Midtown Lunch

Every Tuesday I turn over the site to a Midtown Lunch’er for their recommendations of places to eat Lunch in Midtown.  Apparently last week’s lunch’er wasn’t good enough!  Things like “Not much helpful information”, and “least informative lunch’er… ever” were posted as comments.  And here I was thinking that all you people wanted was a pretty face.  This week I’m bringing out the big guns! “Tam” is the one who turned me on to the Chikubu Friday Ramen Special. Unfortunately, it closed before I got a chance to check it out!  We’re losing her to the Finanacial District (traitor!), so I’m turning the site over to her for some final suggestions…

Name: Tam

Age: 32

Occupation: **cough** Attorney

Where in Midtown do you Work?: I used to work on Broadway and 44th, by the Naked Cowboy. (My new job is in the Financial District, cattycorner to the WTC)

Favorite Kind of Food: Dang me! I’m an equal opportunity eater, so this is a hard question to nail. I guess I’ll eat almost anything, so long as it’s deep-fried. Or grilled. Or braised. I also have an unwholesome love of noodles. Have I mentioned potatoes?

Least Favorite Kind of Food: Walnuts, tahini, and viscera. But guts are okay if they’re deep-fried or grilled. (Braised can’t kill the stink.)

Favorite Place to Eat Lunch in Midtown: 1. Rafiqi’s (NW corner of 44th St and 5th Ave). Lamb over Rice, with sides of hot sauce ‘n white sauce. Dine on the dirty street meat at a reasonable lunch hour; you’ll be clutching your vitals if you don’t. 2. Cranberry Deli (115 W. 45th St, near 6th Ave). Udon (with an extra helping of steamed vegetables). They drain their noodle water and shut down soup-making operations after 2 PM. 3. Pam Real Thai Encore (404 W. 47th St, near 9th Ave) Larb; Green Pumpkin Curry. PRTE is further west than most midtown eateries, but if it’s Friday, the stroll is kinda nice.

The “go-to” lunch place you and your co-workers eat at too often: Marseilles (630 9th Ave, at 44th St). Le Pamplemousse cocktail. For afficianados of flavored vodkas / For girlie-drink-drunks, these are worth blowing the ol’ lunch money on. (DISCLAIMER: but not during work-hours, friends!)

Place you discovered thanks to MidtownLunch: 1. Minar (46th St, btw B’way + 6th Ave).  Delicious! Mysore Masala Dosa. I’m a Bay Area transplant who misses Vik’s Chaat Corner. So Minar is like home. 2. Margon (46th St, btw. B’way + 6th Ave]. Oxtail Special. Hits the spot when you’re lookin’ for a hot piece of tail. (Thanks, Midtown Lunch!)

Dream job location, purely for lunch purposes?: Flushing, on Roosevelt Ave, underneath the 7. There’s a little window where you can buy the finest of soy milks. I’m also in agreement with Lacey. If I could just be a little bit closer to Ba Xuyen or Banh Mi Saigon.

Anything else you’d like to add?: Will Midtown Lunch be launching a Downtown Lunch site soon? ‘Cuz I am lost. I am sad. And I am hungry.

Sorry Tam.  Not only am I not going to be heading downtown anytime soon (I don’t think my bosses would be down with that), I have a recommendation today that I think you would have loved!  It’s braised, it’s got potatoes, it’s delicious, and it’s after the jump

A few months back I reported that Cafe Duke (51st btw. 6+7th) had introduced daily specials to their normal roster of Bulgogi, Bi Bim Bap and soups.  Well, I finally got around to trying the Tuesday special.  The Short Rib Stew ($7.95)

Amazing.  A slight Korean style sweetness (similar to bulgogi) and a very slight spicyness.  So good.  The meat was super tender, and was served with potatoes, turnips and carrots- white rice, and kimchee on the side.  So delicious! But it’s only available on Tuesdays, in the back right where the Korean food is.  Sorry Tam… enjoy Downtown!

As always, if you have any Midtown Lunch news or you’d like to be next weeks Profiled Midtown Lunch’er, just email me at zach@midtownlunch.com.