Midtown Lunch

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 Jeremy, who you my remember as the author of the Midtown Lunch guide to turning free samples into a lunchtime tasting menu.  I guess they’re paying him more at work because his profile is filled with stuff that actually requires money.

Name: Jeremy

Age: 24

Occupation: Publicist/Private Chef

Where in Midtown do you Work?: 44th Street bet. 5+6th Avenues

Favorite Kind of Food: Recently it’s barbequed cuttlefish and Malaysian food, both introduced to me by my friend Mark who makes some of the craziest pizzas in New York. But I love all kinds of pork, hanger steak, and oysters! In college I set up a raw bar outside of the library during finals. Nobody got sick but I cut my hand pretty badly with a Swiss Army knife.

Least Favorite Kind of Food: Chicken feet are disgusting. I’ve never had memorable Indian food. If you can convince me otherwise, lunch is on me.

Favorite Place(s) to Eat Lunch in Midtown: Soon Doo Boo Jjigae (Tofu Seafood Stew) at Ambrosia (45th btw. 5+6th), Mountain Vegetable Udon at Yagura (41st btw. Mad+5th). And I’m still eating my supervisor’s hard-boiled eggs.

“Go-To” Lunch Place You and Your Coworkers Eat at Too Often? Dishes (45th btw. Mad+5th), which I don’t understand, because everything there is wet. I probably eat at FreeFoods (45th btw. 5+6th) way too often because it’s right outside the door and I dig the lobster soup.

Place(s) you discovered thanks to Midtown Lunch? Zaiya and its neighbors were an epiphany for me, but I can only eat sushi alone at my desk for so long. Can Midtown Lunch provide friends to eat with? Just kidding.

If you could work anywhere (just because of the lunch) where would it be and why? Cote de Beaune (Burgundy), France. I know it’s a little pretentious, but if it means snails and pinot noir for lunch, so be it.

Is there anything you’d like to ask the Midtown Lunch readers? I guess I have a few questions. Let’s start with this: That Indian place on 45th between 5th and 6th. I go in about once a week looking for soup and they always tell me there’s no soup. Unbelievable. Why? Can you eat a 1kg burger? I think I can but nobody will take me up on the challenge. And finally, has anybody ever eaten at the Indian place on 44th bet. 5th and 6th? I think it’s called Jewel of India and it recently got shut down by the health department for being “uninspired.”

I’m guessing that the place on 45th you’re talking about is Sukhadia? For a guy who claims to not like Indian food, you kind of seem obsessed with the two places near your office. If you want the best Indian food in Manhattan, try the Khodiar Food Services steam table in the former newsstand on 6th Ave. btw. 37+38th. It’s vegetarian, but it’s the best I’ve had. And I have to say, I wish there were some good chicken feet in Midtown. As for the burger, how big is one kg? The largest burger I’ve eaten in Midtown is after the jump… 

A burger from the Blarney Stone (on 3rd Ave. btw. 44+45th.) Not a great pic, but you can trust me when I say it’s pretty damn big. Bun to meat ratio is a little off, but for under $5 I’m not complaining. I’ve said it before, but it’s always worth revisiting: when you take into account price, this may be my favorite burger in Midtown (although Five Guys is quickly closing in.)

And as always, if you want to be the next Profiled: Midtown Lunch’er (can’t imagine why though, with this crew), or you’d like to nominate somebody in your office (a much better idea, right?) email me at zach@midtownlunch.com