteak, you should definitely give them a try.  

Dizengoff

1625 Sansom Street
Philadelphia, PA 19103
(215) 867-8181
Website

If you like hummus, you will LOVE Dizengoff. Holy hell, they make some amazing pita bread as well. Stuck on the north side of Sansom (NOT SAMSON) street, they are a hole in the wall a couple of blocks from Rittenhouse Park.

The interior is small, sleek, and modern.

The menu itself is small, no frills, and completely delicious. The toppings change daily, but the hummus stays amazing. They generally have one meat option (obviously try it), but the veggie offerings are no slouch.

A baseball card may be your table marker.

Look at this spread. A hot baked pita, hummus topped with za'atar, olive oil, and whatever topping you choose, a side cucumber salad, and some pickles and onion. Simple perfection.

Below is the ground beef, finished with parsley and drenched in olive oil. Look at the perfect swirl of hummus. While the beef was tender, well cooked, and delicious, the hummus itself is the star here – light, airy, creamy and not overbearingly tahini-rich.

Another delicious option is the beets. Now, I don't usually like beets very much. Beets generally taste like dirt and stain everything (what's not to love?). But these beets we more than palatable. These were downright irresistible. The dill was a nice touch as well.

I've been here more than once in an effort to make healthier lunch choices. SIKE. I have been here a handful because it's really that good. Who knew a hummus lunch would be Philly Phoodie's weakness?

The pea and cashew is another really delicious vegetarian option. The creamy cashews together with the sweet English peas made for a great late summer, cool-you-off-and-not-over-stuff-you meal.

Another visit featured beef brisket on the menu, and as the rest of the previous dishes, this one did not disappoint. There was no gristle, very little fat and the meat was so well rendered that the shredded bits nearly melted on my tongue.

There was a nice swirl of tzatziki to finish the presentation, which lent a refreshing zing to the salty umami flavor of the beef.

Yet another vegetarian winner, and one that I think may be a daily staple (or close to it), is the carrot platter.

Another flavor combination that matches so well with the creamy hummus.

There literally isn't one bad thing I can say about all of my collected visits to this place.

You will be able to find me there for lunches and dinners for many years to come, sometimes more than one time per week.

Zoe's Kitchen - Giveaway CLOSE! Elle, you are the winner!

761 W Lancaster Avenue
Bryn Mawr, PA 19010
(610) 520-1389
Website

The folks at Zoe's Kitchen have offered one lucky Philly Phoodie reader a $25 gift card to any of their locations. To be entered to win, leave a comment on this post about your healthy food that still tastes good (even though it's not smothered in butter) and be sure to send me your contact information (phillyphoodie.com@gmail.com) so we know how to get in touch with the winner. Contest closes 3/24/15 at 12 PM EST. Winner to be drawn at random.

I had never even heard of Zoe's Kitchen, but when I was also offered a gift card to try some food, of course I was into it. Although they specialize in fresh, healthy food, I was still willing to give them a shot.

The inside is like a mash-up of Chipotle and Jamba juice. You order at the counter and make your way to a table with one of those little numbers on a standing stick things. This place is CLEAN. Also, the people working there were extremely friendly. It makes sense for a Mediterranean/Southern place.

Two of my favorite things here were their Greek dressing and spice blend, both available on every table.

You will be happy to have the salty spices and red wine vinegar tinged dressing to pep up the fresh healthy food they serve. It is all lacking a bit of salt, but I think that's what makes it healthy? But that's also why they let you season your own food. For a starter, I went with the hummus trio. Served with fresh raw veggies, pita wedges, and toasted pita chips, the red pepper, basil, and plain hummus's were pretty filling. I think my body is not used to raw vegetables, and so I felt artificially full. After a weekend of binge eating (including burritos at 2AM at Frankford and Girard, and two racks of ribs on the new Big Green Egg) this healthy food fit the bill. The hummus was very light and nicely textured. It did need a bit of salt, which I took care of by hitting it with the spice blend on my table.

My favorite was probably the roasted red pepper, but they were all good. I can't remember when I ate this healthy in the recent past. I mean, I DO get lettuce on my Chiptole, so I guess that's close?

The shrimp skewer platter was legitimately delicious. The shrimp were coated in a fantastic spice blend that had garlic and hints of paprika. They were surprisingly well executed, lightly charred and crispy without being overcooked; served over a bed of rice pilaf that had really nice flavor. The cucumber raita was a decent dip, and the salad had a load of feta, which is always a treat. Again, I was addicted to the dressing and spices, so I loaded it up. I was really surprised with how fresh and crisp all the vegetables were. I am pretty sure mine aren't that fresh within three minutes of leaving the grocery store.

Look at the beautiful crust and char on these things – the meat was delicately sweet. I actually even liked the zucchini.

The Greek chicken pita didn't fare so well. The problem was that it really wasn't a sandwich. Just a salad served in half a pita. When I tried to pick it up, all was lost.

Loaded with feta again.

Side of slaw had feta and was dressed with an oil and vinegar dressing. Pretty light and refreshing.

The aftermath of the first pita bite. A breech of the bottom and an outpouring of caramelized onions.

The bread tore in short order, so I doused the whole thing in more dressing/spice blend and ate it like a salad. Formal structure aside, it was quite tasty.

Even though this isn't my usual type of food, it was pretty damn good for a healthy alternative. I hope whoever wins is able to nurse their hangover with some fresh fare like I did.