If you’d like to dine at a place that is right between fancy and casual, yet healthy and affordable, Marathon on 16th and Sansom Street in Philadelphia is your best bet.

With seven booths and 15 tables for either two or four people, the decent-size restaurant may feel a little crowded at times: the servers navigate the space just like a traffic during a rush hour, yet with experience and confidence and no accidents.

Dim lights hanging from the ceiling create a relaxing atmosphere. Wood-covered walls dominated by a wooden mechanical tree create an interesting, non-disturbing decoration – not too flashy, yet not too boring.

The menu offers enough options to satisfy even picky eaters. From healthy salads to burgers, the variety ensures no one leaves hungry. 

Marathon promises that their food is made from scratch every day, and uses  cage-free eggs and local produce from independent farmers. There is no reason to doubt it.

Besides the regular menu items divided in salads, sandwiches and plates categories, Marathon offers breakfast all day long, in case you’d like eggs for dinner. 

But the highlight of the menu is a “control-freak salad” – a section allowing customers to build-your-own salad instead of asking for changes in the ready-to-order versions. Heaven on Earth to many.

The “Moroccan Salmon Salad” sounds the most delicious and that’s what I decide to order.

It does not take long and a huge bowl with a generous portion appears in front of me. Besides the requested medium-cooked salmon, the salad consists of crisp greens, marinated couscous, cucumbers, cranberries, pumpkin seeds and almonds. That all is topped with a lemon vinaigrette. 

It’s as delicious as it sounds.

Crunchy pumpkin seeds create a nice contrast with the soft and normally rather bland couscous. 

The combination of salmon and lemon vinaigrette is a masterpiece of harmony that does not disappoint. 

Maybe just the music playing in the background could be louder and the echoed conversation of other guests quieter. 

Otherwise, there is nothing to say against the Marathon. It’s nice, fast and as fresh as they promise.