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

58 Comments

  • I think it was the Blondie broken heart thing…..Poor chap….we’ve all been there….but to move away!!….did you Listen to Celine Dion during the drive?

  • 60 miles – self-banished to either Jersey, CT, the wilds of NY or maybe a fishing trawler in the Atlantic

    Most guys would just join the French Foreign Legion or jump off the Verrazano…

  • Your affected miniature fedora, prominent nose and red wispish hair recall a young Larry Fine. I’d give serious consideration to tributing him professionally should this book thing work out as I suspect it will.

    http://three-stooges.net/larry1b.jpg

  • Ive got it!!!!

    He was the CEO of Lehmans.

  • Bossman, I expect a full report. Will you at least visit us sometime?

  • I reject this hipster with his pbr and fingerless gloves who claims to know our fair city. I might take some of his beer though. That’s how its done in NY, sonny, we shun you and then take your freebies.

  • To answer your questions:

    I did live in NY while writing the book, but now live in SF.

    Also, the reason I asked that particular question was so you all had something to chime in and possibly win a book. It would’ve been out of context if I asked a question like, “who do you think was greater Catherine the Great or Peter the Great”. Know what I’m saying?

    and Sarah, feel free to come and drink all the beer you want. Let’s fucking party.

  • that’s an easy one…the great peter centralized government, modernized the army and created a navy

  • …cathy did get randy with a horse too……

  • Guys, guys, enough about me, the focus should be on the pretentious, self-important hipster-wannabe of the week (the hat, the ruffles, the sideburns, the jacket, the pose, the HORROR).

    If you keep this up Zach won’t have any more talentless hacks looking to get ML cred by promoting their latest affront to popular culture by ponying up some half-baked impression of a real MLer’s profile.

    @Mamacita – I’m between careers, I’ve narrowed my next one down to adult film leading man, drug dealer, or rock star……
    decisions, decisions. Oh and thanks, I took the crew down to Rudy’s on our last day and I think they saw another side to this SVP – watch your email for the gory details.

    @Rudy – close, very close, but you give me too much credit. I’m not nearly that incompetent, but I tried, no one can say I didn’t try.

  • One of the halal carts. Grill meats are nice and filling.

  • What I did when I had barely on cash in my wallet? Half a tuna sandwich from Guy and Gallard on RYE. The rye was important because it’s so huge that half of it is still the size of a regular sandwich. Oh and an apple. Very elementary school lunch room but it came to some where around 3.50. Score.

  • $3.75 California rolls at the Chinese market on 41st b/w Madison and 5th paired with $1 miso if the hunger ravages.

    Cheap-ass book?

  • Jamaican Dutchy cart, beef patti with coco bread for $3.50 and I am full, or Papri Chaat from Indus Express, $5.30 healthy and you could even streatch it into two meals if you had to.

  • Uncle Floyd!

  • papri chaat at indus, healthy? it’s having chips slathered in sauces for lunch! which i fully support but would not call healthy.

  • Bread and Olive. Its on W 45th St between 5th and 6th. Middle Eastern food at its best. I never had much of that type of food before a friend had me try it. Now I’m hooked. The prices are good too so I can go there twice a week and keep to my food budget.

  • Favorite food is a “San Diego Burrito” eh? Stu, the BFT likes the cut of your jib. That being said, the BFT don’t take no guff from the 212. You NY’ers roll clear of the 619. Stay home with your Brooke Shields and your Gossip Girl and your fancy scarves and such or you will go the way of Biggie on a bad day. However, if you kids are out here, Taco Tuesday in Pacific Beach along Garnet Ave. is pretty damn good.

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