Archive for July 2008

Tomorrow is Last Day for New Pizza Truck Before Vacation: From Papa Perrone's Pizza Truck (on 55th btw. Mad+Park): "We will be closed for vacation from July 31 to August 10th.  We will be back on Monday August 11. Look for our latest creation- the Prosciutto balls."  I don't know why, but there is something funny about that.  There is however nothing funny about their artichoke pie.  Delicious! (Although I've heard the pizza leaves a bit to be desired.)

(Out of Bounds) Bits & Pieces: Piece of Chicken, 8 Cent Mac & Cheese

I know some of you work on the outskirts of Midtown Lunch boundaries, and others of you don’t understand why I have boundaries at all (sorry, every man must know his limits), so this one is for you people.

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Piece of Chicken, the little take out place that opened in the kitchen of Jezebel (now 5 Napkin Burger) on 45th btw. 8+9th, has re-opened after being closed by the Department of Health for an expired permit.  This is good news for anybody who likes $1 pieces of fried chicken, collard greens, and black eyed peas, mixed with $2.50 scoops of mac and cheese.  They’ve also started serving plate lunches, further solidifying its reputation as one of the few places to get decent soul food in Midtown (even if it is out of bounds.)

8 cent mac and cheese, and more crappy BBQ, after the jump…  Read more »

Jamaican Dutchy Gets New Sign & Coco Bread

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A few weeks ago I wrote about how the new Carribean Spice cart (on 46th btw. 6+7th) was distinguishing themselves from the Jamaican Dutchy (on 51st & 7th) by offering coco bread, the perfect vehicle for a Jamaican patty.  Well, it turns out the Jamaican Dutchy has coco bread as well… in fact they’ve always had it.  For $3.25 it’s still the perfect snack, and now that I know the Dutchy has it, roti is really the only reason to go to the Carribean Spice cart.

Oh… and speaking of the Jamaican Dutchy, they’ve got a new LED screen:

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Exciting news for the people who wondered if anybody would ever upstage that hot dog cart on 53rd & 5th.

Tad’s Steak Dare: From an email: "I have a request for you.  Certain people here at my office are obsessed with Tad's Broiled Steaks and how bad it is.  It would be really cool if you would review the place and take pictures of the food." I once wrote I would accept any Midtown eating challenge.  I knew at some point it would come back to bite me in the ass.  I guess the Tad's write-up had to happen at some point, right?

Midtown Links (Street Meat Hangover Edition)

Cosi Not Immune to the DOH: This just hit the inbox from Lunch'er Susan: "I know it's not very Midtown-Lunchy of me, but I went to get a sandwich at the Cosi on 48th and 6th today and it had been shut down by the Health Department."  Not the Hidden Cosi!!!  As long as there is no "evidence of mice" in the free bread bowl, I'm alright with it.

At Lunch Now: Street Meat Craving


Had to do it. Mixed combo platter, hot sauce on the side, from the cart
on the SE corner of 53rd & 6th. I have been craving street meat all
week long… can’t… figure… out… why. Oh, right.

Rock Center Farmer’s Market is Back

The summer edition of the Rock Center Farmer’s Market is officially up and running.  They’ll be setting up every Wednesday, Thursday and Friday 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. from now through the end of August.  Just like last fall, they’re just north of the Rink Bar, serving up fruit, veggies, cheese, bread, pastries, and more.  Blondie and Brownie hit it up yesterday, and have a complete report.

Burger King Being Replaced by Burger 41

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It’s been four months since the last new burger place opened in Midtown (crazy, right?) so you knew just by the law of averages we were due.  The winner… Burger 41, which appears to be taking over the Burger King that used to be across from Cafe Zaiya on 41st btw. Mad+5th.  What you see on their very Burger King’ish sign is all I know about this place, and from the look of the inside we’re still a ways away (unless they plan on keeping the Burger King menu, and set up.)

The Burger King graveyard, after the jump… Read more »

Szechuan Gourmet: Day 1 as a NYT 2 Starred Restaurant

After Frank Bruni awarded Szechuan Gourmet 2 stars in yesterday’s New York Times, I panicked. Of course I was excited for the place, but a lot of that excitement merely served to hide an underlying fear. I will never be able to eat lunch in Szechuan Gourmet again. And even if I could get in, would it still be the same? Doesn’t Wu Liang Ye (on 48th btw. 5+6th) and all the rest of the Midtown Chinese dinosaurs have New York Times articles in their windows? And look at them now. Not terrible, but shells of their former selves. Granted, those articles were from 1984, but who’s counting.

With all this in mind we rushed over to Grand Szechuan for lunch yesterday, mere hours from the time that Bruni’s accolades were made public, super curious over what we would find. Pandemonium? Sub par food from a cocky overwhelmed kitchen? Mass hysteria? As I walked up 39th St. I noticed a few people with dejected looks on their faces carrying take out menus back to their office. Not a good sign. Read more »