If you’re hot for a good, quick lunch in Center City, then you may want to give Mama’s Vegetarian a try. Located near Rittenhouse Square, Mama’s offers a limited menu of kosher vegetarian foods. By the looks of the people that make up the constant flow of traffic, you don’t have to be Jewish or vegetarian to enjoy this food.
On a recent afternoon, Tushar and I took the advice of a friend to drop in to Mama’s for lunch. Upon arrival we found a small restaurant and take out shop serving middle eastern favorites such as Falafel, Hummus, vegetable Latkes and the like. While the menu may be limited, I think that just about anyone will find something good to eat. Furthermore, if you’re confused, just ask the friendly staff to give you a hand.
After a brief wait, we chose to order:
Samantha’s Combo Platter w/ Pita
* 3 Falafel balls
* 1 Eggplant (piece)
* 1 Latke
* Hummus w/Tahini Sauce
* VegetablesMushroom Borekas
The Samantha’s Combo was very good. To start, the Falafel was excellent (voted Best of Philly 2006 by Philadelphia Magazine) . I particularly enjoyed the Egg plant, which was dredged in an egg wash and sauteed; it was tender and garlicky with a slight crunch. The Hummus was rich and creamy and an awesome match to the side of freshly made Pita bread we enjoyed. In addition the other items were tasty and the portion size was good.
We found the Mushroom Borekas very good and interesting to boot. Best described as a savory pastry, the Borekas had a filling of mushroom paste wrapped in Phyllo dough and shaped to identify its contents. It kinda looks like a big, funky, flaky pretzel. You can learn more about Borekas here. Even though the flavor was delicate and satisfying, I think that the Borekas is better suited as a snack or a side versus an entee.
One of our favorite aspects of Mama’s is the condiment bar. Like some of the restaurants we mentioned in our South Philly Veggie Sandwich Smackdown post, Mama’s offers a variety of condiments to customize your meal. If you’ve never eaten this kind of food, you need to try some of these concoctions to get the full experience. Tushar’s favorite is the pickeled carrots, flavored with oil, lemon & herbs. My favorite was the lightly sauteed cauliflower. So get your “mad scientist” on and show a little creativity.
In summary, we enjoyed our trip to Mama’s Vegetarian. It’s a great spot for lunch, a snack or dinner, but don’t expect a lot of atmosphere. The service was prompt and the service friendly; the food is fresh and inexpensive (about $9 PP). Based on the constant flow of patrons, we’re not the only ones that like this place.
Mama’s Vegetarian is located at 18 S. 20th St. Philadelphia, PA 19103
(215) 751-0477 www.mamasvegetarian.com
[Tags]Philadelphia, Philly, Center City, Rittenhouse Square, Vegetarian Food, Mama’s Vegetarian, Podcast[/Tags]
Tags: Center City, Philadelphia, Philly, Podcast, Vegetarian
Tried to go here once for dinner… service isn’t nearly as friendly (they were trying to close up hours before the posted hours said, eg removing chairs) and the condiment buffet was unavailable, which I had to ask to find out… after the counter woman started scooping my (long-sitting) food into a container. I left without buying it.