PROFILE: Midtown Lunch’er “Donny”

Every Tuesday we 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 Donny, a jack of all trades who wishes he was working in Tokyo.

Name: Donny

Age: 32

Occupation: Digital Video Coordinator/Freelance Photographer/Food Blogger

Where in Midtown do you Work?: 7th Ave or Penn Plaza & 32nd St

Favorite Kind of Food: Carbs! Noodles, rice, bread, pizza. More specific? Wonton noodles, pho, chicken and broccoli over rice, soup dumplings, burgers, fried chicken (any kind), pork belly, fried pork chop over rice, schnitzel, mac n cheese, dumplings/mandoo, sushi, fried chicken skin on a skewer, meatballs/lion’s head, rice and beans, hainam chicken rice, beef tongue taco, ramen, sandwiches from Cafe Zaiya, tater tots, french fries, duck confit, fish tacos, dim sum (especially chicken feet, shrimp dumplings, char siu baos, and turnip cakes), beef tendons, hanpan cheese (fish cakes stuffed with kraft singles wrapped in seaweed and coated with panko crumbs then deep fried), curry and…..kimchi fried rice.

Least Favorite Kind of Food: Eggplant and tofu, blah! Unless they’re deep fried and served with some tempura sauce. I think I hate the texture more than anything.

Favorite Place(s) to Eat Lunch in Midtown: It’s always a treat when Wednesday rolls in and the Schnitzel Truck parks near the Madison Square Park. When its nice out I would get a chicken schnitzel platter with potato and cucumber salad and eat it in the park. When I’m in the mood for sandwiches I walk over to No.7 Sub (on B’way btw. 28+29th). So far they have not disappointed me yet. For some REAL deal on lunch I go to Salt & Pepper (on 33rd btw. 5+6th). For $7 I get baked chicken with rice and lentils. That plate fills me up with deliciousness every time. Sometimes they charge me $6 sometimes $6.50, it’s weird! It’s so sad to think about it but the roast beef sandwich with fried onions at Cafe Express was SOOOO GOOD. Part of me died when I found out it was replaced by a Pret Manager. Pret Manager I will never forgive you!!!

“Go-To” Lunch Place You and Your Coworkers Eat at Too Often? Sadly I don’t eat with my co-workers so if any midtown lunchers want to have lunch, I’m down. Though when my friend was working in the same office, he quit few months ago, we would always to Blarney Rock Pub (on 33rd btw. 6+7th). The food is average but once I saw on their daily specials, crab cake over spaghetti. Oh!! What crazy Irish pub would serve crab cakes over spaghetti?! None! Obviously I ordered it and have been hoping they bring the dish back. Woorijip (on 32nd btw. B’way+5th) is probably my all time goto place. It’s cheap and it’s good. I love to get the deep fried japchae wrapped in seaweed, kimchi fried rice, a little bit of veggie and some meat, usually it’s slices of pork belly. And of course the cheap 2 item combo at Fuji Bakery (on 35th btw. 7+8th).

Place(s) you discovered thanks to Midtown Lunch? The fine fine freight elevator dining experience, El Sabroso. I once took a friend there for lunch and we really enjoyed the food. It was quite romantic.

If you could work anywhere (just because of the lunch) where would it be and why? Tokyo! I used to read this blog where I think the guy maaaay just be the Japanese version of Zach. Pig Out Diary. Looks like he hasn’t updated his blog since April but he blogs about cheap lunch specials in Tokyo. I REALLY believe that Tokyo is the land of cheap lunch specials.

Is there anything you’d like to ask the Midtown Lunch readers? I’m very jealous of people working in Midtown proper because there is so much great stuff to eat. I even thought about taking a day off from work just so I can spend a whole day eating in Midtown. One time, during my lunch hour, I did work all the way up to 46th St (for the Schnitzel truck) and that wasn’t too bad. If I decide to spend 1 hour walking up 6th Ave to 46th St. then walk back down either on 7th or 8th Ave are there places I MUST try? Could be carts, delis, crazy sandwiches, burgers, street meat….etc. Is that too general? Thank you!

Got an answer for Donny? Put in the comments. And, as always, if you want to be next week’s Profiled: Midtown Lunch’er (or know somebody you’d like to nominate), email editor@midtownlunch.com.

17 Comments

Leave a Reply

You must log in or register to post a comment.