PROFILE: Midtown Lunch’er “Monica”
Every Tuesday I turn over the site to a different Midtown Lunch’er for his or her recommendations for the best lunch in Midtown. Today it’s Monica, an Attorney who hates raspberries, but loves Chinese food.
Name: Monica
Age: 35
Occupation: Attorney
Where in Midtown do you Work?: 62nd & Madison.
Favorite Kind of Food: Tapas, Greek, Sushi, Soba Noodles, Dim Sum, Chowder, In-N-Out burgers
Least Favorite Kind of Food: I detest raspberries. Everything about them – the way they taste, smell and feel. I know everybody else loves them, but I just can’t bring myself to even mildly tolerate them. I’m also not a big fan of ricotta cheese.
Favorite Place(s) to Eat Lunch in Midtown: Pretty much anything from the Dishes salad bar, Margon’s Cuban sandwich (46th btw. 6+7th), Utsav’s buffet (47th or 46th btw. 6+7th), especially on the days they have chicken tikka masala, Lenny’s (any place that puts freshly sliced pickles on a sandwich gets my seal of approval) and Wu Liang Ye’s pan-fried pork dumplings (48th btw. 5+6th). It’s probably outside the ML boundaries, but the Follow Me Caffe on 62nd and Lex is a cute sit-down place with inexpensive sandwiches, salads and soups. For excellent cheese and Italian sandwiches, I like Cheese on 62nd (also at 62nd and Lex).
“Go-To” Lunch Place You and Your Coworkers Eat at Too Often? Since switching jobs last year, I can only live vicariously through the adventures of Zach and the Midtown Lunch readers. I now work in a kosher facility, so we’re not allowed to bring any outside food into the building. We do, however, have a private chef who prepares hot multi-course lunches for us every day and the food is tasty (and free), so I can’t complain. I used to work at 47th and 6th and would go to Europa for a salad at least twice a week.
Place you discovered thanks to Midtown Lunch? Oms/b (45th btw. Lex+3rd), Taki Sushi (48th btw. 5+6th), Woorjip (32nd btw. 5th+B’way)
If you could work anywhere (just because of the lunch) where would it be and why? San Francisco. Specifically, right near the Ferry Building. I could eat Acme bread, Cowgirl Creamery cheese and the Shaking Beef from Slanted Door every day. Locally, I’d say Chinatown due to the easy access to dim sum.
Is there anything you’d like to ask the Midtown Lunch readers? Other than Wu Liang Ye (the one on Lexington btw. 39+40th), is there any good Chinese food in the Murray Hill/Midtown East area?
Phew. I thought you were going to drop the “Is there anywhere to get good Dim Sum in Midtown” bomb. Clearly if there was, this site would go away- because I would have to eat there every single day of the week. Anyway- back to your very good question. My one Murray Hill recommendation, after the jump…
The only Chinese place in Murray Hill I can recommend is Mee Noodle Shop with 3 locations (2nd & 30th, 2nd & 49th and 9th Ave. at 54th). It’s not the greatest of all time, but it’s dependable and pretty cheap. Anybody else have any recs? I’m sure there are better suggestions than that one, and I’d love an excuse to go chow on some good Chinese food in the high 30s on the East Side.
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
Posted: 11:35 am, June 10th, 2008 under PROFILE: Midtown Lunch'er.
29 Comments | RSS comments feed for this post
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29 Comments
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Discussions like this makes me miss Sam’s Noodle Shop even more.
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Couple blocks west is Szechuan Gourmet — on 39th btwn 5th/6th. Good delivery svc + by my lights best Szechuan in Manhattan.
I like Wu Liang Ye as well, but think SG is better. Not to mention cheaper. L27 lunch special is the bomb.
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Monica. If you like Indian Chinese, Chinese Mirch is great food though a little pricy. Since you like Indian flavors, it makes for a spicy flavorful combination.
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Monica gets points for the pic of her drinking in front of palm trees with the shades up but then loses some for the shapeless black shirt. C’mon, make like Segolene Royal and get the turquoise bikini on for us Midtown Lunchers!
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Heavenly Bamboo Pavilion is great. It’s on 39th btw Madison & 5th.
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I agree with everything Monica had to say, other than the unsubstantiated ricotta cheese comment from left field. If a bucket of rasberries were suspended in front of me, I’d dropkick it. Real hard.
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Spades on 3rd & 37th is my go-to Chinese Take Out place.
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Grand Sichuan on 35 and lex is GREAT!
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Fusia is a little pricey, but really good. (56th b/t Lex & 3rd)
Jing Du is great for cheap Chinese with insanely quick delivery. (2nd Ave b/t 51st & 52nd)
Noodles on 28 (that has relocated up a block to 29th) is great for tasty Americanized Chinese food. The restaurant itself is actually modern and clean, so it’s a good pick for dining in. (3rd Ave & 29th)
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Definitely Spades
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Good one Tim!
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@ miss menu: jing du is bet. 56 & 57. they’ve also got some “thai” dishes on the menu that aren’t bad.
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Ooh…good catch, niu yorker. I thought it sounded too far south, but must’ve misread the Menu Pages listing. And, I should try some of their “Thai” dishes one of these days. Thanks!
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My dearest Monica:
I am intrigued by your present circumstance where you are prohibited from eating food in your building. I am not an attorney, but I do hold several PhDs from leading Universities (I am a retired “educator,” if that means anything to you) AND I have had more than my share of “interactions” with our legal system. With this background, I must strongly suggest that your rights are being violated by this policy!!! I would certainly not tolerate such treatment.
Also, I will NOT eat Chinese food (or use Chinese products of any kind) and urge you to follow suit.
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And CockChug knows – he is an expert on being violated.
Just ask his cat & hamster
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being a “retired educator” means that you also sucked at the one thing people who suck at everything else are usually OK at.
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It is a shame, raspberries and ricotta cheese are 2 of my favs.
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Chucky, you should eat more oriental food, lose some of that flab, you fat ugly bastard.
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:) lovely pic Monica
One does wonder if you hadn’t of added ‘Kosher facility’ Chucky wouldn’t have said anything. Seems he’s/ it’s anti semite too.
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new spade’s noodles, rice & more…corner of 3rd and 37th.
cheap, fast, americanized chinese food that isn’t too greasy or blah tasting.
there’s usually a wait for a table, so take-out is best for those that can bring food back to their office.
try ma po tofu w/minced pork. -
My go-to place for Chinese in Murray Hill is Ming’s Delight on 3rd and 39th, though I enjoy Spade’s, too.
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I second Chinese Mirch. Some dishes are good, others are not great, so you have to try different things or read some reviews before you go.
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My go to Chinese/Japanese place in Murray Hill is called Hong Kong at 174 Lexington Ave @ 31st
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You want me to bite their nuts off, DocChuck? Just the Jewish ones this time?
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Chinese food made by “Spades”? Are you kidding?
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this is hands-down the creepiest ML thread, ever.
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Grand Sichuan at 55th and 2nd ave is the best spicy chinese by far…go with the whole orange fish or the qong qing chicken
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Monica, as a kosher attorney that works at 57th and madison, I am very curious about your building. Why is it entirely kosher? Is your company kosher?
I guess you won’t be wanting my raspberry lasagna recipe.