Win a New York City Street Food Walking Tour (With Me)
Every month Foodbuzz, the amazing company that allows me to do Midtown Lunch for a living, features 24 meals, by 24 food websites, all held in the same 24 hour period. This month’s 24/24/24 goes down on Saturday October 24th, and they have graciously donated the money to pay for ten people to go on a street meat tour of Midtown Manhattan with yours truly. That day I’ll lead a group through Midtown on a tasting of 5 of the best chicken and lamb over rice vendors that New York City has to offer (a mini Street Meat Palooza of sorts.) You’ll not only get to try specially made sampler plates at each stop on the tour, but you’ll also get to hear the stories of how each cart came to be, and get to meet the vendors themselves. It’s got something for everybody! (Out of towners and die hard Midtown Lunch’ers alike.)
To enter to win just post a comment below saying why you’re worthy of the prize. 5 winners will be drawn at random on Monday, October 19th, and each winner will be allowed to bring a friend. The tour will take place at Noon on October 24th, and will last around an hour and a half (2 hours tops). All the food and drinks are included, but you’ll have to make your way to Midtown yourselves!
Posted: 10:00 am, October 14th, 2009 under Contest.
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116 Comments
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pick me…I love street food and get it all the time, but as for chicken & rice, I’ve only eaten at the guy on the corner of 54th & 3rd (which I really like). Enlighten me, o wise one!
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I assume all five that you plan on going to have already been decided? Otherwise, how do you know all 5 will be open at their Midtown locations on a SATURDAY?
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I want to go! Why I deserve it? I ate the Walgreen’s sandwich ….
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In order to continue my reign as street meat connoisseur in an office full of soup and salad eaters I need to learn from the master.
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because I am desperate for proof that somebody can match trini pak boys and restore my faith in all other halal carts
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this is different from that ebay listing right? hmmmm
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I’d like to win because most of these delicious-sounding carts are out of my walking range during lunchtime (I’m at 31st and 7th), and I’d love to get a taste of what Zach’s always talking about on here.
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I work in an area far from these carts (with the exception of Rafiqis) and would love to get the chance to try them.
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I deserve to go because I always send tips to Zach and I was almost raped by a 60 yr old man at the ML happy hour.
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I am on this epic quest of trying every street meat cart in the City, and being selected for a tour would surely help me achieve victory! And I am free on the 24th!
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oh. also, this is so much more awesome than win a date with ted hamilton. yes that counts as my entry
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In my belly please.
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It sounds magical. And I’m moving out of the country soon, and need to take in as much of NY before that happens. I’m also wont be making any money for the next 4+ months- so I need all the free a girl can get.
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Hey Zach. You should pick me, as even though I was invited to join street meat a palooza, I just couldn’t take that much time away from work. Oh, also, even though you claim to be… hefty… you’ll stand next to me and my 7month+ pregnant wife and look TINY!!! They’ll call you Zach “Slats” Brooks in all the pictures.
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because I really eat almost anything!
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Because that’s my birthday weekend and chicken and rice is better than a birthday cake any day!
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Honestly, I have not tried much street food. So this would definitely help me decide if I should buy lunch from them. =)
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Because there is nothing I like more than walking around and eating and I have the blog to prove it – foodcrawlnyc.tumblr.com.
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Because I work in midtown but I never get a chance to hit up these vendors as I am stuck in the culinary desert of Garment District during the week, and I have no excuse to go into midtown on a weekend just to eat street food.
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Is this really happening on a saturday? I was under the impression that many of these carts were closed on saturday. I’d like to be picked because I used to work in midtown but not anymore so I don’t get much of a chance to try the streetmeat anymore.
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I would like to go as a loyal ML reader and active poster and who wouldn’t want to eat street meat with Zach?
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Having just surveyed L.A I think it would be a great opportunity to value against N.Y.C.Lets see who really ‘Rocks’.
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Well, I could never pass up free street-meats but not holding my breath to be chosen as one of the 5 either. I haven’t won any free food from this site ever!! So it’s about time I won something I like to talk about? Maybe.
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Pick me because I read this blog ever since its lowly beginnings. I had just started work at a law firm in midtown (this was what, 2006?), wanted to look for decent places, stumbled onto midtownlunch, and have been reading ever since. Hell, I work downtown and I still read this!
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Because I’m pregnant and my little Sprout demands street meat.
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I’m so in. I want to educate my sister in the greatness that is street meat. I will be there with bells on . . . and Mylanta in hand.
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zomg! I want to goooo, and um..i deserve it ’cause i’ve been reading this blog 5x/week even tho I work in Morningside o_O
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Darn, I’ll be out of town that weekend, so don’t pick me! Ironically, I bet my entry wins this time. :(
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I’m going to wear a Red Sox hat, and refuse to eat anything ethnic, but insist upon photographing everything for my food blog.. ha ha
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because sunday is my birthday. i love food. and work in the area.
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I’d love to go! and I would bring my roommate who works downtown but I made her start reading midtown lunch even before there was a downtown post.
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I wish upon a star….
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Because I’m hungry
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I want in because I lost my job and free food is very helpful when that happens.
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I love food.
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lunch is almost ALWAYS from a cart…
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i’ve been reading from the start but don’t have the opportunity for street meat that much, so this would be an ideal way to broaden my horizons from the 53rd/6th famous halal cart. and i’m unemployed.
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because I need convincing that street food is worth it. I’ve always been a bit reluctant, although I know that lately things have changed to the better.
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I too am a fat man that loves to eat. Perfect symmetry.
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Because I’ve eaten at almost every street cart in midtown and would like to know more about them.
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I promise not to beg and whine as blatantly as StreetMeasTumor.
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Why I feel like I deserve to win, a short essay. (rough draft)
One upon a time, a long time ago, I started working in this great metropolis and I was a poor lad. Barely enough to get by on. But I was a hungry lad, so I did what I had to do, I look around corners, in loading docks, went into undesirable doorways to find a deal. This started my love for cheap and tasty food. I noticed how, for some strange reason, when you spent more at the “bigger, fancier” places, you get less flavor. Sure they tasted alright, but they were lacking depth. But when you went to the shady back ally places, they used things that those big places considered contraband. Things like spices and traditional cooking techniques that imparted big bold flavors to whoever dared eat there. I got hooked. There wasn’t a day where I didn’t want something bold and would make me regret why I even considered eating that much hot sauce and grease. It was a drug. A wonderful life liberating drug. I was getting big flavors and actually enjoying my lunches without spending my precious beer money. It was like I was king of the world and nothing could stop me (aside from the impeding ulcer that I’m sure to eventually get). Being in the hood of midtown south west, I had a whole row of awesomely cheap eats. Every major ethnicity was around the corner. Then something happened, something dark and sinister. One by one, they started closing. The Cuban place, the Chinese Mexican place, and so on. Then the unthinkable happened… in one fell swoop, the rest disappeared. Mt “dolla holla” pizza place closed. Cheap Chinese, and cheap Indian gone too. The neighborhood was decimated. I stand here heartbroken, longing for just a bite of actual, honest flavor… but alas, I have no idea where to turn. I had it all and lost it all. They say it’s better to love and lost than to never of loved again. I disagree, I now know what I’ve lost, and am bitter about it. So won’t you please bring some sunshine back into my life, let me know lunch is a meal worth living for again? I want to still have hope…
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Pick me because I am the perfect storm of the negative stereotypes of a food blogger:
Asian, nerdy, spends a disproportionate amount of disposable income on food, bad sense of style, worships Tony Bourdain and David Chang, smugly recounts the nice restaurants I go to to my friends and internet strangers, goes to restaurant openings and then runs home to be the first to review the place on Yelp, and pokes a camera into everything I eat. -
I used to be a midtown luncher and have been following this blog for a while. Now I’m downtown. I love Daniel’s doowntown lunch updates but they’re infrequent and sometimes too far a walk from my office. I miss midtown lunching!
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I deserve it cause I want to say “I win” with a mouth full of combo platter and have all the “regular” ML posters to get pissed cause a “no one” won.
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I deserve it because I’ve done my best to sample everything near where I live, but need the experts to show me the way in Midtown. Plus, I’ve always wanted to really hear from the vendors.
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I’d love to go and experience these carts with like-minded, food hungry people. I’ve gotten some great dining tips from ML and would like to thank Zach in person for introducing me to Cafe Zaiya! :)
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I want to win beacause I would love to try the “BEST” chicken and rice according to Zach the rockstar of Midtown. I’ve been honored to try Carnegie John’s to Freddy’s to Mustafa’s, and I believe that I have had the best chicken and rice. This tour could change my appetite and my mind about this wonderful street food.
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Just don’t pick DocChuck…but if you do, at least you’ll be somewhat shielded by the presence of some of the other folks
And if you pick Goats, make sure you hit up all the places that include cilantro, curry, and offal – if possible, all in the same dish
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I love street meat! I’m in!
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Hi Zach — long time listener, first time caller. I am worthy of this great reward because if I’m hungry right now (and I am), imagine how hungry I’ll be on the 24th! Thanks.
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Oh, I’m so down. And I will vow to be pleasantly drunk for the entire hour.
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Zach I live out of town, in CT, but I would make sure I would make it down for the tour if I am lucky enough to get picked. It would be a gas, and I would bring Formz with me as my guest as he is my son.
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After ducking a commute to NYC for 30 years I started working in Midtown last April. I think I’ve made a pretty good start at identifying my lunch options, but I could definitely use some expert guidance. I think you have a moral obligation here, Zach.
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I deserve to win because I have been training for this day my entire life.
-I routinely eat handfuls of questionable meat products I find on the street to build up my immune system.
-I have learned 7 regional variations of Arabic to best communicate with my favorite Yemeni vendor.
-I have been arrested on more than one occasion for stabbing someone who takes more than 30 seconds to order. (JK-not really)I am SkinnyFatty
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I’m not pheasant plucker, im the pheasant pluckers son.
I’m only plucking pheasants ’till the pheasant plucker comes.Say it fast.
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pick me!
i was too scared to eat street meat until i started reading midtown lunch and now i’m the one trying to convince my friends it’s not scary. it would be an honor to be taken on a tour by you, zack.
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Pick me because you can.
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Because I lived on Halal food 5 days a week during my underpaid college midtown internship years.
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I am an undeserving noob who just registered at ML. But I love your writing style and adventurous taste, and would be an enthusiastic (and well behaved) participant. I’m newly moved here from DC, which has not the awesome street meat (half smoke? meh) of New York, which I’ve been reading about here and would love to try.
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October 24th is my birthday, and this would be a great birthday present for a loyal ML reader!
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Because I’m a fellow glutton.
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There is nothing like tender lamb over rice bathed in white sauce,hot sauce and the occasional green sauce.
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Who passes up a chance at free food?
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Pick me because I don’t believe street meet can possibly be very good, but I’m open to having my opinion changed.
If you want someone to kiss your ass and suck up to you, pick someone else to reward him/her.
If you want to experience the challenge of persuading someone for the rest of his life, how good something can be, then I’m your guy.
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IT’s like Mogadishu when the UN food truck turns up.
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i deserve to win because street food sounds awesome to me. damn that’s not a good reason but it’ll be great to win something!
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I deserve to win because I work downtown and haven’t had the pleasure of really good food carts.
And Im free on the 24th. :-) -
In an office of all women (seriously), a small group of us are adventurous eaters (some of our coworkers will never eat from a cart…what can I say, some people make bad life decisions.) Of course, almost all of our new recommendations come from your website. So much so, that we started asking WWMLD. ML, would you include me in your tour?
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You mean there’s an alternative to brunch?
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I’ll be free.
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Street food is my specialty.
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Why should I be randomly picked? I’d fly in from Canada – I live in Toronto and faithfully read this blog EVERYDAY!!!!!
And to tug on your heartstrings – in Toronto our street meat consists of hotdogs and Five (that’s right 5) government controlled “ethnic food carts” (and that’s in a city of over 4 million people).
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haha! you should pick me so we can eat vegetarian. like that’ll happen…
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I’m not really a “writer”, but I am an EATER…..I LOVE your website. When I first started working in mid town (almost 2 years ago) I had NO idea where to eat. I wasn’t sure what was good, what might make me sick, etc. Then the day that changed my mid-town eating came along…..I found your wed site. I visit it DAILY and I’ve found some of the BEST places to eat from here (and I’ve made a few suggestions to you ). I have turned multiple people on to it, at work and family. My aunt now checks daily where to find cupcakes and deserts by her office. Please choose me…you won’t be let down. I’ll eat almost ANYTHING (at least once), I’m adventurous and FUN!
Thanks for the consideration :) -
take me! take me!!!! plssssssssssss!!! pretty plsssssss!!! with a cherry on top!!! =)
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I have gigantic breasts!
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Me! I knew where the best bagels were before Serious Eats.
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Choose. Me.
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Why carb-up before the NYC marathon when you can streetmeat-up? =)
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I like meat!
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because the vendy awards opened my eyes to the wonders of street food
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Because any photographs/video of me standing next to Zach will make him look like a leprechaun.
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I have not worked in midtown for over 2 months and I miss my vendors. I do not use white sauce, but I love hot sauce.
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The only lamb I will eat is from a street vendor, because it doesn’t actually taste like lamb. Plus I work in midtown and only go to Kwik Meal and the guys across the street, broaden my horizons!
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my stomach will be able to be handle it
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My stomach likely can’t handle it but I’ll eat all of it enthusiastically anyway!!
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Three simple reasons:
1. I firmly believe (as a fundamental principle) that eating and enjoying great food has nothing to do with being hungry.
2. My brother and mother are both vegetarians and its my subsequent responsibility to eat enough meat to fill my family quota.
3. This sounds like an amazing opportunity to experience one of New York’s unique culinary subcultures and I would embrace it as such. -
I work up the block from the “famous” Halal guys by 53rd and 6th and have had their food when there was no line. However, I fail to be convinced they are worthy of the 50+ people lines I see there so often. All Halal food cart food tastes the same to me, don’t get me wrong it’s delicious, but the different locations don’t matter to me. Seriously. Maybe I can be proved wrong.
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I’m deserving b/c I eat based on what I read on the site 100% of the time (when I don’t bring in leftovers) !
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Pick me!
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I definitely deserve to go on this food walking tour because I am, like most of us readers, a street food fanatic. But, unlike many of the readers, I do not work in Midtown, or New York for that matter. I live in New Jersey and beloved Halal food and street food is a rare luxury for me. Thus, to make the best of the spare opportunities I have would be optimal.
The times I go to New York are basically during the holiday season, and when I occasionally fence at the Manhattan Fencing Center on 39th Street. Many of my fencing friends do not understand the joy I get from eating the “Colonel’s Heart Attack” or go get Halal food from Little Morocco while they go to Hot and Crusty every single day. Through this tour, I would be able to fully enjoy the foods I love most.
Additionally, this past summer I studied journalism and media at NYU and wrote a piece on street vendors and the recession (I attempted to contact you, Mr. Brooks, about but was not able to talk to you in person). My experiences writing this piece has really been an eye opener for me and has deepened my interest in the stories of these street vendors. Listening to them sharing their stories would be absolutely amazing.
Mr. Brooks, I read your blog everyday, salivate at the sight of all the food porn, and yearn to eat at many of the places you mention. However, I usually never get the chance to do so. Therefore, I hope that I could possibly be chosen to win this Street Food Walking Tour -I would definitely get the most out of it.
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I’d love to explore nyc street food with ya Zach. Good way to experience the city and learn something new.
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Because I’m fearless in the face of street food, and I grew up with NY’s vendors in my cityscape- born and raised. Also, because I will bring you Chinese homecooking as a thank you/bribe.
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Will Zach Jr. be coming along?
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Because i’ve been reading you since 2006 and still haven’t gone to the kwik-meal kart.
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I’ve been working in Midtown for over 3 years now, faithful ML reader for 2+ years, and am leaving for the East Village in 3 weeks. I just started eating meat 6 months ago, and I haven’t had a chance to try most of the chicken & rice carts yet. Pick me! Pick me!
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I am a new graduate student to NYC and would love to sample the food!!!!
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New to NYC, I check your site religiously, and could think of nothing better to do on Shabbos than a walking food tour with the master.
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Im new to NY and too afraid to try all the places you talk about on my own! :( HELP!!
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Because I’m dressing as Zach for Halloween!!
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I’m unemployed and broke as a joke! Please pick me! :D
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Pick me (I always need a reason to blow off work!!)
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Ok – I’m pregnant and extremely hungry. 1st trimester hunger pangs and I don’t get sick! Feed the children ——–> (belly)
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Dear Midtown Lunch Contest,
I found your blog the first day I started working in midtown, and I was immediately hooked. I look forward to trying all of the new discoveries, especially when I have an opportunity to contribute (such as the new infamous first schnitzel burger picture). Touring midtowns chicken and rice carts with the master would be a dream come true. Here’s hoping the random number generator lands on me!
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Don’t you know who I am????
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I deserve to go because my parents are in town from Minnesota and have never eaten street meat–what better way to introduce them to New York street delicacies!
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Because I’m working on my edible education!
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I would love to try some midtown lunch.
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MY bonus has been cut to 7 figures, pick me.
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I’m hungry and some mystery meat would hit the spot.
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New to midtown….I want to try!!!!
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Please pick me because I am Irish and a savage. A rare combination I am sure you will find.
Thank you.
P.S. Also, there is mystery meat in my name.
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I’ve never eaten at a street cart and need help rectifying that.
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phoebestar wins.
I probably don’t deserve this, haha, but I want it!