PROFILE: Midtown Lunch’er “Richard”
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 Richard a Marketing dude who boldly admits that he doesn’t like potatoes that have been cubed and deep fried.
Name: Richard
Age: 25
Occupation: Marketing Analyst for SeamlessWeb (and amateur food critic for EatRichly.com)
Where in Midtown do you Work?: 37th and Madison
Favorite Kind of Food: Soba noodles, soft tacos (I only say “soft” because I used to think that hard tacos with ground beef were the only type of Mexican food), pappardelle with any meat ragout, anything over rice
Least Favorite Kind of Food: Home fries (how are these served with every omelette?)
Favorite Place(s) to Eat Lunch in Midtown: One paneer and one meat (chicken/beef) roll at Kati Roll Company (on 39th btw. 5+6th); Norvegian or Siciliano sandwich with one macaron of the day at Macaron Cafe (36th btw. B’way+7th); Chilorio, Pescado, and Alambre tacos with the warm, salty chips from Pampano Taqueria (3rd Ave. btw. 49+50th); Set A with Lobster Salad and a rotating cast of characters at OMS/b.
“Go-To” Lunch Place You and Your Coworkers Eat at Too Often? Lucky Deli Asian Kobe (on 37th btw. Mad+5th): This spot serves mediocre, yet expensive, wraps, sandwiches, and salads. And no one has ever dared to try anything “Asian” there. But it is directly across the street from the office. Mondello (on 37th btw. Mad+5th): They actually have a pretty good New York slice (and apparently a decent chicken parm?), but it’s really only a spot to go when feeling lazy, cheap, or pressed for time. Au Bon Pain: This place nearly ruined my college experience and now it forces me to uncomfortably refuse lunch outings twice a week.
Place(s) you discovered thanks to Midtown Lunch? Macaron Cafe: I never would have walked by this place, so I am eternally grateful. OMS/b: Who doesn’t love rice and mayonnaise? Yagura (on 41st btw. Mad+5th): It’s cheap AND it offers a full service Japanese supermarket!
If you could work anywhere (just because of the lunch) where would it be and why? East Village. New York has the best diversity of cuisine in the world and the East Village has an absurd number of cheap spots like Caracas Arepa Bar or Royale, along with mid-range noodle places like SobaKoh, Ippudo, and Ramen Setagaya. And that’s not to mention the Momofuku Empire. Finally, if you get bored you can walk to Chinatown or the West Village.
Is there anything you’d like to ask the Midtown Lunch readers? Is there anywhere close to my office with very good zaru soba? I love Soba Nippon on 52nd street, but that’s too far to go regularly.
Got a soba recommendation for Richard? Feel free to 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
Posted: 11:45 am, January 13th, 2009 under PROFILE: Midtown Lunch'er.
36 Comments | RSS comments feed for this post
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36 Comments
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I don’t why but home fries seem like they shouldn’t be that hard to make, but 95% of all places have crappy home fries.
But good home fries are a thing of beauty.
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Last time i saw teeth like that Sigourney Weaver said ‘get away from her you bitch!’
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Now Rudy. The gent is handsome … in an equine sort of way
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lmfao @ Rudy. We really need to have another happy hour..
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Every hour after 5 is happy for me.
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Dearest Richard:
How seeing your picture brought me back many years!
My own wife, you see, started life as a street urchin much like yourself. I met her when I was on leave from the Navy and she was hawking wares on the street in Chicago.
She was wearing a pinafore very similar to yours the day I met her (hers bore a puppy, as I recall, and not a teddy bear).
The twinkle in her eyes melted my heart. The twinkle in yours warms me on a chilly winter day.
Good luck to you son. I’m guessing you’ll need it.
Cheers,
Chuck, PhDP.S. you might consider chopstick lessons
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Excuse DocChuck…he’s in a good mood today. He found out he has a chance with Eddy Curry now and all days long he’s been whacking it thinking whats the 6′11″ ball player is packing.
By the way, this kid looks like a teenage jerry seinfeld -
Home fries really do suck most of the time. Well played.
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Steve,noooooooo
He looks like David Schwimmer in a fairground mirror. -
He is clearly the spitting image of a young Fred Gwynne. He was a dear family friend, should that excite you.
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Ever stop & think how the PROFILED: Midtown Lunch’er feels to read comments bashing the way he looks? You people have amazing manners (and loads of friends, I bet).
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Be nice people. Let’s focus on the ramen question!
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Come on guys, the dude is wearing a teddy bear apron. He is just inviting us to post f-ed up comments about him.
Also, I work above Soba Nippon but haven’t been…it looks too expensive. Is it worth it?
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No.
Marina…..would you like to revue a Bar?
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why doesn’t everyone who felt the need to make a rude comment about something as irrelevant as Richard’s looks submit a photo of yourself and let all of us got to town on your looks…until then, you should shut the hell up.
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i’m sure you’re all america’s next top models
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I know Doc Chuck has so many friends. They all have different voices and live in his head. When he is jerking his goat he has an audience of hecklers. Insane is as insane does, right Chucky? You smelly arse.
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If Rudy will take his executive jet from London to NYC, he can meet me for happy hour today. You’re all welcome, as long as you buy me a drink.
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Mama, mama ,mama….(….isnt that a Genesis song?)
Im sadly no longer employed by the bestowers of the G V.
Although i would love to meet some of the MT’lers next time in Manhattan(was there last xmas….didn’t say…..Sarah and a restraining order….woulda got complicated)
And where else but Rudy’s Bar.
And yes,i’ll buy.
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I hear you on the home fries. Would it really kill people to make hashbrowns instead?
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My dearest Wined and Dined:
Many photos of my wife and me are featured on my page.
I will be the first one to admit that we are a bit plumper than we were 20 years ago. That’s what 20 years of exemplary dining will do to a body. And gladly so. I make no bones about it.
MLuncher “Richard’s” cherubic demeanor and fanciful manner of dress enchant me, much like it did many, many years ago when I acquired my young wife.
Like I said before, I wish that young man all the best.
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If I might make an on-topic comment, I find it a slight stretch to consider that one might “walk to Chinatown or the West Village” from the East Village for lunch. Not that it’s impossible, but it seems like a bit of a hike to either destination (say, from St. Marks and 1st Ave) and back in a normal lunch session.
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Rudy,
Angie never showed up for the hearing so the court threw her charges out. And last time I saw Danny Meyer we had a hearty laugh and he said something about ‘water under the bridge.’ Its okay. you can come back. -
Wined & Dined, don’t you get it? Rudy McBagle is a wealthy, good looking Londoner who really does have better things to do than post on a NY food blog but he graces us with his charming British wit in order to promote international relations.
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In actuality, McBeagle lives outside of Pittsburgh and works for Dial-A-Mattress.
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Please take a look at my profile. The wife and I often travel and tour Waffle Houses from coast to coast. Fine dining for us is the Waffle House, the world’s leading server of waffles. I often order the Pecan waffle and the wife orders the Chocolate Chip. While we eat we hum our favorite tune from Bloodhound Gang. I want you smothered, want you covered
Like my Waffle House hashbrowns, you and me baby we ain’t nothing but mammals so let’s so it like we do it on the discovery channel.
I love hash browns.Cheers,
Chuck, PhD -
Thanks for the support Marina and Wined & Dined. I think it’s pretty funny that the photo has gotten almost all the attention. I actually considered a couple of different options, but it looks like I picked a winner.
PS No answers on soba?
PPS DocChuck, not sure if I should be flattered by all the comparisons to your wife, but I think I’ll get by either way.
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Thanks for being a good sport Rich. And yeah, what about the Soba??
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I’m beginning to think that there is no soba in midtown. What’s there another lunch’er recently who also wanted some soba? Oh, and you must never have had good home fries.
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You’re welcome Rich. Unfortunately I don’t like Soba (or udon) and can’t help you out. Maybe go to H Mart on 32nd & buy yourself some Soba noodles & make it at home and bring it to work for lunch. I am wicked jealous of the people working close to OMS/b. I am too far to go there for lunch.
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Oh crap, I think I’m in agreement with the good doctor on this one. Waffle House is pretty amazing. If you can find a better, cheaper, hangover breakfast anywhere, please let me know.
I too love hash browns (but not home fries).
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Soba Totto, 43rd st, between 2nd and 3rd
Out of midtown price range, but you gotta pay for qualityhttp://events.nytimes.com/2008/02/06/dining/reviews/06under.html
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Good point Za Jiang. That place is great! However, sadly I don’t think that it is open for lunch.
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green tea soba noodles / 10
KYOTOFU
705 Ninth Avenue (between 48th and 49th)
New York, NY 10019
Tel: 212-974-6012 -
I had the soba noodles at Kyotofu recently and they were great (as were the cupcakes)! Unfortunately it’s a little far for me to visit on a regular basis. Thanks for the rec though.
i can understand not liking home fries, which are generally not deep fried.