Lucky Old Souls (L.O.S.) Burger Truck

Website

Although it is tough to stand out in the over-saturated food truck market that has exploded in Philly, the Lucky Old Souls burger truck has been getting a lot of fanfare. I figured it was the least I could do to stop by and see if it lived up to the fuss. You can follow them on the facebook or the twitter to see where they are at on a daily basis. I suppose you can look at the schedule on their website as well, if you aren't down with the social medias. I caught them at Love Park.

I love the fact that their menu consists of a burger, veggie burger, fries, and milkshakes. No need to do twenty things, just stick with what works and execute it well.

I grabbed a spot that was free from skateboard wax and irrational vagrants and sat down for lunch in the park.

I decided to run the gamut, and ended up with a maple-black pepper milkshake, a L.O.S. burger, fries, and one of each dipping sauce. They offer hot pepper, bacon, and roasted garlic mayo. You have to get the roasted garlic, and you should definitely skip the bacon version. I know, I can't believe I said that either. But it had a weird flavor to it, somewhat chemical. However, the roasted garlic is fantastic. Oh and that milkshake was also absolutely fantastic. The maple was sweet, but not overpowering, and it was buffered with occasional pockets of spicy black pepper. It was also nice and thick. I loved it. From the left, garlic, hot pepper and bacon mayo.

The L.O.S. burger was another story altogether. Lancaster county grass-fed beef, with house-made bacon, smoked cheddar, pickled tomatoes, sauteed onions, and L.O.S. sauce served on a brioche bun. Hell. This was a mighty fine burger. While eating it, I actually said "this is just as good as the burger at Village Whiskey." I still stand by that statement.

The burger came together to become more than the sum of its parts. The thick, smokey, crunchy, bacon coupled with the briny, pickled green tomatoes held the bottom, while the tender, sweet, sauteed onion danced with the generous portion of smoked cheddar, and zesty sauce took the upper deck. The tasty bun stood up well against these hearty toppings (and bottomings).

They didn't ask how I wanted it cooked, but it came out a perfect medium, which made me very happy.

The hand cut fries cooked in peanut oil were another winner. They tasted fresh, and like potatoes – an often overlooked quality. Nicely salted, and addictively crunchy, these fries perfectly complemented what was about the most American lunch you can have. Burger, fries, and a shake. Coupled with the roasted garlic mayo, these fried potato sticks were impossible to stop eating.

As it turns out, the L.O.S. burger truck is well worth the hype. I could not have been happier with my meal, and as long as you steer clear of the bacon mayo, you will not be let down. They take the loca-vore concept on the road, and everything just works.

Taco Bell: Doritos Locos Tacos

Any Location Nearest You
Website

In keeping with my continued selfless acts in the name of food, I knew that I had to sample the new Doritos Locos Taco from the often maligned, and constantly misunderstood, fast food giant. Of course, I couldn't stop at that Doritos taco, I had to see if my old favorites are still king.

I used to be strictly in it for the cheesy gordita crunch, but since then I have been all about the crunchwrap supreme. Same basic idea, crunchy surrounded by a soft wrapper, but more bang for your buck.

So I started with the Dorito taco. Never mind the bad lighting, as these were taken in the wee hours of the morning in my kitchen (the perfect time and place for 4th meal). Check out the crafty nacho cheese sleeve they come packaged in.

According to their website, this comes with premium(?) seasoned beef, crisp lettuce, diced juicy red tomatoes, real(?) cheddar cheese, and reduced fat(?) sour cream, all served in a shell made from nacho cheese flavor Doritos. I still don't get what part of their meat is premium, what kind of cheddar cheese is not real, and most importantly why they made an effort with the reduced fat sour cream. Let's get down to brass tacks. If I am eating ground beef from Taco Bell out of a shell made from Doritos, I don't see how the nature of said sour cream poses any concern to my health.

Yes, there is Nacho Cheesier™ powder flanking the outer shell.

It seems they missed both the plump juicy tomatoes, and the reduced fat sour cream. Even so, I barely noticed. The tacos are pretty okay. They are about exactly what you would expect. It's a great gimmick, but would I order them on a consistent basis? Probably not. The shells taste like Doritos. The rest is a usual Taco Bell taco. There are a couple other items that I stand by. The first is the aforementioned crunch wrap. From the website "A warm, soft, flour tortilla filled with seasoned beef, warm nacho cheese sauce, a crunchy tostada shell, reduced-fat sour cream, lettuce and tomatoes and then wrapped up and grilled for maximum portability." Again with the reduced fat sour cream, huh? At least it was actually in this one.

If I have to eat here, this is one of the best things on the menu. Crunchy, salty, and soft at the same time. It requires lots of fire sauce, but it's a good choice, especially for its portability.

My other repeat offender is not on most people's radar. Crispy potato soft tacos. $.89 and vegetarian. These tacos may be my favorite thing on the menu. Lettuce, cheddar, and a bit of cream sauce in a soft tortilla. The potatoes are the best part. Crispy on the outside and soft in the middle. Not too bad at all.

So the basic idea is that the Doritos Locos Tacos are a good gimmick. They aren't terrible and they are worth a try. However, the crunchwrap and the potato tacos are where it's at for me.

Donkey's Place

1223 Haddon Avenue
Camden, NJ 08103
(856) 966-2616

I know you are scared of Camden. We all are. But I need you to buck up, lock the car doors, roll up the windows and go there. As soon as possible. I am actually mad at myself for never going to Donkey's Place before now.

Right at the corner of Crack Rock Drive and Gunshot Lane sits this beautiful little bar, untouched by time, that has been around since prohibition. Seriously. There is a bell on a rope in the back that you used to ring to get into the "Polish Club". Sold.

What's that below? Oh just one of the most beautiful things I have ever seen in my life. The seasoned onions just sit and cook, while the meat sizzles away, and the poppy seed kaiser rolls get toasty.

The grill is intently managed, and there were a half dozen sandwiches ready to go, although I was one of the only people in there. I was wondering why. Then about ten people showed up. Then more. All of this took place before noon.

If you are worried about what to order, don't be. They have cheesesteaks. And fries. That's all. I could look at this grill all day.

As it was before noon on a weekday, and the "craft brew" selection was non-existent, I went with something 'lite.'

I also ordered my first sandwich. As you can see, the sandwiches are all served on poppy seed kaiser rolls. You may think, "well that's not a real cheesesteak" – you will be wrong.

Everything on here is magnificent. The onions are perfectly seasoned, beautifully caramelized, and are among my favorites ever. The meat is not finely chopped, but is left in long, luscious strips (one might even call them ribbons), and is of superior quality. Think Geno's, without the racism and unappealing gristle. Oh and unlike Geno's, this is one of the best cheesesteaks in the land. The blend of the American cheese, fantastic onions, and consummate steak meat is just on another level.

There's a slice of gooey and delicious American lining either side of the bun.

I also got an order of the fries. On my next visit, I would just get an extra sandwich (I got two on this trip, so yes, that would be three). They were crinkle cut, and noting to write home about. A shot of hot pepper relish (one of my weaknesses) gussied up the ketchup, and didn't hurt on the sandwich either, but was by no means necessary. The acidic vinegar and burn of the peppers really wakes up the senses. They use the same spice blend on the fries and the onions. It is basically a seasoned salt mixture.

All in all, this place has everything I like in a restaurant. From the dingy interior, to the questionable neighborhood, to the amazing food. It's basically the Nick's Roast Beef of cheesesteaks. Easily in my top three cheesesteaks of all time - even in Donkey's own interpreted form.

 

Panda Express

(Comcast Center Market)
1701 John F Kennedy Boulevard
Philadelphia, PA 19103
(215) 567-1639
Website

When I was in college, Panda Express was eaten at least once a week. It was a giant plate of food that was relatively fresh, and definitely cheap. I still have very fond memories of the place, and when I realized there was one in our fair city, I knew I had to have it. I actually went for lunch on the day I found out. It's in the basement food court of the Comcast Center, where it has to compete with places such as Percy St. BBQ and Di Bruno Brothers – not an easy task.

How are those people so mesmerized by the chafing station in BOTH pictures? So anyway, the concept is that you order a plate and they give you two to three entrees, as well as fried rice or chow mein, or both. You go down the line picking what looks good, which is actually kind of tough, because most of it looks pretty good.

So $14 later, I had two, two-entree orders. There was an added surcharge because I got shrimp, which I guess is a "premium" topping.

The chili sauce is a can't-miss condiment. Mostly because the rice and noodles need some help in the flavor department.

Behind door number one was the walnut shrimp, Shanghai Angus steak, and a mix of the rice and chow mein.

The new honey walnut shrimp consists of tempura battered, fried shrimp in a honey sauce. The walnuts were not really there, but the shrimp were pretty tasty. They were slightly sweet, slightly crispy, and not bad at all.

The steak was also good, but seriously, why did they only include the most fibrous parts of the asparagus stems? It's supposed to be the other way around. Anyway, the beef was decent, served with "Asian steak sauce(?)" and was tender enough to make me not hate it.

The next pile up was the Beijing beef, orange chicken, and another mix of the two fillers. Don't get me wrong, they are both acceptable, just not very flavorful. At least they are not greasy.

The orange chicken is the "signature dish" and the one I am most accustomed to. It's good. At least the sweet and spicy orange sauce is a welcome change from the traditional brown sauce most cheap Chinese places serve. The crispy(ish) chicken is coated in the sweet sauce, and is pretty damn good.

 

The Beijing beef is comprised of crispy strips of marinated beef, red bell pepper, and onion in a "tangy sweet and spicy" sauce. This may be my favorite one out of all of them. The beef is crispy and tender, and the sauce has a little kick to it. I am a big fan.

So here's the deal, this is not the best Chinese food in city, by any stretch of the imagination. It's barely Chinese food. However, it is pretty good Americanized fast food Chinese. It's better than 90% of the Chinese places in the city (Chinatown excluded), because they all serve exactly the same greasy, underwhelming, salt laden, and flavorless menu. It is a cheap, filling fix, if you happen to be in the area, and want to get something that won't make you need a nap afterward.