Momogoose

Where to Lunch: For Fast Asian Fusion

A colleague at my old office turned me onto the Momogoose food truck and we caught this mobile Asian Cafe down by South Station. If you've picked up on my love of Asian soups, you'll know this was a great lunch choice. I ordered a beef ramen that came in a plastic to-go bowl with chopsticks and a soup spoon. Very flavorful broth-- my first bite in, I hit a jalapeno! This soup cut through any congestion or case of the blues I had and filled me up quickly with a mix of veggies and beef.

Beef Ramen

The next time I ran into the red Momogoose truck, I ordered the same entree. I was surprised to find the soup totally different (but just as delicious.) Instead of jalapenos, there were crunchy carrot cubes, potato, zucchini, and broccoli. This nutrient-packed version of their ramen bowl was more akin to beef stew (not what I expected from ramen), but I happen to love a beef stew. The flavor was much headier and I only missed the spark of the peppers for the first sip or so.

Besides ramen, they also offer pho as well as create your own baquette or bowl entrees. Sides include crispy or fresh rolls, and check their twitter (@momogoose) for daily specials.

Momogoose 
Rotating Locations
Ate: Beef Ramen Soup
Total: $6

B.

Italian Cafe

Where to Lunch: If You're Mildly Hungover

or, Where to Breakfast: On a Severe Budget

Financial District

I can't even begin to describe how absolutely essential an egg-and-cheese on an english can be on a morning with a touch of the sea legs and a moderate-to-stabbing headache. It’s even more essential to someone who might not have done their grocery shopping, or who, while grocery shopping, overestimated their ability to wake up in the morning and, as such, only purchased items that require preparation (8-minute oatmeal, scrambled eggs, smoothies.)

For someone who barely has time to put on underwear before getting on the train to work, there’s always the Italian Cafe. One dollar these breakfast sandwiches are, from 7-10 every morning. They come out gooey and messy, cheese and egg overhanging the sandwich, and sometimes the edges of the sausage are burnt and the white of the egg gets a little crunchy but it all melds together into a beautiful, satisfying, fatty, delicious mess. FOR ONE DOLLAR!

Between the hours of 9 and 10 AM (I can’t speak for the hours of 7 and 8), there’s at least 5-7 people waiting for these gorgeous saviors between the long ordering counter that spans the back wall and the short counter at the front window. It’s a small establishment and 5-7 people feels crowded, especially with the blanket of heat coming off the griddle. People step to the side near the soda cooler and mill near the window, waiting for their order. Almost no one orders just one sandwich and the chef throws down 18 english muffin halves on the grill at a time.

 One dollar!

My experience is limited to the breakfast sandwiches, though I can imagine the rest of their offerings to be both cheap and delicious, if not totally health-conscious. The menu does bear an eerie resemblance to that of Al's Cafe, a mere .1 miles down the road on State Street, but Italian Cafe has slightly cheaper prices. The cheapest item by far is the egg-and-cheese, so cheap that splurging for meat (75 cents) is no splurge at all.

My favorite combination is the egg-and-cheese with tomato and sausage. The cheese is standard American and melts into the crevices of the english muffin. The tomato gets piping hot (be careful) but is a good compliment to the heavy flavor of the sausage. Of course, there's the egg with a yolk that ranges from runny to hard, based on how many orders were before yours. Most importantly, it's one dollar; and, some mornings, that's all that counts.

Italian Cafe
65 Broad Street
Ate: Egg-and-cheese on an english muffin with sausage and tomato
Total: $1.75

B.

Where to Lunch: If You're in Boston's Back Bay

via google maps

That's right, reader(s). With the change of seasons comes a change of employment-- for me, at least. I have relocated uptown from Boston's Financial District to the Back Bay. In terms of T stops, that means the area bordered by the Orange line at Mass Ave station and Hynes Convention Center, and the Green line Symphony and Arlington stops. Smack dab in the middle you will find Copley station and a jump away, the Prudential (both Green line). 

My new offices are located inside the Prudential Center. For those not familiar with Boston (are you just visiting for lunch?), here's a brief overview of the Pru. 

The Prudential Center, via cityprofile.com

We call it the Pru, but Prudential Center is actually a complex of buildings, the most easily recognizable of which is the boxy, 52-floor Prudential Tower. (Second highest building in Boston, behind the John Hancock Tower-- a history lesson for another day.) Perched on the 52nd floor like a haughty bird is the swanky restaurant Top of the Hub, the Hub being a nickname for Boston dating back to 1858 and not used favorably the first time around. 

The Pru houses a variety of shops, restaurants, and offices, one of which is mine. I have a 21st floor view of the city in every direction and I can't complain...

...about the view. I can complain about a few other things. For those loyal reader(s) who have already pieced it together, this means that the Where to Lunch team has been separated. No more lunch dates and espresso trips and hangover cures shared with a friend. And, or at least it seems so now, no more lunch!

From my still naive point of view, my new office is in a veritable lunch wasteland. The Pru itself has a large mall food court and a few choice other sit-down venues. Anything else is a 10-plus minute walk, which cuts deep into my lunch hour. It may be because I don't have E. to guide me this time around, but in the past two weeks I have found only two lunch and coffee venues. Folks, one day I ate at Shaws.

While I navigate my new work neighborhood, I'll update here with some of my Financial District finds from the golden days. If they read with a touch of longing, now you know why. With any luck, I will be back up and running the Back Bay side of Where to Lunch so that we can keep you eating all over Boston. The only thing worse than work is being hungry at work. 

Happy Lunching!

B.

La Tour Eiffel

Where to Lunch: When You’re Feeling Francais

One fun Friday, my parents came into Boston to meet me for lunch. I was tight on time and they were trying to get to the museum, so we needed something close by my office and relatively quick. We also needed something akin to real food so I could prove that I’m an adult. Luckily, my mom was feeling crepes.

The Paris Creperie has a home café in Coolidge Corner but they also have a convenient food truck, called la Tour Eiffel, that on this particular day was at the Rose Kennedy Greenway. You can check food truck locations on their website or at boston.gov.

Before, Savory

Their menu offerings are savory or sweet—or, in my case, both. I went first with a rosemary chicken crepe that featured sautéed mushrooms, sundried tomatoes, and brie, of course. The crepe itself had dashes of rosemary cooked in, so the first few bites were of nicely herbed and papery bread. Once I got into the meat of the sandwich, that was where things melted into a warm and hearty medley of satisfying goodness. C’est bon. 

As I usually say, one good crepe deserves another. I followed up my savory lunch with a sweet dessert crepe of Nutella with strawberries. The menu calls it “unparalleled” and anyone who has ever tasted Nutella doesn’t need a description. If you’ve never had Nutella, I’m really truly sorry. One dollar adds fruit: bananas, strawberries, or blueberries. 

After, Sweet

Suffice to say, lunch was so delicious my parents inquired about catering for my sister’s bridal shower. Next time you need something satiating and chic, check out La Tour Eiffel. 

La Tour Eiffel 

Rose Kennedy Greenway at Milk St. 
Rotating Locations

Ate: Rosemary Chicken Crepe, Nutella Crepe with Strawberries, Pompelmo San Pellegrino

Total: ~ $15

B.

SIP Cafe

Where to Lunch: When You Need to Take a Walk

Perhaps you were economical and had a homemade lunch today, or maybe you already went out to lunch but got something to go. Either way, you can afford 15 minutes out of the office. It could be excess energy, boredom, sleepiness, annoyance, or it could just be really sunny out, but some days you need to take a walk. 

Post Office Square Trellis 

When I need to walk and am not looking for much to munch, I head to SIP Café. Located in Post Office Square, this window-walled café benefits from a phenomenal location. Although a post office is notably missing, the Norman B. Leventhal park features a fantastic lawn, a fountain, numerous benches, and a trellised walkway that transports you to the Secret Garden as soon as you sit down. (Nothing beats reading by vine-filtered light.) In the summer, one can also find a lending library and seat cushions that make whiling away the afternoon in the sun that much more appealing. So, while SIP offers outdoor seating, it’s really just icing on the icing. There is no shortage of places to bask in the sun with your iced tea or to lazily dunk biscotti into your coffee. 

The café offers sandwiches and soups, but I only ever go for an afternoon pick-me-up—something short and sweet, like the name. Even with a display case of tantalizing loose-leaf teas, SIP can make me regret my decision to go coffee-free. On recommendation from a barista, I once got a killer mini-latte with a zing of ginger that kicked the pants straight off a lingering hangover. Whatever I get, it pairs perfectly with the variety of countertop mini-treats, like baby biscotti. One word of caution: the green tea is not straight green tea and has a floral tinge to it that I find less appealing (I always mean to ask what it is. Jasmine, maybe?) Also, when you order a small, you get a small.

That said, SIP is a good spot for an short afternoon excursion on a sunny day and fabulous people-watching, from indoors or out.

SIP Café

Zero Post Office Square, Boston

Corner of Congress and Franklin St. 

B.

Sakurabana

Where to Lunch: On a Rainy Day

Grey, rainy days like today are good for cuddling in blankets, a good book or bad TV, and soup. 

If you're stuck at work in Boston's Financial District, only one of those is feasibly within your grasp. Enter Sakurabana with a steaming bowl of one of my very favorite comfort foods: sansai udon soup.

Sansai Udon 

I used to find this pot of goodness at Ittyo, the last in a line of Japanese restaurants at the Porter Square Exchange. They recently had a change of management and, while they added all sorts of build-your-own noodle bowls, my beloved bowl of mountain vegetables (literal translation of sansai) is no longer a menu staple. True, I could probably build a better bowl, but at what price? (Two or three dollars more. It's a principle thing, really.)

Thinking I would be sansai-udon-less forever, I was happy to find Sakurabana on the corner of Broad Street and Milk Street. The name of this spacious Japanese restaurant translates to "cherry blossom." Hence, the pink blossoms on their awning and the small vases of pink flowers attached to the windows. It's a sit-down place, which means adding tip and tax into your meal, but it also means feeling snug and warm while watching the rain through the slotted window screens.

Edamame

I always, always go with the sansai udon, so I can't speak to the sushi. Though I'm not 100 percent sure what sansai are, I know there's mushrooms, carrots, and some green bits; the udon is chewy and the veggies are woodsy and together it's totally yummy. On a particularly chilly day, I add a cup of hot green tea (75 cents.) If I'm feeling like my pockets have some extra padding, I'll also do an appetizer of edamame or gyoza. The edamame is always fun to eat, though level of saltiness has varied with Sakurabana.

Lunchtime can get crowded so it's sometimes better to catch this place on an off-hour. Plus, then you can hear the Bedtime-Magic-esque soft rock they play as you fill your stomach with warmth and nutrients.

Sakurabana
57 Broad St., Boston
Ate: Edamame, Sansai Udon, and Hot Green Tea
Total: $16 (with tax, without tip)

B.

Fόumami

Where to Lunch: If You Need Something Different and Delish

Today, as I'm sure has happened to you before, dear reader(s), I just didn't know what I wanted to eat. I was in the mood for something filling but not heavy and, most of all, I wanted something new. I mentally scrolled through all my usual options, and my stomach turned its nose up at each.

Looking for the impossible cross between spring rolls and a hearty kale stew that my stomach was demanding, I turned to Google. I quickly found Boston Magazine's "The 50 Best Restaurants 2012" but was disappointed to see only one candidate representing the Financial District (Jody Adam's Trade, filed for now in our "Places to Taste" folder). 

Frustrated again that a blog like ours didn't already exist, I happened upon Fόumami. E. and I had gone here once for lunch but aborted the plan when the line was stretched out the door and we realized our then-hungover tummies were not quite ready for all this Asian sandwich bar has to offer. Today, looking at their menu online, every single blessed thing sounded like just what my belly needed. Fresh, hearty, and undoubtedly different.

I headed there with the chicken katsu sandwich in mind and splurged on an iced green tea, which brought my total to $10.50. 

chicken katsu sandwich and an iced green tea

The breaded chicken was crisp and salty, the cabbage and tomatoes were fresh and palate-cleansing, and the katsu sauce was tangy and sweet. But the best and most unique part was the bread, Foumami's Shao Bing. Their website describes it as an "unleavened bread somewhere between focaccia and pita" but it reminded me of a mix between naan and scallion pancakes. Chewy like naan and crispy like a scallion pancake but much less oily. I felt like a caveman chomping at the somewhat tough fold but I was hungry and the grilled flakes of bread that chipped off were perfect for sopping up whatever katsu sauce I'd lost in biting.

My sandwich came with a pickle (wrapped in a cute little saran-wrap bag) and the smallest bag of Cape Cod chips I've ever seen (.5 oz). Minimal sides, but I was full by the time I was done. If that doesn't do it for you, they offer a variety of fun and foreign snacks at the front counter, including wasabi peas.

It seems most people take their lunch to go but I ate in the restaurant, which was clean and airy: basic white plastic tables and chairs, benches along the windows, high ceilings, green and white walls. It was pretty quiet when I got there at noon. Non-invasive, cool, vibe-y tunes played like upscale hold music. While I ate, there was a consistent line of about 8-10 people, stretching from the main entrance to the counter and those who filtered in from the side entrance inside 225 Franklin were greeted with tasty bread snacks from the pick-up counter. Most everyone ordered a sandwich, but they also offer killer salads and a daily soup. You can check their Facebook or Twitter to figure out the dailies. I'm keeping my eye out for when the wonton soup rolls around.

After I ate, I exited onto High Street and sat in the sun on the stone border of the small topiary gardens outside. Mini-japanese maples rooted in light grey stones-- very zen, highly recommended.

Fόumami
225 Franklin St., Boston (entrance at the corner of High Street and Oliver)
Ate: Chicken Katsu Sandwich and Iced Green Tea
Total: $10.50

B.