Midtown Lunch

Every year we post a friendly PSA before Thanksgiving (semi) joking about how we’re going to be avoiding the Rock Center area pretty much from now until January 1st.  Sadly, we now have to extend that warning to the restaurants around Rock Center as well!  Serious Eats: New York has posted a tourist friendly guide to finding food near the big tree, and it includes such ML faves as The Biriyani Cart, Tuscany Catering, Five Guys, the Eggstravaganza Cart, Burger Joint, Naples 45, Prime Burger, Bill’s Bar & Burger, Macchiato Espresso Bar, Akdeniz, and Men Kui Tei.  Thanks guys.  No… seriously.  Thanks.

I wish I had co-workers like this when I worked on 48th and 6th! This guy’s buddy is two weeks into a challenge to eat street meat every single day for a month, paid for by a co-worker. Not sure what happens if he doesn’t make it, although it doesn’t sound like we’re going to find out. So far the guy has eaten mostly chicken and lamb over rice and dirty water dogs, with one stop at the Jamaican Dutchy. The only stipulation: he can’t eat chicken kebabs “because those are kind of legit.” Who knew?! (Thanks to Lunch’er Michael for passing this one along.)

If you had a chance to check out the Korilla BBQ truck on 58th Street today you might have noticed they just launched a brand new “Heritage” menu.  The Korean/Mexican fusion truck still allows for complete customization of their burritos, tacos, and bowls, but to make it easier for those who find the process a bit intimidating, the heritage menu features already assembled options- keeping those tough choices to a minimum.  They also feature adorable names like the “Eye of the Tiger”, “Wonder Bird” “Porkinator” and “Wild Child”, in addition to options for kimchi lovers (“Kimchi Time”), and the person who likes to be surprised by the chef (the “I’m Feeling Lucky”).  Sadly it looks like the “chompers” are gone, but if it means a more efficient truck we’ll take it.

Check out the complete new menu, on their website.

Related:
A First Look at Korilla BBQ, Back Today on Lex
You’ve Seen the Tacos, Now Check Out Korilla BBQ’s Chosun Bowl

Just scored some free food from the “Green Truck” thanks to this post in the forums. Apparently they’re going to be parked in Midtown until 6:30pm handing out free veggie burgers and sweet tea in honor of “Green Week” on NBC. The veggie burgers are smallish (like the size of a big dinner roll) but kind of good. It’s got some interesting fixings and more than a little spice. Patty was mushy and bun was a bit hard, but I’m not complaining. (It was free!) There was no line whatsoever when I was there. They are doing it all week long at different locations, and you have to follow their twitter to know where (natch.) And we’ll add them to the ML Twitter Tracker for the week, for those of you whose work has blocked Twitter.

Environmentally friendly freeloaders, engage.

Thanks to Lunch’er Steve for passing along this bit of news…  Recently the Trini Paki Boys Cart (on 43rd btw. 5+6th) started serving jerk chicken on Mondays and Tuesdays and the special has become so popular they are now selling it on Wednesdays as well.  The TPB Cart has always had some great (albeit sporadic) daily specials, but this one is sounding especially good.   Check out Steve’s full report, after the jump…

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It’s been awhile since Yushi (on 47th btw. Park+Lex) introduced one of their new specials. There was the dim sum, the peking duck, the bento boxes, the banh mi, the sake ramen, and now the latest: katsu! Yushi is now serving a white meat chicken katsu with curry sauce and tonkotsu sauce (presumably on the side.) It’s $10 and baked, instead of fried, so I’m guessing that Go Go Curry is not really shaking in their boots over this one. But if you’re looking for something a bit healthier, or 38th Street is a bit too far for lunch, it looks like it’s worth checking out. Early adopters, let us know how it is.

Curry and Curry on 33rd btw. Lex+3rd

• This curry crawl starts in Midtown East [Fork in the Road]
• Mexice is not spicy (or Mexican) enough [Serious Eats: NY]
• It’s hard not to like the rice krispie treats from the Treats Truck [Tasty Eating]
• NYC Cravings is salty, but if you want Taiwanese food it’s all we’ve got [Ramen & Friends]
• Is there a better Midtown splurge than Keen’s? [Fork in the Road]

If you like to eat, chances are you like to drink (read: a lot of you are freakin’ lushes), so every week our Happy Hour Correspondent “Mamacita” will post about a different bar in Midtown that fits the Midtown Lunch mentality: unhealthy food, not lame (unless it’s lame in a cool way), and most importantly… cheap.

A while back I reported on Bull Moose Saloon’s new look: An attempt at a hip revamping of an old-man dive bar into a burgundy velvet lounge. At the time I noticed that the work was done on the cheap and the feel was still very much the same despite the new couches and cocktail tables. It turns out there was much, much more going on behind the scenes then just a remodel. Word is the decision to cater to the surrounding nabes sizable LGBT community provoked some manner of internal conflict between the owner and the new partners. A statement on the  Bull Moose website created by the new partners reads:

“We’ve always had one intention from day one – to create a new hub for all walks of life to share memories with one another that would last a lifetime. Unfortunately, New York City is not as progressive as we had assumed. A difficult partner knew full well going into the venture that the transformation of the venue would be open to gays, lesbians, bisexual, transgender and straight individuals alike. To our painful dismay, we were hit with a bottom line only two weeks into the project.”

I walked by Bull Moose Saloon recently and saw banners claiming, “Under New Management.” I assume this is owner Dave Sheeran attempt at distancing himself from the drama of the past months. I called the bar hoping to talk to Dave, but was able to get his son on the phone. I asked about the banners and received a paranoid reply of “Who’s this?” I guess the press and LGBT groups have been on them. He confirmed the Sheeran family still owned the bar he but wouldn’t give details on who the new management was, further confirming my initial assumption. I asked about the conversion into a lounge and he insisted, “This is not a lounge it’s only a bar.” So as the song goes, “Meet the new boss, Same as the old boss.”

After the jump more updates and the sad closing of two old New York bars..

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