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Lunch and dinner near Norwalk, Ca
I'm gonna be in LA/Norwalk for wedding in a few weeks, and I was wondering if anyone had suggestions for meals in the area. I'll be in town Thursday through Sunday, but since it's for a wedding, I'll probably only have time for two or three meals (including lunch and dinner)
I'm looking for something that's not too far from the hotel in Norwalk (maybe a half hour away by car at the most?) Nothing too expensive, probably leaning towards Italian or Mexican food.
One of the lunches is definitely going to be In and Out, but I'm open to suggestion for the others. I was thinking Pizzeria Mozza, or maybe trying the Kogi truck (is it relatively close and out on the weekends?). Any suggestions?
Best Foods at Reading Terminal Market
I think I'd add the Chicken a la Rocco from Carmen's (across from where Rick's steaks used to be) the list as well.
Tex-mex in philly
Thanks for all the replys! I've been to Mad 4 Mex and Mexican Post, and I've gotta say - the food was pretty bland. El Fuego's good when you're in the mood for a good burrito (but I agree - the employee's at the 22nd and Chestnut location are a lot nicer than the 7th and Walnut location).
I haven't been to the Border Cafe in Cristiana, but I went to school in Boston (where there's another location)and the enchiladas definitely satisfied my tex-mex cravings. But I think it's a little too far for a craving (I live in Center city).
I actually have found a new place that opened up in February. It's called Que Chula Es Puebla and it's on 2nd and Master in Fishtown (or Northern Liberties - I always confuse the areas). It replaced El Ranchito (which was also good). I tried the chicken chimichanga - and it was fantastic! I haven't tried the enchiladas yet, but hopefully they'll be great too. Anyone else eaten here?
Tex-mex in philly
I'm looking for a good tex-mex restaurant in Philadelphia. Mostly for a good chimichanga or cheese enchilada. I've tried a lot of the taquerias on 9th st (Taqueria la veracruzana, la lupe, etc) but they are a little too authentic for when I'm craving tex mex food. Any suggestions?
Cramer's Bakery--Yardley
I love Cramer's marble whipped icing on cakes. It's a mix of vanilla and chocolate whipped cream icing. Also, they have a 1/2 price sale every Monday to sell their leftover baked goods.
Favorite Philly Lunch Trucks?
I went sometime last month. It was pretty good. About $2.00 per taco - but good flavor and good variety. They also have tortas, and some other dishes, but so far I've only tried the tacos.
Favorite Philly Lunch Trucks?
I've been trying to find the best lunch truck in philly for a while now. I used to eat at the Mexi-Cali truck on Spruce b/w 36th and 37th - but I guess that's under different management now and I haven't tried it.
Kristo's Falafel cart on 20th and Market is fantastic, but it can be a little expensive, and takes a while. There are no posted prices, and once I was charged $10 for a chicken falafel platter, and another time I was charged $8.
There's a nice kabob cart near Independence hall on 6th b/w Chestnut and Market.
There's also a great hot dog cart on 24th and Passyunk (I found the place after I read a review on Hollyeats.com). During lunch, the line can be seen from the nearby highway bridge. I haven't found a great cart for cheeseteaks or ethnic foods.
New Indian Restaurant in Philly
I tried it today. It's on 12th st b/w Walnut and Sansom. I had the Kathi rolls, and they were just ok. Probably not worth the $4.00-$5.00 for one roll. The filling didn't taste bad, but the wrap was just a tortilla rather than the spicy rolls you find at "kati rolls" in NYC.
They also have some entrees for $6 and $7 (2 entrees and rice). I didn't buy the full plate, but I sampled the chicken tikka masala - and it was pretty good. Nothing special, but worth trying once.
Dinner for 4 on a budget
Any suggestions for a reasonable dinner for a family of 4 in Philadelphia? I'm looking for a table service restaurant, with entrees in the range on $10-$15. I'd prefer Italian or Mexican, but any other suggestions are welcome.
I've been to Jones, and many of the bars (Good Dog, Standard tap, etc), so maybe something more along the lines of a Villa Di Roma?
Burritos in Philadelphia
Well, I tried both El Fuego and Jose's. Both were very good, but I think I liked El Fuego better. When I went to Jose's they were out of the chicken tinga, so I had to settle for the plain chicken burrito. It wasn't bad, but it was a little dry and much smaller than I expected. Of course, it cost less than the el fuego burrito. Maybe I have to go back for the chicken tinga.
Burritos in Philadelphia
Didn't the mexi-cali lunch truck come first? I thought the truck was great, but when the restaurant opened, it started going downhill. Not bad, but I thought the chicken lacked seasoning.
I've been to the restaurant once, and I thought it was ok. I haven't been back for a while, but the few times I tried to, it was closed for the season or something (but that was a few years ago).
I'll have to try el fuego.
Burritos in Philadelphia
Which place serves the best? I usually go to Chipotle and get the chicken burrito with everything plus guacamole. I've also frequently been to the Mexi-Cali cart on UPENN's campus, but it seems that the quality's gone down lately. I've heard El Fuego on 7th and Walnut is good, but I've never tried it (I guess they are also opening another location that is going to serve beer and margaritas). Any suggestions?
Chink's Cheesesteaks
I had a Chink's cheesesteak today for lunch. It was pretty packed, so I had to wait about 10 min for the cheesesteak, but it was worth it. I like my cheesesteaks with lettuce, tomatoes, raw onions and mayo. I got the large, and with the extra toppings the total came to $7.50 - kind of expensive for lunch, but not bad.
Overall, I enjoyed the cheesesteak. Lots of meat and toppings, and it tasted great. My only criticism would be that the cheese wasn't fully melted into the steak. But the steak was right off the grill and very hot, so it melted quickly. Not the best I've had, but definitely up there at the top.
Chowish finds in Yardley/Morrisville area?
I thought India Garden's buffet was just ok. Good price at $7-$8 per person, but the food was a little bland, and there wasn't much of a selection. I haven't ordered off the menu yet - but since the buffet was just ok, I'm not sure I'm going to.
If you just are in the mood for Indian food, and you want to stay in the area, it's not bad. But if you spend a little more money and are willing to drive just a little more, Food Castle has a great buffet in Bensalem, and Palace of Asia in Lawrenceville, NJ is fantastic as well. Both are about 15-20 min from Yardley (maybe Palace is closer to 20 min and food castle closer to 15), and are more expensive (about $13 per person), but they have a large selection and the dishes are much tastier.
Best sandwich at the Reading Terminal?
Sometimes the chicken can be a little tough for the Chicken Alla Rocco at Carmines (especially when the amish farmers markets aren't open and the terminal is less busy). Also, I always order extra sauce for the sandwich, otherwise, it gets a little dry. But with the sauce and when the chicken is nice and moist, the sandwich is fantastic.
Chowish finds in Yardley/Morrisville area?
In Newtown I like Duck Sauce for chinese fusion, Siam Cuisine for Thai, Isaac Newtons for burgers and beer, and Piccolo Trattoria for great Italian food.
In Yardley, I love Yardley Pizza for the pizza, but especially for the cheesesteaks. The rolls are perfect, the cheese is evenly distributed throughout the steak, and the toppings (if you want them) are fresh and tasty - my favorite type is the cheesesteak hoagie - with lettuce, tomatoes, raw onions and mayo.
And in the Morrisville area, I like RJ's Bagels for bagels and breakfast.
Indian Row In Malvern, PA
I went to A Taste of India for the lunch buffet today. Kind of expensive at $12.65 including tax, but not bad considering the selection. There were 4 veg curries and 3 non-veg curries, plus tandoori chicken and chicken shishlak. They also had a few appetizers, salad, and dessert.
Overall, it was ok. The best curry was the vegetable korma - creamy, but the cream didn't overwhelm the dish - and it tasted great. The chicken tikka masala was a little too runny, and was just ok taste-wise (the spices seemed a little off - as did the taste of the tandoori chicken). The naan was a little tough, but the rice was good. For desserts, the ras malai was probably the best dish. The gulab jamun tasted good, but they were a little tough.
I think I was disappointed b/c I was expecting better - but I do not feel like I wasted my money.
In the future, I probably won't go back (since I live about 20 min away), and I'll probably go to Food Castle in Bensalem whenever I have a craving for Indian buffet. The price is about the same, but the selection and quality is much better at Food Castle.
Rouget in Newtown Pa
Apparently, Craig Laban, the Philadelphia Inquirer food critic gave Rouget 3 bells. I may have to try it out.
Bucks County trip
In New Hope itself there are a ton of options. Lots of restaurants with outdoor seating along Main St (Havana Restaurant, etc). Triumph Brewery is pretty good for a nice microbrew and dinner. And Dilly's corner makes great burgers and unique milkshakes - it's a few miles north of New Hope on River Road.
I actually like some of the restaurants just across the river (a short walk across the bridge) in Lambertville, NJ. Siam Thai Restaurant had great Thai food. Lilly's on the canal is also good for lunch or dinner, and Tortuga's Mexican Village is down a little street, but it has great mexican food.
Indian restaurants Northeast of Philly
The food is definitely worse in buffets, but you get to try a wide variety of items, and can get a general feel for the restaurant. I usually like to try buffets first. If it's bad, you can assume that dinner isn't that much better.
And back to the chaat night comment - it's not bad at Uduppi Dosa House, but South Indian cuisine is more their specialty. In my opinion, the best chaat around here can be found in some of the restaurants in Edison, NJ.
Indian restaurants Northeast of Philly
I tried India Garden a few weeks ago and it was ok. I was looking forward to eating here b/c I had heard good things. I went for the saturday afternoon buffet, and it wasn't bad - not great, but not bad.
The chicken tikka masala was pretty good, pretty flavorful, not too creamy. But the vegetarian selection was lacking. Maybe 2 or 3 dishes, too oily and creamy (which dulled the flavors as well). They also did not have any plain naan to go along with the buffet - only aloo (potato naan). I asked if they had some plain naan, and the waiter went into the kitchen to get some more, but came out with more aloo naan.
Overall, the buffet is probably worth the money (I think it was around $7.00), but if you want to have great indian food northeast of Philadelphia, you should go to the buffets at Food Castle in Bensalem or Palace of Asia in Lawrenceville. Both are a little more expensive - around $13.00 per person, but the food is well worth it. Much more of a selection, and much better flavors.
Palace at the Ben-Great Indian in Phila!
I went here last week and it was an ok experience overall. The samosas were a little dry, but the eggplant appetizers were excellent.
For the meal itself, we had cashmere chicken, aloo gobi, chicken tikka masala, and paneer cashmere. All off these were just so-so - very heavy on the cream. The taste wasn't bad, but definitely not the best I've had. The kulfi and gulab jamun for dessert were a good way to end the meal.
So overall, good atmosphere and service, but just adequate food. And really expensive for what you get. There's another branch of this restaurant called Palace of Asia in Lawrenceville, NJ which is $5-$6 cheaper per entree, and has a much wider selection of food. Same flavors, but much cheaper at the end of the day.
Christo's Falafel Cart (in philly)
I haven't been recently, but for some reason, everytime I go into the city looking for this falafel cart on the northeast corner of 20th and Market, it's never there. Maybe I'm just going on an off day.
This is definitely the best falafel I've ever had. Unfortunately, everyone else thinks so too, b/c the lines are usually horrendous - and he's almost doubled his prices. I remember not too long ago when it was $4 for a vegetarian falafel and $5 for chicken. Now it's at least $10 (last time I went) - but again, I haven't been for a while.
Is it still there?
Issac Newton
I think Isaac Newtown's is a great place for a burger and a beer. Their beers are a little expensive, and the appetizers are just so-so, but the burgers are very good. They have a great selection of beers too, but I definitely wouldn't drive 30 min to eat there. It's a place you go to when you're in the mood for a burger that's better than the usual chains.
Best sandwich at the Reading Terminal?
What's the best sandwich you've had at the Reading Terminal Market? I've tried a bunch - and you can't go wrong with a Dinic's Roast Pork - but every time I'm in the mood for a sandwich, I always get the Chicken a la Rocco from Carmine's (across from Rick's steaks). Just a great chicken sandwich with sharp provolone cheese and a dijonnaise type sauce. Any thoughts?
Bucks Indian grocers: Subzi Mandi and Apna Bazar
Yeah, the new Subzi Mandi isn't too bad. It's a little out of the way, but I think this new place is a little bigger. It also has a great Chaat stand. You can get some good samosa chaat and pani puri, etc for only $2.00.
Indian restaurants Northeast of Philly
Hey, I'm relatively new to the boards, and I noticed that a lot of the Indian restaurants recommended are west of the city.
I recently went to Food Castle express (I know - it's not a great name) in Bensalem, and it was actually very good. I wasn't expecting that much b/c it almost looks like a fast food place from the outside, but it was fantastic. They have a large variety of food, including Indian-Chinese, south and north Indian.
I also noticed a new Indian restaurant in Yardley called India Garden, but I haven't tried it yet. Has anyone had any good experiences in the eastern suburbs?
