PROFILE: Midtown Lunch’er “Tracy”

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 Tracy- an Executive Assistant to pay the bills, but she’s an awesome painter too (and by awesome, I mean there are doughnuts and beer in her paintings.)

Name: Tracy

Age: 42

Occupation: Executive Assistant and Painter (http://www.tracymillerpaintings.com/)

Where in Midtown do you Work?: Technology/investment firm at 45th and 6th

Favorite Kind of Food: Hamburgers, beer, bacon, crusty bread, banana muffins, warm chocolate cake with ice cream, lobster, fries, mussels, rabbit, pheasant, eggplant parmesan, lasagne, caseroles, stews, soups, biscuits, frosted cookies, meatloaf, shepherds pie, fish tacos,
chocolate croissants, pate, all smoked meat, toast, french jam, stroopwafels, cinnamon rolls, bahn mi, pork buns, cheese, lamburgers, clam linguine, bacon-wrapped anything, gougiere, banana cream pie,
moussaka, chocolate malts

Least Favorite Kind of Food: Yogurt, raisins, salad, fruity desserts, herbal tea

Favorite Place(s) to Eat Lunch in Midtown: Shrimp tacos from Pampano Taqueria (3rd Ave. btw. 49+50th), Pork with beans and rice and green sauce from Sophie’s Cuban, Chowder from Hale & Hearty, the spinach salad from Josie’s (3rd Ave. and 37th St.), Udon Noodles from the Cranberry Deli (45th btw. 6+B’way), Lamb pita from the cart on 46th and 6th, pulled pork from the Daisy May’s cart (50th btw. 6+7th), cheesburger and fries from the Burger Joint (on 56th btw. 6+7th), lunch special from Yasuda

“Go-To” Lunch Place You and Your Coworkers Eat at Too Often? Cranberry (on 45th btw. 6+B’way), Hale & Hearty, the Red Flame (it’s cozy), and Free Foods NYC (on 45th btw. 5+6th)

Place(s) you discovered thanks to Midtown Lunch? The Treats Truck! But mostly, I’m reminded about different kinds of food to try–seeing photos helps to decide what’s for lunch.

If you could work anywhere (just because of the lunch) where would it be and why? The mission in San Francisco for Poncho Villa fish tacos and steak burritos and El Farolito for chicken and avacado burritos

Is there anything you’d like to ask the Midtown Lunch readers? I miss McHale’s and would like to find an old fashioned pub with a terrific burger. Also, I’ve given up on finding a decent burrito, but if there is a taco place on the west side, it would be so much more convenient than walking to Pampano.

Well, I can’t help you with the pub- but as far as tacos go, I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again:  Tehuitzingo on 10th Ave. btw. 47+48th are the most authentic tacos you will find in Manhattan. And cheap to boot.  It’s out of Midtown Lunch’ing range, but if you’re willing to walk to Pampano from where you work, Tehuitzingo is not much farther in the opposite direction.

Got a suggestion for Tracy? Put it in the comments. 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

39 Comments

  • Which doesn’t belong on the list?

    Answer: Pheasant

  • not a snooty pheasant under glass with a sophisticated marmalade, silly – roast pheasant with cream of mushroom and wild rice. it’s a midwest thing.

  • My fondest memory of pheasant was just after new year’s a few years ago. Back before O’Rourke’s in Middletown burned down, Brian O’Rourke had this awesome thing called Brian’s Breakfast.

    It was something like $12 and he just brought out whatever the hell he felt like. So I got piles of soda bread, pancakes, black eyed peas, an omelet, and pheasant risotto. It wasn’t the greatest risotto, but for 10AM at a tin can diner it was pretty damn good.

  • she eats everthing but the kitchen sink!

  • I don’t know if it’s truly considered old fashioned, but the Perfect Pint on 45th just west of 6th has great burgers. Don’t recall if they technically qualify for a midtown lunch based on price.

  • Tracy, Your paintings are great and your cakes are freakin amazing. Do you just carve the cake into the shapes? How do you control the crumbs? Or do you make the molds for the cake batter?

    Stroopwaffles and gougiere rock the house!!!!

  • Three bacon references in faves (bacon, smoked meat, wrapped)

    Knows Stroopwafels

    Voracious eater, creative AND a redhead (no doubt superb in the sack)

    My vote for coolest Tues freak ever and I am in luv

  • J.G. Melon on the upper east side. old fashioned pub with terrific burger.

    For great tacos, Tehuitzingo Deli and Grocery (695 10th Ave at 47th St)

    and Mi Nidito on 8th and 51st has good burritos.

  • Stout on 33rd has a great burger and a palette (see what I did there?)P, of fry dipping sauces.

  • Kathy, we definitely work together. Also, the lamb is from biryani cart.

  • Sorry, Tracy.

  • I find your cakes and paintings quite strange, yet engaging.

  • She had me with Rabbit,Pheasant & Pate.

  • the blarney stone on third ave (btwn 44th and 45th, I believe) has excellent (and CHEAP) burgers, if that’s not too far for you.

  • I absolutely love the burritos from La Paloma (45th and 9th). It’s a bit of a walk, but so worth it.

  • Tracy, although we are both hungry bitches, and clearly share a love for the finer things in life, I put raisins and honey in my yogurt and love a well tossed salad. I’m also an alcoholic. Let’s be friends ;-p

  • Thanks everyone for such nice comments!

    Jill, some of the new cakes not pictured are carved out of enteman’s sponge cake (fast and easy). Skewers keep the cake together, and it’s possible to build like bricks. The turkey was made by a friend, and she carved it and froze it before frosting. A good bread knife helps with crumbs–and you can frost the first time with crumbs and refrost later when the first layer dries. It does not work to bake huge cakes in giant pans–they need to be built bit at a time (the boyfriend cake failed miserably).

  • Awesome paintings, Tracy!

    Time to get the ML sponsors to foot the bill for a gallery event… catered by Tehuitzingo, with complimentary Budweiser tallboys for all.

  • Had the mini-burgers at Stout. They were delicious.

  • That turkey cake just scares me, it’s so not right!

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