PROFILE: Midtown Lunch’er “Broke Ass Stuart” (Plus Book Giveaway)
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 another author and book giveaway… meet “Broke Ass Stuart” whose new book “Guide to Living Cheaply in New York City” was released last week. He doesn’t work in Midtown, but the purpose of his guide is clearly something we’re all interested in. He’s also having an open-to-the-public book release party at The Delancey on Thursday night, featuring free beer and free food from a bunch of places, including Midtown Lunch favorite Kati Roll. But more on that below… first, his picks for best lunch in Midtown.
Name: Stuart
Age: Two weeks away from being 28
Occupation: Travel Writer (www.brokeassstuart.com)
Where do you Work?: Wherever there are broke-asses I’ll be there.
Favorite Kind of Food: Ooh, that’s tough. I love food from around the world. The idea of only being able to eat one kind of food for the rest of my life sound like torture to me. For example, I love steak, pizza, and pasta, but when I was down in Argentina, I actually got sick of all those things because there was very little else to eat. In an ideal world I’d have a burrito from San Diego, Vietnamese food from SF, pastrami from Katz’s Deli, pizza from Brooklyn, and a Garbage Plate from Rochester all in the same week. Unfortunately I would probably have a heart attack that week too.
Least Favorite Kind of Food: Raw onions. Fuck raw onions.
Favorite Place(s) to Eat Lunch in Midtown: I really dig Taam-Tov (on 47th btw. 5+6th). It’s this really cool little Glatt Kosher Uzbek that serves up delicious meals. I get something new every time. I don’t know what half the shit is, so I just look at what the people around me are having, point to it and say I’ll take that. I usually works out pretty well. Hallo Berlin is pretty cool too…mmmm…sausages…
“Go-To” Lunch Place You and Your Coworkers Eat at Too Often? I don’t really have one because my job is to try to get a piece of as many places as possible. But if I was to have a goto spot it would probably be Minar Indian Restaurant (on 46th btw. 6+7th). You can get an awesome dosa and a coke for like $6!!
If you could work anywhere (just because of the lunch) where would it be and why? My ideal city is where I’m currently living, San Francisco. It has amazing cheap food, tons of culture, and far less stress than New York. Sure I miss the pizza, bagels and beautiful beautiful pastrami that this city has, but still SF is home. In a perfect world, I’d be based in SF, spend a few months of the year in NY (spring or fall) and spend a few months traveling the world. Let’s keep our fingers crossed about that one :)
Is there anything you’d like to ask the Midtown Lunch readers? What is your cheapest go-to lunch in Midtown?
Alright, so here is where the book giveaway comes in. Post your answer to Stuart’s question in the comments below and you’ll be entered to win a copy of his new book “Broke Ass Stuart’s Guide to Living Cheaply in New York.” Also, if you’re interested in getting free beer and food at his party on Thursday night, here are the details: Thursday, December 4th at 8pm at The Delancey (168 Delancey Street, LES), and there will be free food from The Kati Roll Company, Kossar’s Bialys, The Doughnut Plant, Aprovecho, Sumile Sushi, and Tuck Shop. 2 for 1 well drinks from 8:30 to 9:30 p.m., and free beer from 10:30-11:30 p.m. (or while supplies last) provided by Sixpoint Brewery. $1 cover charge to get in.
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 by Zach Brooks at 11:50 am, December 2nd, 2008 under PROFILE: Midtown Lunch'er.
58 Comments | RSS comments feed for this post
58 Comments
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The 53rd Street Halal Food Cart. To this day, my favorite Midtown Lunch food find and the cheapest. $5, and I’m stuffed to the gills way past dinner.
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Yeah, what’s up with that?
And where has bossman been? He’s MIA
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Woorijip
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Mamacita!! Mamacita!!! Mamacita!!! you nailed it.. Rudy’s for Life!!
And by the way when is NYC Food Guy’s (aka Larry) tome ” From Larchmont to Garden City a Man’s Guide to Eating Like a Child” being published.. I personallly can’t wait his chapter on chicken wings or Applebee’s v. TGIF Friday’s…
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Hey, thought you were here as an expert but you’re asking us for suggestions? You don’t even lunch in Midtown? You like Hallo Berlin? Waxing poetic about SF?
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Currently, Cafe Zaiya has a weekday lunch special. For $5, you get a Japanese rice entree plus a free drink. That’s pretty good coming from Cafe Zaiya. Plus, there are seats for you to settle down with your lunch instead of braving the wind from food cart food.
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First rule to living cheaply in New York: Never pay for a book about living cheaply in New York. Use your goddamned internets.
Second rule: Give up. It can’t be done.
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Bring your own rice from home, and then hit up Hing Won for about 1/2 pound of steam table buffet for meat to pour over top.
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I have to give it to flatrock for a truly ingenious and diabolically penny-pinching suggestion.
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Nice two-fisted pic – Heineken? FUCK THAT SHIT! Pabst Blue Ribbon!
Bossman disappeared after Zach scolded him for the jokes. I think he is still in the Midtown Lunch time-out corner.
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Stuart’s kinda cute….
Pro Korean’s Ramen -
My cheapest go-to is the $3.50 fried whiting sandwich at Kim’s Aunts Kitchen.
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yeah, i say woorijip too.
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My cheapest go-to lunch has to be the dollar pizza behind PA ($2, 2 slices). Other almost-ass-cheap faves include any lamb gyro from a halal cart ($3.50-$4), cheap Chinese takeout ($4.50-$6 at places like Noodle 36), or (if I’m very hungry) the add-everything-you-want salad megameal at Bistro 49 for $7.
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I think it’s a little funny that ideal world Vietnamese comes from SF instead of Vietnam.
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Poor bossman. I thought Blondie had shunned him again and he was too broken hearted to post. She’s a man eater!
(J/K -don’t beat me up blondie)
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Bossman last seen on Gay Supermans blog….entering a Wardrobe…
He’s in Will & Grace Narnia.
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Tsk, tsk….. a little birdie told me I was being disgusted here.
FYI – as of 11/26 I am no longer a denizen of Midtown… what kind of a wanker would read/post on a blog with a focus on an area over 60 miles away?…… oh wait…..
Oh, and I have no beef with Zach, it’s his site and he runs it with a very light hand to his credit. I’d be the first to admit any scolding or time-out’s were well deserved even if he did delete my man-running-down-the-street-with-a-TV-on- his-back wisecrack totally without merit (hi Zach!)
Who is this Blondie you speak of?
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where are you working now? 60 miles???? WTF?
The fact that he doesn’t live here is very disturbing. My cheapest go-to is 99 cent pizza, 43rd street.