Miles Table

My friend and I stopped by Miles Table (1620 South Street) for lunch. At Miles Table, you order at the counter and then they bring the food to you. My friend and I were unsure of what to get then we notice the half off burger lunch special. Of course, our frugal asses went with that option. The veggie burger that they had was the falafel burger- good thing I love falafels.

The presentation of the falafel burger looked great; however, I thought burger was okay. It didn't have the spices I was use to in falafel like cumin and coriander or at least I didn't detect any. I also didn't think the texture was like the falafels I am familiar with which were more firm. This burger was crispy on the outside but the inside was mushy like hummus. The favors tasted like hummus to me too. Nonetheless, I guess it was good on its own way. The fries were delicious. Overall, I can't complain much for the price I paid. For like five bucks, I got a good burger and great fries. It was an awesome deal. Even though it was cheap, I would not get it again. I rather get a falafel sandwich from one my favorite food cart. I do want to try other thing on their menu though like their breakfast item. Based on yelp, it appears they have awesome aoili for their homefries.

Falafel Burger with French Fries

Village Tavern

Village Taverna (769 E. Passyunk Ave) is Mediterranean restaurant located in the Queen Village area. We decided to do an earlier dinner there one day. We arrived when the establishment just opened for dinner (that's how early it was). The place had modern decor. The ceilings were high and the tables were well laid out, creating a roomy and open feel. Below are the foods I indulged in it. It was more of an appetizers kind of night.

We ordered Pikelia (assortment of dips, feta, and olives). It came with Hummus(blended chickpea dip), Tzatziki (yogurt, cucumber, garlic dip), Tyrokafteri (spicy feta dip), and Melitzanosalata (pureed roasted eggplant dip) as well as pita bread. The Hummus was okay. It was comparable to store bought hummus (eg. Athenos brand). The Tzatziki was good. It was creamy and refreshing with very light seasoning. The Tyrokafteri was yummy. It tasted like semi creamy lumpy feta cheese with a kick. For the Melitzanosalata, I had to compare it to Baba Ganoush which I am actually more familiar with. The Melitzanosalata was very bland in comparison to Baba Ganoush but then again the Baba Ganoush
has more additives, especially the Tahini which is not present in Melitzanosalata. The pita was delicious, warm, and toasty. My favorite dip was the Tyrokafteri while my least favorite was the Melitxanosalata.

Pita Bread and Assorted Dips

Oddly I did not see one of my favorite stuffed grape leaves on the menu, but luckily it was a special and of course, I had to get them. They were wonderful. They were tender and had the appetizing mildly sour taste I like. For some reason, I think I can never go wrong with stuffed grape leaves. Although the stuffed grape leaves differ a bit at every restaurant, I have never been disappointed by any thus far.

Stuffed Grape Leaves

Finally, for my entree, I ordered the Octopus (char-grilled, greek-style with lemon). It was firm and chewy but yet tender (if that makes sense). The light lemony seasoning also complemented the octopus well.  It was quite enjoyable. 

Octopus

Overall, I thought the food was good but not amazing. I don't think I would come back; however, I would recommend this place. That might sound contracting but I think others should have the opportunity to try good food and judge for themselves.

Rooster Soup Company

Rooster Soup Company (1526 Samson Street) is a relatively new and awesome restaurant doing good in the community. The establishment was started by Federal Donuts and Broad Street's Ministry along with crowd funding supporters. Federal Donuts donates chicken bones to the restaurant for soup production. 100% of it's profits goes toward Broad Street's Ministry's Hospitality Collaborative program which helps and provides resources to the less fortunate. If you love helping people and love good food, I definitely recommend supporting Rooster Soup Company. Below is more detailed information about Rooster Soup Company as well as what I ate there.

The Smoked Matzo Ball Soup was one of the best I ever had. The aroma and favor of the soup was wonderful. Unfortunately, I could not distinguish any of the seasonings in the soup but trust me, it was delicious. The texture of the matzo ball was great. It was firm and had a nice bite to it. Usually matzo balls don't really have any taste. The broth is what really makes the dish and this broth was everything. If you are uncertain of what to try on the menu, I highly recommend the Smoked Matzo Ball Soup. 

Smoked Matzo Soup

For my entree, I ordered the Bacon, Latke, Tomato Chive Mayo and Green Tomato without the bacon of course. I mainly got this because I like potatoes. The sandwich came with plain kettle potato chips. Overall, I thought this was okay. The sandwich was a little overpowered by the pickled green tomatoes. I was a little disappointed that I couldn't really taste the latke. Nonetheless, I still finished the sandwich. Even though the pickled green tomato was somewhat salty, it was very addictive. My friend ordered the special pasta that night and she really enjoyed it. I think next time I will try another sandwich or a pasta dish. 

Latke, Tomato Chive Mayo and Green Tomato Sandwich

Hummusology

Hummusology (1112 Locust St) is relatively new restaurant. Former the restaurant was a cafe (Cake and the Beanstalk). My friend and I decided to get dinner here one evening after work. The seating area and the counter were separated by a partition wall. You basically walk in past the seating area and make a left to the counter to order.

I ordered the Vegetables Rave (creamy hummus topped with warm chickpeas and fresh herb roasted vegetables, sprinkled with paprika and a pinch of cumin, olive oil, green sauce, and a dollop of tahini). It came with a baked pita and a bowl of Israeli salad with olives and pickle. For the hummus, you can choose warm or cold. I choose warm. All the roasted vegetables were tendered and delicious. I was not too fond of the hummus. It was very creamy and rich. It tasted like peanut butter to me. I think they used alot of tahini.  I prefer my hummus a creamy light with some lemon flavor. The pita bread was fresh, soft, and good. The pickled salad was appetizing. I ate alot of the vegetable and the salad but I could not finish the hummus in one sitting.

Vegetables Rave Hummu

My friend and I also shared a Potato Burekas (fine potato stuffed puff-pastry) served with a side of hummus, tahini, a hard boiled egg, and Israeli salad. The Potato Burekas tasted like what it was- a flaky pastry with a thin mash potato filling. It was okay. Even though I never had Potato Burekas, I wasn't really impressed. There was no special seasoning. It was two basic ingredients combined together. 

Potato Burekas

The most enjoyable for me during this meal was the Israeli salad and the roasted vegetables. Since I didn't like the hummus which was the main focus of the restaurant, sadly I don't think will come back.