Midtown Lunch

Yes, I am fat.  Yes, I am a big fan of quantity.  Yes, I love all you can eat buffets- and value is important to me.  But I am not a savage animal.  Not all of my meals must be eaten off a mobile truck parked on a sidewalk.  And it doesn’t always need to be an obscene amount of food, for a ridiculously low price.  I like good food… and I don’t mind paying extra for something special, or super delicious.  As long as there is value.  But value means a lot of different things to different people.

I’ll complain that charging $10.35 for a burger, fries and soda combo is too expensive, or $11+ for a sandwich is just plain stupid.  But then, over the weekend, I’ll spend twice that amount on an appetizer at one of my favorite restaurants (sweetbreads at Prune?  Hello!).  Value is about expectations and balance.  It is feeling that what you sacrifice in quantity, you gain in quality, and the whole thing works out so that you are charged accordingly.  And while for me, Goodburger and FreeFoods NYC have priced themselves just outside that value threshold, I can’t help but think that a place like ‘wichcraft teeters right on the edge.

There is no question alot of the menu will leave you hungry, and feeling ripped off, but with some clever ordering I think you can feel like you had a quality lunch, for an expensive, but acceptable price.  Plus, I love Craft, really like Craftsteak, love Tom Collichio, and even though my first trip to ‘wichcraft, ended with my wife being hungry (and angry we paid so much for such small sandwiches), I vowed to give the place another shot.

Basically what I’m saying is this.  If you are a fat man (like me) and enjoy quantity (like me), ‘wichcraft is overpriced for what it is:  tiny sandwiches that leave you hungry in the belly, and lighter in the wallet.  But if there is that small part of you that occasionally likes to trade a little quantity for quality (mixed in with a dose of celebrity chef), there is a better way to order at ‘wichcraft, to get you out for under $10, and feeling satisfied.

A breakdown of the menu, after the jump… Read more »

 

According to their website, a 3rd Midtown Qdoba (on 46th btw. Madison & 5th), is coming soon.  I tried the newest one on 53rd St. & 3rd Ave., and I have to say I don’t find it to be that much different then Chipotle (or, as the kids say- “meh”.)  The selection at Qdoba is a little larger, so the chances of finding that one thing you can tolerate is greater- but I ain’t willing to put in that kind of time.  So, if you’re sick of Chipotle, and looking for something new, you’ll probably enjoy Qdoba.  If you hate Chipotle, and are hoping for that burrito savior, I’m guessing this probably won’t be it.  (The Baja Fresh vigil continues…)

While Chipotle expands its Midtown holdings, other Midtown Lunch favorites are branching out.  Five Guys & Sakae news, after the jump… Read more »

Every Tuesday I turn over the site to a different Midtown Lunch’er for his or her recommendations for the best lunch in Midtown. Recently I started taking nominations from friends and co-workers, which prompted this email:

I would like to nominate my friend Raechy to be a profiled luncher. Unlike me, she actually works in Midtown proper, and is a big meat enthusiast (she’d already been to the International Meat Buffet when I sent her the ML link), but she’s still willing to roll veggie with me and go to places like Zen Burger. Also she’s uber cute and really funny so I’m sure the rest of your loyal disciples would be psyched to see her and read what she has to say.

Thanks for the email Sarah. You had me at buffet… meet Raechy, a healthcare analyst who loves meat buffets and is a ramen connoisseur.

Name: Raechy

Age: 27

Occupation: Healthcare Analyst

Where in Midtown do you Work?: Reuters, in the hell that is commonly referred to as Times Square

Favorite Kind of Food: Must there only be one? Tacos/eel sushi/dumplings.

Least Favorite Kind of Food: Dessert

Favorite Place(s) to Eat Lunch in Midtown: The Tonkatsu ramen at Men Kui Tei on 56th btw. 5+6th (I consider myself a very devoted ramen connoisseur). Also, I like the unlimited toppings salad and drink for 6 bucks at the unnamed deli on 41st btw. B’way+6th.

The “go-to” lunch place you and your co-workers eat at too often: Haru on 43rd & 7th (yuck). Also Bela Vita pizza on 43rd & 7th is amazing and affordable.

Place you discovered thanks to Midtown Lunch: The chicken and rice cart on 43rd and 6th.

If you could work anywhere (just because of the lunch) where would it be and why? Anywhere in the world? Then Barcelona… I have a weakness for aioli. In NYC it would be the east village/LES, mainly for Fried Dumplings.

Correct me if I’m wrong, but isn’t Haru an expensive Japanese chain owned by Benihana? And that’s your “goto” lunch? I need a job at Reuters!

Also- I have to say, I sort of respect your listing of dessert as least favorite kind of food. I love myself some sweets (are there any fat people that don’t?), but if given the choice between dessert, and an extra appetizer, or a 5th plate at the all you can eat buffet, chances are it’s the dessert that’s going to lose out. The whole “saving room” for dessert thing is not part of my eating vocabulary. If there’s room in there for dessert, I’ll have it. If not- tough nuggies for dessert.

That being said I am currently conducting “research” on a best chocolate chip cookie in Midtown piece. Anybody got a recommendation? Post it as a comment below.

And as always, if you want to be the next Profiled: Midtown Lunch’er, or you’d like to nominate somebody in your office, email me at zach@midtownlunch.com

At the beginning of December I reported that the “chef” of the Chapati Roll Cart on 46th & 6th Ave was on vacation until the end of January, but the cart was still there serving its regular menu. As of last week, he hadn’t returned and even worse- now the cart is gone entirely.It is 47 degrees below zero today, so one can understand if he took the day off, but I even had reports that the cart had gone missing at the end of last week. Anybody have any info? If he’s still missing tomorrow, we may have a serious problem. Don’t know if 46th street can take losing Kati Roll and the Chapati Roll cart in one year…

UPDATE (2/12):  According to a commenter the Biriyani Cart is back today.  Thank god!  Now if only we could get those new menu items we were promised by the sign back in December…

This may surprise you, but over the weekend I don’t eat lunch in Midtown. (Why would anybody???) I do however feel the same hunger on Saturdays and Sundays that I feel during the week, and my tastes don’t change either (fat man likey good food). So, I’ve decided to share a few of my weekend lunches that would fit the very high Midtown Lunch’ing standards (namely- cheap, fresh, authentic and delicious!)

If you love Dim Sum, aka Chinese brunch where small plates of dumplings and other steamed and fried goodies are served off of carts that roll around the restaurant, it stands to reason you’ve been to the Manhattan Chinatown.  If you are serious about finding the best Dim Sum in New York, you’ve probably made the trip down the 7 to Flushing in Queens.  And for the most hardcore of fans, there is Sunset Park, the strip of 8th Ave. known to most as “Brooklyn Chinatown”. 

But as I found out this weekend, the best Dim Sum in the city may not be in any of those places.  It might just be three stops past Sunset Park on the N line, at a little place called World Tong.  Formerly home to Joe Ng, who was lured away to the very upscale Chinatown Brasserie in Manhattan, World Tong has been a favorite of hardcore Dim Sum aficionados for awhile, but the train ride (combined with the fact that Joe isn’t there anymore) has kept it mostly under the radar.  Hoping to avoid the Chinese New Year crowds, we headed out this weekend to check out what many have called the Best Dim Sum place in New York City. 

Dumpling porn, after the jump… Read more »

Have you seen me? Lunch’er Suzanne writes in to say that the she hasn’t seen the truck at 55th and Park since before Thanksgiving. Anybody seen it? They may want come back after getting some love from New York Magazine this week…

• NYMag’s Food Truck rundown includes Midtown favorites like the Treats Truck, Jiannetto’s, & the Steak Truck [Grub Street]
• The Treats Truck has a special Valentine’s day Treats Box… [Eater]
• … Hopefully the truck will be back from repairs by next Thursday! [TreatsTruck.com]
• Joe D. checks out Sakae Sushi for dinner.  Warns against being hypnotized by the combo of conveyor belt and Japanese pop music.  [Gothamist]
• Grand Central Oyster Bar renames N.E. Clam Chowder, “Giants” Clam Chowder [WNBC]
• Kyotofu on 9th Ave. has got some good Valentine’s Day Treats [Umamimart]
• According to Lawrence, the spicy “Drunken Noodles” at Topaz are Far Superior to Pongsri [NYC Food Guy]
• Time Out Weighs in on the Best Wings in NYC Debate (Scruffy Duffy’s on 8th Anyone?) [TONY]

A friendly little Public Service Announcement for all our practicing Catholics.  If you are looking for a cheap and quick meatless lunch that doesn’t involve a filet o’ fish sandwich from McDonald’s, check out my personal favorite fried fish sandwich in Midtown at Kim’s Aunt Kitchen Cart on 45th St. just East of 6th Ave.  If you’re not into that, there are plenty of recommendations from my lent post from last year… all of the places listed still apply (except for Ressie May’s which has closed.)  I won’t be crazy enough to recommend Zen Burger (for fear of drawing the anger of all the commenters),  but their whole menu would be lent friendly as well…

Got your own suggestion?  Post it as a comment below…

Related: Friday Guide to Midtown Lent

 

It should come as no surprise that I feel we are in desperate need of a Korean Fried Chicken place here in Midtown (if your unfamiliar with the phonomenon, check out Jason Perlow’s round-up).  Unfortunately, Baden Baden & Bon Chon, the two locations in Koreatown, are not open for lunch, so we are left Koreanfriedchicken’less.

And now, just to increase our jealousy, Serious Eats’ Adam Kuban has written about the Col-Pop,  a device available at BBQ Chicken (a fast food KoreanFC chain with a location in Chelsea), that allows you to hold popcorn chicken in a built in container atop your soda cup.  Are you kidding me?!?!  With a location on 7th Ave. and 24th St. it’s only 1 stop farther on the subway than the Manhattan Mall Food Court… a small price to pay for being the first kid at work with a col-pop in your cube.

Need more?  Check out the amazing video posted on Serious Eats.

Gotta have Chinese food on Chinese New Year, right? My goto is Hing Won on 48th btw. 5th & 6th. They have “Buhda” Delight as a New Year’s special, but I think I’m going to go with the shanghai rice cake with pork. (Aren’t you proud of me for not ordering the sauteed udon? Mixing it up is my Chinese New Years resolution). Although I might get some general tso’s chicken to go, find a steak and cheese sub, and make one of these.

 

Despite my extensive report on fake shrimp at by the lb. buffets, the word is not entirely out on this NYC deli tactic.

From commenter “Leo” on the post about Cafe Duke (51st btw. 6+7th):

Got fooled by the fake shrimp.

Called them to complain and the lady that picks up the phone had an attitude.
She said that 1. I had to ask — Ask who, there is no one you can ask around the food buffet. 2. Nothing is labeled  3. They make the fake shrimp same shape and size as real shrimps.

Would not offer me a refund after I spend $10 on cheap fish instead of what looked like shrimps…

They are so busy have like 10K people there during lunch, there is no need to cheat customers… Will not go back unless given real shrimps of refund.

I was fooled too, but I only took a few of the fake shrimp, and I really liked the way they tasted- so I wasn’t too upset.  The lesson to take from this-  when eating at a by the lb. buffet, never take a full tray of something you’ve never tried. 

For more rules of by the lb. buffet eating, you’ll want to read this post.