Starving Here
What’s for lunch?
By Jan Walsh
When the lockdown first started, I had mass quantities of food groceries delivered. But getting food in the house and actually cooking it, soon proved to be too much. Every day there they were—food—just sitting there chilling in the fridge, waiting to be cooked. Fresh farm eggs couldn’t wait to be fried. Potatoes threatened to sprout. And mold married my strawberries overnight.
I soon pivoted to delivery from my neighborhood restaurants. And this works well and will continue the orders. But I only have two neighborhood restaurants here at Liberty Park, Billy’s and On Tap. Next we began lining up at the curb for pickup. We first brought home GianMarco’s and Sol Y Luna for my birthday. And once we got a taste of how well it traveled, we have not stopped ordering curb service since.
Lunch is typically our biggest meal, and sometimes only real meal of the day. So far this week, we have brought in Eli’s Jerusalem Grill, Fig, and Pizzeria GM for lunch. All three of these “Food Warriors” restaurants mastered the curb early in this crisis. So accordingly, all of our food arrived home well presented (not decomposed), warm dishes warm, and cold dishes cold, as prepared. And beyond the curb, I have been in the kitchen with these three chefs: Eli Markshtien, J.P. Holland, and Giani Respinto. So I know how carefully they source their food products, focusing on organic and non GMO—safe, healthy, real food.
Eli’s Jerusalem Grill opens at 10:30 a.m. every day except Sunday, when it opens at 11:00. We often get Eli’s for early lunch, so only difference today was paying over the phone, and popping trunk at the curb verses going inside to pay and take out our own. We bring home a large order of hummus with the freshest house made pita bread, my favorite dish of organic chicken kabob, and Kev’s two, grass fed, beef kabobs with a side of fries. There is no better hummus than Eli’s anywhere, as it rivals the most memorable hummus I ever had in Egypt. And his pita bread is so fresh! I mix the hummus in with the beautiful basmati rice and bites of organic chicken. And I sub the red cabbage salad for the Israeli salad because it adds a tasty texture to the plate. Kev’s grass-fed beef medallions are tender, flavorful, and cooked to perfection. And from past experiences, we knew the fries travel especially well. And today is no exception. I steal several of the hand cut potatoes fried in Non-GMO oil. Eli’s full menu is available at the curb for both lunch and dinner.
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Picnic Party
Sol Y Luna packed us a picnic including margaritas!
By Jan Walsh
Not only was the weather beautiful for my birthday weekend, my birthday was sunny too. So, Kev and I picked up Sol Y Luna, poured margaritas and enjoyed lunch—porch picnic style.
We ordered online. And they put the bags in the truck upon arrival. Our bags include Queso Dip, Sol Y Luna Sampler Platter, Salsa and Chips, Chicken and Pork Tacos, and Chicken Chilaquiles, Churros, and Cantina Margarita Mix, tequila, a birthday wish, and a thank you note!
Unpacking our stash, I really like the paper containers. Even still, I must transfer to real plates for this occasion, and because Sol Y Luna fare is just too special to eat from containers of any kind—picnic or not. And their margaritas? They deserve Baccarat. And there is enough margarita mix and tequila for margaritas tonight and many more evenings.
Kev toasts my birthday with a cling of glasses. We dip an array of chips: yellow corn, blue corn, and sweet potato into the cold guacamole and warm queso and munch on apps until they are gone. And we drizzle salsa over Kev’s tasty pork and chicken inside their fresh, soft tortillas and my chicken chilaquiles. Kev’s pork taco proves to be his favorite ever. And my chicken chilaquiles are amazing. Layers of hand shredded chicken, roasted serrano tomatillo, and Chihuahua cheese meld together atop blue tortilla chips. This warm, cheesy, crunchy goodness just makes my birthday! Highly recommended! Imagine that we both found new favorites, which we otherwise might not would have discovered, were we not doing curb pickup.
Kev lights a candle in my churros. I make a wish and blow it out. And we have another round of marvelous margaritas with our delicious, warm, chocolatey, fried dessert.
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