Archive for November 2008

Giving In to the Pull of Chinatown Express’ Sidewalk Cart

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There is only a certain number of times a guy like me can walk past a place like this without stopping.  I have a special place in my heart for Chinatown Express, the pay-by-the-pound cheap Chinese place on 7th Avenue btw. 33+34th (right next to Gyro II).  Long before I lived in NY, I used to visit from Boston- and Chinatown Express was usually my first stop after leaving Penn Station or even Port Authority. What can I say?  I’ve been addicted to cheap Chinese food for a long long time (in fact, General Tso’s chicken put me in the hospital in college… *allegedly*). Of course my early flirtation with Chinatown Express was long before they set up the satellite stand on the sidewalk selling cheap chicken wings, egg rolls, fried chicken and lo mean. And, after walking by this sidewalk “cart” more times than I can count on my hands, I finally succumbed to the pressure of the easy access super cheap Chinese food.

What I got (who am I kidding, I ordered everything), and how it was (who am I kidding, you know I loved it) after the jump.

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Is Empanada Joe’s Using Single Women To Attract Customers?

Got a really interesting comment about Empanada Joe’s (on 8th Ave. btw. 43+44th) recently that I wanted to share. I just want to say up front, I have absolutely no evidence that this comment is a shill. The person who made the comment has never commented before, but there is nothing that would indicate they are not telling the truth- except for the actual words that they typed. Enjoy:

“TO be honest… I really do not understand what people don’t like about this place. I work IN Times Square, and for the past several months, each time I have to go on break for lunch, I’ve found myself at an impasse trying to figure out what to do, and when I found Empanada Joe’s early last week and I had a meal there, I was so happy, and for one whole week… I have literally gone NO WHERE but there for break every single time. In the space of one week, I think I’ve gone there 6 times. I’m only paying $8.11 now, where before, I was paying anywhere from $15 to $25 for lunch.”

So far so good (kind of)… but wait, there’s more.

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Free Chocolate Alert: Afternoon Truffle Break

Thanks to Lunch’er Carl for alerting us to this one: Godiva will be giving out free truffles at all their participating locations today (11/20) from 1 to 3 pm. In bounds locations for Midtown Lunch are: the Met Life Building (200 Park Ave.), Grand Central Station (Lexington Passage), Times Square (B’way + 41st), Rockefeller Center, Lexington & 50th, 7th Ave & 50th, and the Shops at Columbus Circle. For other locations go to their website.

At Lunch Now: It’s a Texas Red Kind of Day

It’s freakin freezing outside today, so I had no choice but to go for my favorite non-soup, gut warming lunch: a bowl of Texas style red chili from the Daisy May’s cart on 50th btw 6+7th. It’s a beanless chili (your co-workers will thank you) filled with big chunks of super tender beef. Cheese, sour cream, onions, and a tortilla come on the side, all for $7. I don’t know if the tiny cup of rice and beans was worth it, but I was glad to have it at the end to mix with the leftover sauce and condiments. Slightly spicy, completely satisfying, and most importantly- it warmed me up.

Danku Update: "Are you guys opening today?" "No, sorry.  You call every morning don't you!" "Yes, yes I do. Do you know when you're opening?" "Sorry, we were supposed to find out yesterday- but we didn't. They said maybe we would find out today." "Sounds good.  Talk to you tomorrow morning." Me... want... kroket.

Murray’s Sandwich Challenge: Take 3

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And we have another entry in the Grand Central Terminal Market sandwich challenge.  To recap: can you make an under $10 Midtown Lunch’ish sandwich, or sandwiches, from ingredients purchased from the newly opened Murray’s Salami (and the other shops in the Grand Central Terminal market.)  Blondie and Brownie weighed in first, followed by Lunch’er Dave, and now… Max.

2 of my compatriots and I ventured in the semi-brutal cold to Grand Central Market to try the Murray’s challenge. (We went a little crazy, also picking up 3 pieces of very nice seasonal Murray’s pumpkin cheese cake for dessert, but I am excluding that splurge from the challenge.) We gorged ourselves on speck, mozz, and salami, had a photo shoot and assembly party back @ the office. I think our per capita expenditure will definitely be lower next go round (oh yes!), but this was gooddamn delicious!!

Last week there was a complaint about not being about to get a sense of scale from the photo… so after the jump is a list of ingredients, plus a photo that gives you better perspective of the sandwich size.

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Wednesday is Truck Day: The Midtown Lunch twitter account has had an active morning, with all three trucks who twitter parking in Midtown today: Treats Truck is on 45th & 6th, Waffles and Dinges is on 51st btw. Park+Lex (password for free topping is 'incognito') and the Rickshaw Dumpling Truck is on 58th and 8th near Columbus Circle.

And now, we pause for a Katsu Curry moment

Inspired by Boing Boing’s “Unicorn Moment”, my Serious Eats co-worker Raphael felt we needed something similar to break the horrible cycle of bad news that has flown through Midtown Lunch the past few days.

Katsu Curry
Katsu from Go Go Curry. Photo by wEnDaLicious

Oh yeah… that’s the stuff.

Calling BS on Strip Club Lunch

I can’t call this an “airing of grievances” because the person who wrote the comment isn’t really complaining, but the information conveyed calls into question whether the Rick’s Cabaret $10 lunch deal, that Mamacita wrote about a few months ago, can truly be considered a Midtown Lunch:

“I went to Rick’s Cabaret today for lunch around 2:40 (lunch special is over after 3) and had a lovely time. The food came out fast and was quite good, and exceptional considering that a Ceasar Salad, 10 oz steak with fries and a chocolate cake was $10! (Although there is a 1 drink minimum and even a ginger ale is $8 so you’re not really leaving there without throwing down $22)”

I’m going to have to stop you right there.  They force you to buy an $8 drink?  Hmmm… that kind of sucks.  There is no question $10 for all the food they give you is an amazing deal, and clearly they are hoping you’ll drop some money on lap dances and drinks while you’re there.  But forcing you to buy a drink, that automatically jacks up the price way out of the Midtown Lunch price range.  I can ignore tax and tip (and you get extra points for being a strip club) but $8 for a ginger ale?  That goes against everything I believe in… 

In fairness to Rick’s the commenter did have some other nice things to say.

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Calexico/Treats Truck Will Come to Your Holiday Party: The "best of the Vendys" catering alliance between the Treats Truck and the Calexico Cart that was briefly mentioned in the New York Daily News after the Vendy Awards has been finalized, according to a press release sent out today.  Why does this matter to Midtown Lunch'ers?  Because they'll be available for office parties!  (So if you don't want Cafe Metro again this year, you may want to forward this to your HR person...)