PROFILE: Midtown Lunch’er “Phoebe”

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 Phoebe, a luncher who loves healthy food and hates (gulp) halal.

Name: Phoebe

Age: 29

Occupation: EA

Where in Midtown do you Work?: 53rd & Broadway

Favorite Kind of Food: Healthy!

Least Favorite Kind of Food: Halal

Favorite Place(s) to Eat Lunch in Midtown: Mooncake Foods’ Miso Salmon with a salad and brown rice. Chop’t’s Palm Beach Shrimp Salad. Pure Thai Shophouse’s Spicy Basil Chicken and refreshing Spicy Beef Salad. Pio Pio (on 10th Ave. & 44th) for a pollo a la brasa lunch special. Equinox Gym’s City Chow Cafe (on B’way btw. 50+51st) for yogurt-marinated salmon platter. Energy Kitchen’s (on 47th btw. 9+10th) Grilled Chicken Italian Wrap with a steamed spinach side (smothered in Grey Poupon).

“Go-To” Lunch Place You and Your Coworkers Eat at Too Often? Metro Cafe (for their unlimited veggie toppings salad toss).

Place(s) you discovered thanks to Midtown Lunch? McCormick & Schmick’s incredible Happy Hour. Tri Tip Grill (in the Rock Center Concourse). Coolhaus.

If you could work anywhere (just because of the lunch) where would it be and why? Malecón Miraflores in Lima, Peru. I’d love to head down to oceanfront each day and have fresh ceviches, anticuchos and Choritos a la Chalaca (amazing mussel “ceviche”). Or have some pollo a la brasa with fresh avocado salad.

Anything you’d like to ask the Midtown Lunch readers? What’s your favorite cheap happy hour in Hells Kitchen/Midtown West?

Got an answer for Phoebe? Put it 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.

43 Comments

  • and the luncher of the week has been reduced to a cat lady.

    oh how the mighty have fallen…

  • Hey, Gabagool: When did 29 become middle age?

    As for the (gulp) hate for halal food, I’ll defer to others to dissect this. But, remember, it’s a style of food, not a religion. (Would someone ‘hate’ Kosher food?).

    • Actually, I hate Kosher Food, that isn’t Kosher because of style. By that I mean: Kosher Deli===Good, Kosher Pizza=== Tastes like dead dog ass. Kosher Falafel/Schwarma=== Good. Kosher Sushi=== I’d eat Duane Reade’s Sushi over that.

  • If she’s 29, then I’m actually Clemenza.

  • User has not uploaded an avatar

    Love Pure Thai Shophouse! When in midtown I like to hit up Jimmy’s Corner — old school, good prices, and no tourists.

  • Ok.. I am 29yo.. grabbed that photo off my Facebook in a rush at my office.. and I didn’t realize this was a forum to make fun of people.

  • You must have a love/hate relationship with the Healthy & Halal cart on 53rd/Park.

  • 29 is not middle-aged! And the pic looks fine to me. DOn’t mind the haters.

    As for HH, Rudy’s is great, with cheap beers and 100% healthy (and free) hot dogs in a classic dive atmosphere.

    (Still trying to figure out what an “EA” is!)

  • I hope she’s taking the Mickey w/ that pic, lol. My favorite Happy Hour is the margarita deal @ Arriba Arriba on 9th. I have never left there sober.

  • Wakamba Lounge. They love cat ladies at Wakamba Lounge!

  • Arriba Arriba…I call that place “Blackout Margaritas”. Excellent choice.

  • Is this a food forum or a place for insecure losers to make fun of cool people sharing their food finds? Hmmm.
    Okay Pheebs, loving your suggestions-must try Mooncake for the miso salmon. I suggest Lime Jungle on 9th Ave. and 53rd, for happy hour or any meal for that matter. It’s cute, fresh, cheap and delish.

  • Please note that (generally) the biggest slams, as well as the biggest defenders of “Profiled Lunchers” eminate from brand new screen names. It happens every time. The internets is a fun place.

  • I was surprised that no one commented on her ridiculously bad food choices, almost everything named is a salad. And Energy Kitchen is just bad.

  • User has not uploaded an avatar

    I’m a long-time lurker (and occasional commenter) but I have to say that as much as I love Midtown Lunch, this is one topic I have to usually avoid. Healthy is automatically considered “not worth the money/space on this site,” which makes me quite sad. As much as I love my halal (Kwik Meal is heaven!), I do hold the white sauce and I split my platter into two meals. Sometimes I wish the healthy stuff got a voice once in a while around here.

    • Fair enough. Tis true, my fat arse could use some healthier options. Problem is it’s SO hard to find healthy, non-salad options that are also inexpensive.

      Salads are boring, generic, and lacking in taste. The health factor just isn’t for the majority audience.

    • Clicking on “About” tab above might go some way to explaining your frustration. Though every time I read about a Potbelly opening or a cupcake on here the ideological purity gets watered down a bit and invites in less than true believers. Anyway, I thought the profile might be satire, considering the seemingly purposeful inclusion of ML “haraam” lunch options just inviting profile terrorists. Or maybe I just eat too much “halal.” – Wahabi of Wasabi

      • User has not uploaded an avatar

        I’ve been reading this site for about four years, so I know what it is (and isn’t), and I love it all the same. But it still doesn’t change the fact that I’d love to see if there are some hidden, healthy, non-generic salad options just waiting to be found by us Midtown folk. Isn’t that the spirit of ML?

      • To Mumurthigal (can’t figure out how to reply directly). I know I mentioned Lime Jungle already, but do try their salads. I love the Alba salad with grilled chicken added, skip the cheese. *the base is shredded iceberg which I love and realized is not the most vitamin rich lettuce, but the high water content will fill you up and this salad is fantastic. And cheap. Enjoy

  • I like her favorite foods. Not everyone can eat street meat and melted cheese everyday–the city’s entire sewage system would explode. Then where would all the carts go? I (and Lord Founder Zach even) occasionally dig a salad or a healthier option, because it just tastes good.

    And this suggestion might bring out the haters, but I like the Blockheads in Hell’s Kitchen on a nice day (not like this crap weather today). I’ve always wanted to try one of those margaritas with a bottle of Corona stuck in it.

  • Port 41 bar, where me and my fellow day laborers go every night for HH for pool and cheap beer.

    Radiant Pig go for it, I tried it and loved it although everyone else I’ve talked to hated it, it’s like those old Reese’s Peanut Buttercup commercials when two people run into each other and smashup a chocolate bar with a jab of PB, except here it was Ronnie from Jersey Shore dropping his Corona bottle into Sammi’s frozen strawberry margarita after fist pumping to Taio Cruz’s Dynamite.

  • FREAK OF THE WEEK

    The “better late than never” edition

  • User has not uploaded an avatar

    Phoebe, thanks for the recommendation of the Equinox Gym’s City Chow Cafe. Never knew there was one around here! And I totally forgot about Pio Pio! For other healthy options, check out Dishes on 45th between 5th and Madison, although that is a far walk for you.

  • User has not uploaded an avatar

    Phoebalicious no worries on the comments — because if it wasn’t for me knowing you and loving your delicious insight on this stuff — I wouldn’t have the time nor the patience for this waste of space. You’re hot their not…and their life sucks…lol. Keep posting love. Mean people suck. xoxoxox.

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