Intern: Around Rittenhouse
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1. HipCityVeg
127 S. 18th St. (at Sansom Street)
10 a.m. - 10 p.m.
This vegan eatery offers tons of lunch options that don’t sacrifice taste to be healthy. HipCityVeg uses “chick’n,” tofu, tempeh and fresh veggies in dishes like the Classic Veg Burger ($7.50) and the Arugula Taco Salad ($8.50). If you’re just looking for a snack, don’t miss their Groothie, a green smoothie blended with seasonal fruit ($4.50).
2. Di Bruno Brothers
1730 Chestnut St.
M-F 11:30 a.m. - 3 p.m., Sat 11:30 a.m. - 4 p.m., Sun 10:30 a.m. - 3 p.m.
Famous for their gourmet meats and cheeses, the Center City Di Bruno Bros. location can satisfy all your lunch needs with a coffee shop, a selection of prepared hot foods (think ravioli and chicken parm) and Upstairs @ Di Bruno Bros., a cafe serving salads, sandwiches, pasta and more.
3. Almaz Café
140 S 20th St. (at Walnut)
Whether you’ve never had Ethiopian or it’s your favorite cuisine, Almaz Café makes for an excellent lunch destination with delicious Ethiopian coffee drinks and perhaps unfamiliar dishes such as dorowat (chicken stew), zilzil tibs (sautéed beef with herbs) and misir (lentils). They also offer several breakfast and sandwich options.
Intern: Near Campus
1. Koreana
3801 Chestnut St.
Tuesday-Sunday 11 a.m. - 10 p.m.
This hidden gem (in a parking lot) serves the full spectrum of Korean fare. Try the Lunch Bento Box ($9.75) for beef, dumplings, salad and kim bap, or one of their spicy “hot pots” – chicken, pork, tofu or shrimp over rice and vegetables ($8.25). Hint: call ahead for quicker service — and don’t forget the bubble tea ($3.25).
2. Drexel Food Trucks
33rd and Arch: Pitruco’s Pizza, Spot Gourmet Burgers
33rd and Market: La Dominique Créperie
35th and Market: Philly Delicias
Penn students love food carts, and Drexel is a summer hub. Try crepes at La Dominique Créperie (M-F, 12-5 p.m.), Pitruco’s Pizza (W or Th, 11:30-2 p.m.) or Philly Delicias for Latino cuisine (T, W, F, 11 a.m. - 2:30 p.m.). And then there’s Spot Gourmet Burgers for good ol’ American classics (M-F 11:30 a.m. - 6 p.m.).
3. Han Dynasty
3711 Market St.
11:30 a.m. - 10 p.m.
Chinese food is a oft-overrated option, but Han Dynasty doesn’t disappoint. Fried rice, lo mein or rice noodles with your choice of chicken, pork, shrimp or beef is your best bet for cheap lunch eats ($9.95-11.95) Bonus: they offer all day delivery in addition to take out.
Intern: By City Hall
1. Reading Terminal Market
51 N 12th St. (at Filbert Street, between Market and Arch)
M-Sat 8 a.m. - 6 p.m., Sun 9 a.m. - 5 p.m.
Go once or go every day – with over 75 merchants, you never have to order the same thing (or ethnicity) twice. Must-visits include Old City Coffee, DiNic’s for Philly roast pork, By George! for Italian and Kamal’s Middle Eastern Specialties. Then treat yo’self to Bassett’s Ice Cream or Chocolate by Mueller.
2. Jake’s Sandwich Board
122 S. 12th St. (at Sansom Street)
M-Sat 11 a.m. - 8 p.m., Sun 12-5 p.m.
When in Philly, eat as the Philadelphians eat — in other words, hoagies. Jake’s Sandwich Board makes them in all varieties including pork (starting at $8), brisket ($9), meatball ($8.50) and cheesesteak ($8.50). Cutting back on carbs? They even let you “bowl it” and make your sandwich a salad.
3. Love Park Food Trucks
15th Street and JFK Boulevard
Love Park food trucks get creative. The Mini Trini (M-Th, 11 a.m. - 3 p.m.) serves up Caribbean and Zea May’s (M and W, 11 a.m. - 3 p.m.) does Native American; The Dapper Dog (check Twitter) has gourmet hot dogs and Lucky Old Souls (T and Th, 11:30 a.m. - 3:30 p.m.) serves jazz with a burger and fries on the side. Follow @Lovepark on twitter for all the details.
