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The brown-bag lunch is the perfect solution when our stomach clocks go off between noon and 1 p.m., especially in tough economic times.
Early in the morning, sometimes in the dark, we scurry around the kitchen pouring soup into a Thermos, wrapping turkey on rye with lettuce and tomato, adding a yogurt, a piece of fruit or tossing a salad ready for the plastic container. Add utensils and a napkin or two and save money. Eating lunch in a full-service restaurant can cost between $75 and $100 a week depending on where you take your meal, Chinatown excluded.
Still, if you enjoy the brown-bag arrangement, eating lunch out once or twice a week won’t break the bank. I discovered the perfect place for this.
It is Du Jour Commerce Square at 20th and Market streets. This is not to be confused with the now-defunct Du Jour that was in the Symphony House, which morphed into a short-lived Asian restaurant. The owners are the same, but the menu is different.
For now, Du Jour is open weekdays from 7 a.m. to 5 p.m. (These hours are a chef’s dream, not to mention the waitstaff and managers. No nights, no weekends.) You can enjoy breakfast or lunch on the patio or eat inside, where the air conditioning is perfect. The dining rooms are bright and cheerful, decked out in warm colors and round hanging lights. There are banquettes, as well as white Formica-like topped tables and comfortable rounded chairs, which actually supported my back.
Du Jour might just have the friendliest waitstaff in town. Servers greet you with a smile and take care of every need. They walk around with a pitcher of iced tea ready for free refills.
On my first visit, I enjoyed the soba noodle salad ($8.95). Among the ingredients were mesclun, chopped peanuts, a julienne of carrots, red cabbage and sweet yellow peppers tossed and dressed in a soy vinaigrette. Numerous glasses of the freshly brewed iced tea ($2) kept me cool.
On my way out, I heard a man call my name. It was executive chef Anthony Bonnett. I first met him when he worked at the now-shuttered Philadelphia Fish & Co. After I reviewed that restaurant, I wrote a story about him. He told me Du Jour may open for dinner in the fall.
My second visit was as fine as my first. Soup of the day was a curried lentil with finely chopped carrots and apples ($3.95) that was served in a black cafe au lait cup. It was hearty with the perfect balance of curry.
The tuna salad sandwich ($7.95) was served on Le Bus multigrain bread. The fish had the right touch of mayonnaise to bind it and fresh herbs and chopped celery were added to the mix. Green leaf lettuce and, unfortunately, an anemic tomato slice topped the tuna. I prefer iceberg on my tuna sandwiches, but this is a matter of personal taste. Tomatoes are in high season. I wondered why the cardboard-like, pale pink slice was placed on the sandwich. The bread was toasted, so it imparted a light crispness. A small salad of mesclun with sweet grape tomatoes came with lunch. As on my first visit, I enjoyed several glasses of the iced tea. My server came around the room time to time to fill my glass.
My sister Sandy, the picky eater, was here for a long weekend. We usually go to lunch and I wanted her to try Du Jour. We sampled the chopped ($8.95) and Caesar salads ($7.95). Both were winners.
The chopped salad included shredded romaine, sliced, ripe avocado, slices of crisp, smoked bacon, tiny bits of sweet red onion, ripe tomatoes and crumbled blue cheese tossed in a homemade blue cheese dressing. (I made a salad akin to this one at home a few weeks ago, but added cool strips of chicken.)
Du Jour’s Caesar arrived on a long, white rectangular plate. It was topped with shards of Locatelli and included tiny bits of plum tomato. The creamy dressing was uncommonly good. I detected a hint of whole grain Dijon in it. Two long pieces of crunchy flatbread came with the salad. I think it a good idea to add flatbreads to every salad, not just the Caesar. It is the perfect go-with.
The place was packed and service on all visits was tops. This restaurant is extremely well-managed — the staff filled water and iced tea glasses.
I noticed Executive Chef Bonnett bringing lunch to patrons. When the top man helps the servers, you know everything is, indeed, just fine.
Three tips of the toque to Du Jour Commerce Square.
Du Jour Commerce Square
2001 Market St.
215-735-8010
www.dujourmarket.com
39170744
39170734
