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

36 Comments

  • i can understand not liking home fries, which are generally not deep fried.

  • 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.

  • Last time i saw teeth like that Sigourney Weaver said ‘get away from her you bitch!’

  • Now Rudy. The gent is handsome … in an equine sort of way

    http://www.sarahjessicaparkerlookslikeahorse.com/

  • lmfao @ Rudy. We really need to have another happy hour..

  • Every hour after 5 is happy for me.

  • 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, PhD

    P.S. you might consider chopstick lessons

  • 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.

  • 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.

    http://images.google.com/images?sourceid=navclient&rlz=1T4GGLJ_enUS253US253&q=fred%20gwynne&um=1&ie=UTF-8&sa=N&tab=wi

  • 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).

  • Be nice people. Let’s focus on the ramen question!

  • 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?

  • No.

    Marina…..would you like to revue a Bar?

  • 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.

  • i’m sure you’re all america’s next top models

  • 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.

  • 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.

  • 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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