Midtown Lunch

I try my best not to be too negative on this site, but that doesn’t mean you shouldn’t be able to vent. Every once in awhile I’ll share some of the more angry useful emails I get in a post called “Airing of Grievances”. (If the Eater Complaints Dept. would like royalties, I’ll be happy to pay up…)

“I just went to Cafe Duke yesterday and I bought a mini black forest cake for $5.50!! I went home and wanted to surprise my husband with a little cake for dessert and what happens?? We bit into the cake and it tasted like sour bleach! The whole cake layer inside was alive with greyish blue mold! Needless to say, it not only ruined my evening but it spoiled my appetite for anything Duke in the future!!”

Ooops. Not sure if this was the Cafe Duke on 51st btw. 6+7th (which is one of the few generic Midtown delis I will eat in) or the one down on Broadway and 41st, but either way, it may be a good idea to stay away from their baked goods. If you’re headed to the one on 51st, stick to the by the lb. buffet, and the Korean food in the back left hand corner.

After the jump, a Tad’s complaint you knew would come eventually… Read more »

For years the chicken and rice cart on 43rd just East of 6th Avenue has towed the line of relative annoynymity and street meat fame. Often referred to as the “Trini Pak Boys” the cart has always served up a popular Indian/Pakistani tasting version of chicken over rice, but their sign has always been pretty crap-tastic. Hand scrawled, with no real indication of what they wanted to be called, the original sign has finally been replaced. The cart is now officially known as the Trini Paki Boys Halal Food, and the full menu is layed out in an easy to read format.

In our Street Meat Palooza post, the cart scored surprisingly low- but we were criticized for getting the yellow rice instead of the white basmati rice. I’ll make sure they get their fair shake in Street Meat Palooza 2!

I was hoping the space vacated by Yum Thai (on 44th btw. 6+7th) would be occupied by another Midtown Lunch, but instead it has been replaced by an art gallery? Weird… I have no idea who Monika Bravo is, or what aka is- but it’s not thai food. And I’m sad.

Oh no!  From Bossman: “I’m not sure why anyone would care but Printon 56 (on 56th btw. 5+6th) is closed due to ‘water line damage.'” Well that is terrible news!  Now Frogurt fans will have to trek all the way to Forty Carrots inside Bloomingdales.

UPDATE: I didn’t notice before, but Bossman included a photo with his email (I’ve posted it above).  Apparently “water line damage” is code for “A Visit from the DOH.”

I have never met a piece of fried chicken I didn’t like. Sure, there have been some transcendent fried chicken moments. My first visit to Roscoe’s Fried Chicken and Waffles in L.A. comes to mind (although you may say the waffle had a little something to do with that.) And of course there was Dunbar’s in New Orleans, which is still the best fried chicken I’ve ever eaten. Hopefully the rumors of its return are not exaggerated. But I don’t mind slumming it either, and it doesn’t take much to please me. Hot Oil + Chicken (+ Salt & Pepper) = Good.

There is some damn good fried chicken in Midtown. I’ve mentioned Cafe Cello as one of my favorites (on 46th btw. 5+6th) and even KFC has gotten the obligatory mention on the site. But if you want to be at ground zero for NYC fried chicken there is only one place to go. Eighth Avenue. The stretch of that road between the Mid 30’s and Mid 40’s is jammed packed with fried chicken goodness. Here is your guide to navigating the corridor. (A Fried-Chicken-Palooza if you will)

Read more »

For those who didn’t realize that there are actual ovens in the famous Jiannetto’s Pizza Trucks, proof came yesterday in the form of a lunchtime fire that was large enough to draw the NYC fire dept.  I got this on site account from Lunch’er “Alan” yesterday afternoon:

I went to lunch at about 2:00 and wanted some Jiannetto’s pizza only to find it mobbed with firemen dousing it with water. The fire seemed to be out by the time I got there. I left the scene at about 2:15 and they were pretty much tearing the truck apart inside making sure the fire did not spread anywhere. I heard someone say it started from a small oven fire which could of been put out by a fire extiguisher which they did not know if they had in the truck.

Papa Perrone’s (on 55th btw. Mad+Park) is fine, but it’s no replacement for Jiannetto’s- which has at least two trucks, possibly three, so I’m guessing there will be no interruption to service on 47th btw. Park+Madison, but I don’t know that for sure.

The second location of Lazzara’s pizza is starting to come together nicely, and they are hoping to open the second week of September (maybe the 12th, 13th or 14th.) While the new location is slightly out of bounds (9th Ave. btw. 43+44th), it will hopefully ease the burden on the original Midtown Lunch location (on 38th btw. 7+8th.)

The new location will be take out only. Check out a photo of the inside (if that is your thing) after the jump…   Read more »