1:06 pm, and the waiting area at the front of Szechuan Gourmet (39th btw. 5+6th) is a mob scene. The wait for a two top: 15-20 minutes. This is Midtown people?!?! During lunchtime on a Wednesday? I think it might be time to move Szechuan Gourmet from “One of the best Chinese food restaurants in Midtown” to “One of the best Chinese food restaurants period”. Right?
Posted by Zach Brooks at 2:16 pm, March 5th, 2008 under At Lunch Now, Chinese.
“Cupcakes from Cucina” posted to the ML Flickr Photo Group by NYCBlondieandBrownie
Posted by Zach Brooks at 11:00 am, March 5th, 2008 under Midtown Links.
I’m pretty excited for this week’s Profiled Midtown Lunch’er. A personal hero of mine, Robert Sietsema is not just a food writer for the Village Voice, his “Counter Culture” column is a champion of the type of eats we struggle to find every day here in Midtown for lunch. He’s also the curator of the Village Voice’s Choice Eats, a huge restaurant tasting event happening a week from tonight (March 11th) at the Puck Building featuring food from 35 places from all over New York City, hand picked by Robert himself (including our very own Margon). Advance tickets are all sold out, but they will be selling a limited number of $35 tickets at the door starting at 5:30pm on Tuesday (March 11th). Plus, I have a pair a tickets to give away to one lucky Midtown Lunch’er, after Robert gives his picks for lunching in Midtown…
Name: Robert Sietsema
Occupation: Food Snob
Where do you Work?: The Village Voice
Favorite Kind of Food:West African (especially lamb mafe! which has a peanut sauce), Mexican (regional cooking from Oaxaca and Guerrero), Italian (Umbrian, Tuscan, and Calabrian), and Italian-American (yay, meat ball hero!)
Least Favorite Kind of Food: Venezuelan, way too bland and boring, too much mayo!
Favorite Place(s) to Eat Lunch in Midtown: Margon(46th btw. 6+7th) for their pernil and chicken fricassee. Katsuhama (47th btw. Mad+5th) for their splendid pork cutlets incorporated into katsudon. And Sapporo(49th btw. 6+7th), especially for their cold noodle dish in the hot summer months.
The “go-to” lunch place you and your co-workers eat at too often: Ressie Mae’s on 8th Ave. btw. 39+40th. (May she rest in peace -zach)
If you could work anywhere (just because of the lunch) where would it be and why? Port of Spain, Trinidad — rotis & doubles!
Is there anything you’d like to ask the Midtown Lunch readers? Where is the best meat ball parmesan hero in midtown?
My favorite Meatball Sub, plus how you can win tix to Choice Eats, after the jump… Read more »
Posted by Zach Brooks at 11:02 am, March 4th, 2008 under PROFILE: Midtown Lunch'er.
It’s a sad day for fans of the food court, as Midtown loses it’s only true collection of fast food kiosks under one roof. (How do you know you’re in a real food court? At least two places handing out pieces of chicken on toothpics.) The Manhattan Mall on 34th St. & 7th Ave. has sold the food court space in their basement to J.C. Penny, and most of the places have already closed. The biggest casualty, Manhattan’s only Arby’s , the undisputed favorite for fans of fast food roast beef flavored bologna. It will be missed.
Also closed, Wok & Roll, Chicken Bar/Ranch 1, Sbarro’s & Cajun Cafe (home to the world famous “bourbon chicken”). Still open, the Japanese stir fry place, the Nathan’s/Arthur Treacher’s Combo, Subway, Charlies and the Desert Moon Mexican place… but I wouldn’t count on them being opened for much longer.
My sad, final lunch at the Manhattan Mall Food Court after the jump… Read more »
Posted by Zach Brooks at 4:15 pm, March 3rd, 2008 under Fast Food Chains.
******************THIS PLACE IS NOW CLOSED***********************
What kind of price do you put on having a fun meal? It’s not a new question. For example, are you willing to pay $50 to eat mediocre roast chicken with your hands? That doesn’t sound like a good deal. What if there are grown men jousting in the middle of the restaurant? Hello! Or perhaps you’d like some chicken and steak stir fry for $30? I can get that for $7 at any food court. What if a “Japanese” guy named “Jimmy” prepares and cooks the food right in front of you, throwing the shrimp tails into his giant chef’s hat? Now that sound likes fun!
In the end Sakae Sushi is no different then Medieval Times or Benihana. They’re asking how much extra are you willing to pay for sushi when it moves around the restaurant on little colored plates. Not enough fun? Let’s throw in computerized ordering! This sounds awesome. I love conveyor belt sushi! And, I also love weird rolls. And mayo. And I don’t have to know what I’m eating to eat it. And that’s what Sakae is all about. If you like crazy rolls that pair fried stuff with cooked stuff, topped with raw stuff and smothered in some mayo based sauce, then you’re golden.
Loves conveyor belt. Check. Loves weird rolls. Check. Loves fun. Check. I should have loved Sakae Sushi. Unfortunately, it didn’t quite work out that way. All the reasons why, after the jump… Read more »
Posted by Zach Brooks at 10:05 am, March 3rd, 2008 under 43rd btw. Lex+3rd, Sakae Sushi, Sushi.
