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.

Hai Street Kitchen

32 South 18th Street
Philadelphia, PA 19103
(215) 964.9465
Website

After many recommendations from a handful of my Center City cube-monkey friends, it was about time I gave this place a try. Known for their enormous sushi-style burritos, it was the perfect healthy meal to grab before getting on a flight to Chicago where I saw far too many hot dogs in my near future.

Simple fresh flavors: items definitely not available in terminal C at PHL.

Everything is prepared to order and there's a selection of house recommendations, but you can also build your own from the expansive selection of Japanese-inspired burrito fillings. I felt like I was at a fancier Chipotle fusion eatery.

The oversize rolls carried pretty well, considering they went from 18th & Market via Septa to the airport, through security, etc. Let's say it was just shy of an hour in transit before the unveiling...

I was short on time and full of hunger, so I couldn't waste any time selecting my own combination of ingredients, so I went with two of the house specialties. First up was the Hai Satay with grilled chicken, spicy peanut sauce, romaine, cucumber, carrot and pickled jicama. It was supposed to come with grilled zucchini, but I totally squashed that. Get it?

AND asked for extra peanut sauce. It was exceedingly fresh, full of flavor and easy to eat without making a mess, which is a recurring problem for me. Especially when I request extra sauce for nearly everything on the planet.

Second up was the Chili Citrus Pork with salsa verde, romaine, carrot, red cabbage and pickled red onion. I was thrown by the salsa verde, so I asked them to skip it and add the gochujang and spicy mayo instead. They were much obliged and catered to my every substitution. They even threw in the extra sides of ginger miso dressing and the spicy mayo at no extra cost. I'm pretty sure the salsa verde would be unwelcome in this combo, so if you do try it that way, let me know how it goes.

The pork was perfectly tender with not one chewy bit. The ingredients melded together so well and maybe it was the time they had to set, but no matter, when I'm craving a big fat burrito I won't mind subbing in the healthier version of a mega seaweed roll every once in a while. Maybe every 4th.

Vic Sushi Bar

2035 Sansom Street
Philadelphia, PA 19103
(215) 564-4339
Website

Sushi Vic, as this tiny sushi place is commonly referred to, is a great spot for fish on a budget. Mainly because they always have quality cuts, and they put plenty of care into the preparation.

If you are not budget conscious, the specialty rolls are really worth the money.

If you ARE budget conscious, or are just looking to scratch that sushi itch over lunch, the three rolls for $11 deal is tough to beat. Just make sure you are there just before or just after the lunch rush, because there are literally only about eight seats.

The fish is always fresh and beautiful here.

If you are looking for water, or seaweed salad, you must take matters into your own hands. By the front there is a refreshment station, as well as a cooler with cold salads. They are cheap (about $3-4) and they are delicious.

If you go with a friend, get two of the roll specials, and you can diversify your lunchtime take. From top left clockwise we have a Philly roll (salmon and cream cheese), a yellowtail scallion hand roll (best value), a yellowtail scallion maki, shrimp tempura, eel, and spicy tuna. Nothing on here is exotic, but it is all pretty damn good when you are looking to cram your gut with nori, fish, and rice.

Hand rolls are always a favorite, as you usually end up with a good portion of fish, which lets you get a good taste of your favorites.

Vic is not the most mind-blowing, cutting edge sushi place around, but it is a solid choice for a reasonably priced, Americanized sushi feast in center city.

Castaway Restaurant

1406 Oceanview Ave
Marathon, FL 33050
(305) 743-6247
Website

Castaway came highly recommended by the locals, as an off-the-beaten-path, solid dinner spot. Well, it certainly was off the beaten path, and the sushi was a welcome reprieve from days and days of eating grilled and sauteed fish. That being said, there was nothing too crazy here, but I would recommend it for some decent sushi in Marathon. It's tucked away down a dark back alley, and looks like you could get into some trouble if you aren't careful. However, this being the middle keys and all, it is a perfectly safe place to tuck into to satisfy your sushi craving.

I started with a green salad, nothing to write home about. Reminiscent of a mediocre iceberg salad from any regular old sushi bar, it did the trick. Keep in mind, Castaway has way more than just sushi, I am only commenting on the sushi because that's what I felt like eating.

Below is a spicy tuna and spicy conch roll. Doesn't matter much which is which. They had the same spicy red sauce that made them nearly indistinguishable. The only difference was that the conch was rather fishy. I don't know if it was old, or if that is the nature of raw conch, as it was my first time dabbling in the raw varietal.

Below is a specialty roll, the name of which escapes me. It included raw tuna, shrimp tempura, spicy mayo, a vegetable, etc. You get the picture. Specialty rolls are generally about the same, good, but too much of a mash-up of ingredients to really tell them apart.

Now on to my favorite, and the most "exotic" roll of the night. The fried chicken roll. That's right, fried chicken in a sushi roll. Be still my heart. They took crispy fried chicken, thinly sliced it, skin and all, added some coleslaw and rolled it up. Topped with some wasabi mayo the results were...good. I ordered it based on the novelty of the idea, but finished it based on the delicious contrast of textures. The crispy chicken and the snap of the nori was complemented by the cool coleslaw playing off of the heat of the wasabi. I was a big fan. I am always excited when I get to see something new in an unexpected place. Fried chicken sushi in the keys is just what I am talking about.

Sushi in Jersey?

Sagami
37 W Crescent Blvd
Collingswood, NJ 08108
(856) 854-9773

When I heard about Sagami, I envisioned a large Hibachi-style Japanese place with a new fancy façade and the whole nine. I couldn’t have been further from the truth. I wanted something light last Sunday in order to balance out the pathetic amount of fast food I consumed that morning at Sonic after a camping trip to Maple Grove Raceway. Sagami came to mind, and it HAD been on my list so I made the trek to the dirty Jerz. Although it is a bit difficult to find, as it is a very non-descript building with few windows off of a main through fare in Collingswood, it was like finding a pearl inside of an oyster.



When you walk in, the ceiling is about six and a half feet high, and the aged wood and nautical theme feels like you are walking into a Long John Silver’s in the 70’s. There is a sushi bar directly on the right and it is manned with four chefs who looked very Japanese and very professional. It smelled distinctly like fresh fish. We sat down and checked out the menu. Being my first time, I didn’t opt for anything too adventurous. I am not going to order sea urchin on my first go around. We got a seaweed salad that was perfectly marinated in a sumptuous dressing that involved citrus, sesame and miso I believe. It was extremely refreshing on a hot summer day. For an appetizer, we ordered the Negimaki, which consisted of thinly sliced beef rolled around green onion, grilled and served atop a ponzu style sauce. It was quite tasty, though I don’t think I would order it again.


The reason I would not order said appetizer is that the next and every other time I go to Sagami, I am ordering nothing but fish. Not that the other food didn’t look great, but this place put out some of the best sushi I have ever tasted. Not that the Maki rolls were that stellar (too much rice), but the fish was unbelievable. The only time I have eaten fish that fresh was at a little shop in Sherman Oaks. The owner was the main importer of fish for Los Angeles sushi restaurants, and he kept the prize cuts for himself. This fish was on par. Seriously.


We opted for a traditional (Americanized) assortment of maki: Softshell Crab Roll, Spicy Tuna with Avocado, Yellowtail with Scallions, and Philly Roll (to represent!). The rolls were average sized and looked just like any other decent sushi joint. But my lord, the fish literally melted with each bite. It was outstanding. They really know their fish at Sagami, and next time, I am going to sit at the bar and let them decide what to serve me. It will not be too far in the future, either.