Midtown Lunch

The other day I blogged about arepas that I had during a trip to Colombia in 2009. Yes, 2009. They were so good I’m still thinking about them. Just a day later, my husband and I are driving down 7th avenue in Park Slope and I spot Palenque, a brand new Colombian food truck that’s been parking in the East Village and Williamsburg. Yesterday they were at the Lot in LIC and but according to the owner they are planning to park in Midtown the rest of the week (on 51st btw. Park+Mad).

Here’s your first look at what to expect. Read more »

My last visit to Pizza by Certe (56th btw Park+Lex) not only yielded a slice of Tony Manero, but also something I had been seeking out ever since it popped up in the forums over the summer, fried spaghetti balls. Fried spaghetti balls are not frequent, but not regular, menu item meaning you might not get to score one every time you visit. I learned this the hard way having stopped by Pizza by Certe a few times looking for them. For those of you who did get to try the spaghetti sandwich from M. Wells and loved it, these should definitely be on your to-eat list!

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• Looking for a good by the pound buffet by Bryant Park [Midtown Eating]
• Want vegetarian gyro meat? Your prayers have been answered. [Midtown Eating]
• Miss pizzacones?  Make your own! [Miscellaneous]
• Pony Bar & Rattle N Hum have good craft beers [Midtown Eating]

Earlier this month, we showcased a video from Save the Food Trucks, an organization that is working to keep the food trucks alive and operable in the city. Well, for the next few Wednesdays, they’ll be releasing some fun little videos featuring food truck owners answering what they would serve to Mayor Bloomberg for lunch. We have an exclusive peek of the first three videos in the series with a few familiar faces to Midtown: Eddie Song (Korilla BBQ), Kim Ima (Treats Truck), and Vendy nominee Adam Sobel (Cinnamon Snail), whose truck has been seen on the weekends here at the Hell’s Kitchen Flea Market. We already know that Mayor Mike likes his burritos extra spicy. Maybe he’ll take them up on the offer.

Check out the videos after the jump.

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This just in from Lunch’er Logan… there was a fire during lunch at the 2 Bros Pizza on 46th btw. 5+6th Ave. It’s not clear whether the fire was in 2 Bros or upstairs on the second or third floors, but at the very least we’re guessing there was water damage to the popular $1 pizza joint. Expect them to be closed for the indefinite future.

UPDATE FROM 2 BROS OWNER ELI: “The fire started in an office on the 2nd floor, and most of the damage is up there. Most of the harm done to our store was from water damage. Thankfully, everyone is OK. We are working on getting the place open as soon as possible. I will have a better idea of a time table by tomorrow. For now, regular customers can check out our newest store a few blocks away at 1015 6th Avenue (Between 37-38).”

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 Mike, a system admin who is a member of Brick Lane Curry House’s Phaal of Fame.

Name: Mike

Age: 29

Occupation: Systems administrator/remote tech support

Where in Midtown do you Work?: A managed services provider in the Garment District

Favorite Kind of Food: Soup. I am a giant sucker for soup even if it’s the dead of summer. Almost any kind of soup, but especially Asian noodle soups. And in a pinch, I love almost any kind of spicy food. I have to tell Indian restaurants to spice it like it’s for a fellow Indian and not for whitey.

Least Favorite Kind of Food: Lasagna – it’s just not my favorite. Big, heavy, and usually not at all flavorful. The only kind I like is my wife’s turkey and spinach lasagna. Maybe I’ve only had crappy lasagna, but I just never really liked it all that much.

Favorite Place(s) to Eat Lunch in Midtown: I am a huge adorer of the Shanghai noodle soup with pork and pickled cabbage from Ginger’s (7th and 37th). Chef Yu (8th and 36th) does a good version of it too – both have their own unique touches! Comme Ci Comme Ca’s (36th and Bway) merguez sandwich with extra spicy mint sauce is a great standby, and I miss the hell out of Sunrise Grill’s jerk chicken from when they were on 37th and 6th. Oh, and the Hungarian mushroom soup at Soup Stop (31st between 7th and 8th).

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I can’t remember what Hunan Manor (on Lex btw. 39+40th) but the other day I noticed a Grand Opening sign hanging in their window. Turns out, the place replaced Red Curry Thai back in September, and according to Eating in Translation is a sister restaurant to Hunan House in Flushing. Aw yeah, Midtown East finally gets a taste of Flushing!

I’m not very familiar with Hunan cuisine so I was pretty excited to try it. They made choosing my first lunch item easy by placing double cooked pork as the first lunch special item on the menu (ever since my poor experience at Joe’s Shanghai, I’ve been on a mission to find good double cooked pork). So how did the Hunan Manor version do?

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Midtown East-ers, rejoice! In case you didn’t hear about it here, here or here, Whole Foods is opening a new location on E. 57th St between 3rd and 2nd. The project, which has been in the works for over 3 years, broke ground back in May and now sports a sign saying that the store will open Summer 2012 (even though their website says 2013), so let’s hope they stay on track with that. This time next year we could be munching on some delicious prepared foods and shopping for our organics during lunch. Huzzah!