HAPPY NEW YEAR!!
Megan and I are finishing up our last week of Winter break. Just as I thought it was going slowly, it is now coming to an end. Over break, I have been interning at Two River’s Marketing so I have been able to get my experience with downtown lunches and the 5 o’clock rush hour. One thing that is usually on my mind is where am I going to eat lunch? Being really close to East Village, there are a handful of options. So far I have chosen Olympic Flame, City Bakery, and the generic Jimmy John’s.
The Olympic Flame is one of our favorites. I had to make a stop in since I was down there already. They have some of the best chicken noodle soup. The broth of the soup is very unique. It has a great lemon taste to it. Megan absolutely loves the soup. It then has the tender chicken and then rice for the noodle. We have gone there so much that every time the staff sees us, they know… Soup for you! Along with the soup I got a gyro. The gyros have changed, in size, since we started going. This time, I could only eat about half. They are packed with delicious lamb. According to an employee there, they marinade the meat for 24 hours! Yummy! For it being the lunch hour, the service was pretty fast and friendly. If you like Greek food, go check this place out!
City Bakery is a new spot that I was taken to on my first day of my internship. City Bakery is located at 407 East 5th Street. I had no idea it was there because it is kind of tough to spot. It’s also difficult to find the entrance, maybe that was just me though. There isn’t really a ‘front’ door, you have to look for the ‘pussssshhhhhhh’ printed clear windows/door. When I first walked in, I was pleased with the atmosphere. It has very high ceilings with exposed vents, big windows that allow you to see the sidewalk and the other buildings across the street. They had a nice Pandora station playing, something like Jack Johnson. If you have ever been to Flour in Des Moines, this is very similar. To the meal: There aren’t any menus that you sit down and look at. One wall is a giant blackboard listing Salads, Soup, Pizza, and Sandwiches. When I ordered, I asked for a meatball and mushroom pizza, and a San Pellegrino. Like Flour, they prepared the pizza, and stuck it in an oven for about 5 minutes to melt the cheese. After a short wait, the server, who was very nice, gave me and my colleague our lunch. The pizza had a little leaf salad on the side. I would say more for looks rather than to fill you. It was only about 4 pieces of lettuce. That’s okay thought, because the pizza was wonderful. It had a delicious red sauce. I had asked the owner after lunch if the sauce was homemade. All he said was that it took along time to find the right taste. I think it was well worth their time commitment because it added a lot of delicious flavor. A couple days after the first visit, I went back again. This time, I wanted something refreshing. I ordered a salad. It was a simple garden salad with a tangy vinaigrette, feta cheese, carrots, and dried cranberries. The lettuce tasted fresh and had a crisp bite to it. If you’re looking for a quick, local lunch, check out City Bakery. You will enjoy it’s simplicity. 
Go check it out!
Jimmy John’s… you know what that’s all about. Big John, or go home.
Take care everyone! More reviews to come.
-Nick
