Archive for November 2007

Midtown Links (The Leaving Work Early for the Weekend Edition)

Midtown Snapshots: Indian Food Edition

These photos were recently posted to the Midtown Lunch Flickr Photo Group.  Post your lunch photos now, by going here

Gujarati food from the back of a newsstand
“Gujarati food from the back of a newsstand” on 6th Ave. btw. 37+38th
Posted by joshwand

P1020140.JPG
Chapati Rolls from the Cart on 46th & 6th Ave.
Posted by Mollie

More Indian food porn, after the jump… Read more »

First Look: The New Dean & Deluca

 

I hate over-priced food, but there is a soft spot in my heart for Dean & Deluca.  Probably because I could spend hours roaming the big one in Soho (even though I’ve never actually buy anything), just staring at the meats and cheeses and flavored salts and meats and fruit and bread and cheeses and seafood and meats and cheeses and desserts.  Did I mention the mention the meats & cheeses?

Anyway, Dean & Deluca opened their third spinoff in Midtown yesterday, on 48th btw. 5+6th (on the North side of the street).  Unlike the “Cafes” in the Paramount Hotel, or the one next to the Rock Center skating rink (which is right around corner), this location is pretty spacious and will have a much larger focus on lunch.  The normal array of baked goods and sweets are there, but the prepared foods section is much larger, and they even have a station where you can order a custom made sandwich (the other two only sell pre-made sandwiches).

More Dean & Deluca porn after the jump… Read more »

PROFILE: Midtown Lunch’er “Carolyn”

Every Tuesday I turn over the site to a different Midtown Lunch’er for his or her recommendations for the best lunch in Midtown. This week it’s Carolyn, an Accountant who, in her own words, is “ready to be thrown to the wolves.”  I think she’s talking about you people…

Name: Caroyln

Age:
31

Occupation:
Mind-numbing finance/accounting

Where in Midtown do you Work?:
51st & 5th Ave.

Favorite Kind of Food:
Anything fried with sauce and cheese, and Mexican food

Least Favorite Kind of Food:
Curry anything

Favorite Place(s) to Eat Lunch in Midtown:
Right now, it’s Cafe Cello (on 46th btw. 5+6th)- yellow rice and beans with roast pork. It’s sleep inducing but really good.


The “go-to” lunch place you and your co-workers eat at too often:
Bistro NYC on 51st bet. Madison and Park (by Just Salad). It’s a generic deli but the food is decent.


Place you discovered thanks to Midtown Lunch:
Cafe Cello, Goodburger, Hallo Berlin food cart and Fika. I’m sure there are more….

If you could work anywhere (just because of the lunch) where would it be and why?
Any place along the east coast, right by the water. I’m an avid seafood lover. You can’t get fresher seafood than in some of these little fishing towns.

I’m glad you mentioned Cafe Cello, which I think is one of the most underrated Midtown Lunches.  With Margon so close by, and Sophie’s Cuban slowly taking over Midtown, it is easy to ignore- but the simple fact is, they make the best crispy roast pork skin, and you always get a piece of it with your order.  It’s so good, it’s the official Midtown Lunch photo.

But they have another secret (non-latin weapon) in their arsenal, which I finally tried a few weeks ago.  Check it out after the jump… Read more »

At Lunch Now: Midtown East ‘wichcraft Opens Today; Rock Center Location Next Week


‘wichcraft continues to spread outward from Bryant Park, opening it’s
3rd location in Midtown (4th if you count Murray Hill) on 47th btw.
Lex+Park. Nobody can deny that it’s expensive, but you can’t put a
price on quality. Oh wait, I’m hearing now you actually can.
Sandwiches are $7 to $9.50.And the Collichio fun continues as the Rock Center Concourse location is
scheduled to open next Monday (the 26th).

The Tamale Lady in front of the Mexican Embassy

No offense to the sombrero cart on 50th St. btw. 6+7th, but for the most part the Mexican Food in Midtown sucks.  For the best Mexican food in the U.S., the closer you get to the source, like L.A. or Texas, the better the food is going to be.  So it should be no surprise that the best Mexican food in Midtown can be found right in front of the Mexican Embassy, on 39th St. btw. Park + Madison.

 Just like the ballfields in Red Hook, supply follows demand.  Want to serve pupusas from El Salvador?  Go to where the Salvadoreans play futbol on the weekends.  Homemade tamales?  Head to the Mexican Embassy, where a lady sits out front all day long selling tamales and hot drinks (cold in the summertime) to those waiting outside.

A big bag o tamales, and a +/- after the jump… Read more »

Midtown Links (Free Normal Size Serving Edition)

Lunch at the Norwegian Church Fair… Who’s with me?


Photo taken from “Norse New York” Published in the April 2007 Issue of Saveur

Eating in Translation has got the scoop on what looks like the place to be in Midtown Lunch’ing today!  It’s a little out of bounds (52nd btw. 1+2nd), but when you’re talking Norwegian food, made and served by Scandinavian church ladies… I’m there.

The Norwegian Seamen’s Church is having their annual Christmas Fair this weekend, and it starts today at Noon- which means if you work on the East side of Midtown, and were hoping to find a Christmas Fair with Norwegian food to spend your lunch hour at today, your wish has come true.  The official website makes claims of a “Cafeteria w/Smorgasbord” (and who doesn’t love a smorgasbord???)  Not exactly sure what food they’re going to have, but I’m guessing pickled herring will be making an appearance.

If this fair is any good (which, how could it not be?), I may have to check out their famous $17 all you can eat Norwegian buffet, offered every Wednesday at the Church from September through May. 

There are actually three Scandinavian Church fairs this weekend, and if you can’t make it to the Seaman’s Church today, Eating in Translation is doing a Scandinavian Church Fair Crawl tomorrow starting at Noon.

Norwegian Seaman’s Church, 317 East 52nd St, (btw. 1+2nd Ave.)

Wishlist: A Kick-Ass Torta

A few weeks ago I was in the Bay Area and had the greatest torta of all time at this little place called La Casita Chilanga in Redwood City.  What I wouldn’t give to have this lunch available in Midtown.  I’ve had the torta at Pampano Taqueria, but it doesn’t compare to this.   

I had “La Cubana” torta, and wrote about it on Serious Eats.  You can read about it here: http://www.seriouseats.com/eating_out/2007/11/serious-sandwiches-la-cubana-torta-from-la-ca.html

And if you have any NYC torta suggestions, please post them below.  (Seriously, please.)

Debunking the Myths of 53rd & 6th, the Most Famous Halal Intersection in New York City

53rd St. & 6th Ave is the Chicken & Rice Capital of New York City.  There will never be consensus over who makes the best, but there is no question about who is the most popular.  If you’ve passed 53rd St. & 6th Ave. after 8pm on any give night, then you’ve seen the line.  It forms from the time the cart opens, and doesn’t die down until the cart leaves at 4 in the morning.  Late night club goers, bridge and tunnelers, and cab drivers as far as the eye can see- sometimes stretching as far down as 7th Ave.

A lot of people see this line, and wonder “How could this chicken and rice be so good?”  Not me.  If somebody gets killed just for cutting in line, then I don’t question how good the food is at the front of the line.  I just wonder, where can I get Chicken & Rice worth killing for, in Midtown, during lunchtime!?!   The answer led me back to 53rd St. & 6th Ave., but not necessarily the corner you may think.

The definitive answers to all your chicken and rice questions, after the jump… Read more »