Midtown Lunch

When I wrote about the Main Noodle House’s Roast Pork Wonton soup the inevitable question came up: was it better that the same soup at ML standby and perpetual Reader’s Poll Chinese Food winner Hing Won (on 48th btw. 5+6th)? Clearly this had to be put to the test. Read more »

While walking on 50th street between 6th and 7th avenues, I couldn’t help but stop at the Desi Food Truck, because according to a menu sign taped to the window haleem, the soup Clay liked so much last year and an Indian rarity in New York, has returned! Also advertised on the window was Puri Bhaji. Sounds like lunch to me…

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$6 for a whole chicken? Too bad we can’t get this in Midtown! Photo by Brownie.

Chris showed Serious Eats readers Singapore’s 12 must try dishes, Brian drank beer and ate sausage at Jimmy’s No 43, Blondie surveyed the sweets in San Francisco, Brownie got thrifty with a $6 whole rotisserie chicken from Brancaccio’s, Rachel had grilled fish taco night and I photographed the kitchen at Do or Dine in Bed-Stuy.

Elsewhere in the ML universe… Zach hits up a truck in Los Angeles that serves Rochester garbage plates (!!!), Jamie got chicken and waffles from a truck in Philly and Andrea found a SoHo Dominican spot where the truck drivers and delivery guys go.

Next time you’re heading over to the Grand Central Food Concourse for some Flex Donuts or to check out the new Tri Tip, you should make a plan to eat your lunch there. A few months ago, they unveiled the EAT exhibit by photographer Jim Dow; it’s in both middle seating areas and scheduled to run through June. The exhibit highlights some of the photos from his book, American Studies and includes some beautiful shots of–one of our favorite things–food carts. Be sure to check out one of my favorites, a shot of the El Oriental cart in Buenos Aires.

I like to think New York is one of the most diverse food meccas in the world. With so many options these days, it’s hard to believe that there are unexplored cuisines in Midtown. Yet, until Monday, I could not direct you to an Australian meat pie establishment. (Unless you have a time machine back to when Tuck Shop briefly occupied the Cyber Cycle Cafe on 49th Street.) Enter Pie Face, a meat pie takeout chain straight from down under that opened its first US shop on the corner of 53rd and Broadway this week.

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Yesterday in the forums we heard the news that Yummy Yummy (on Lex btw. 55+56th) had closed and was being replaced by Peter’s Since 1969, the rotisserie chicken joint with locations in Hell’s Kitchen and Brooklyn.  I just walked by and they are actually open for business starting today!  There have been mixed reviews about their chicken, and Jeremiah wasn’t a huge fan of their BBQ chicken sandwich.  But Lunch’er “mingusaham” says their chicken salad sandwich is not bad, and if they’re expanding they must be doing something right, right?  Early adopters, let us know how it is in the comments.  And fans of the 9th Ave. location, let us know what we should be ordering…

I actually stopped by Joe’s Kitchen Cart (SE corner of 44th+6th) within hours of Clay picking up the $3.50 street meat platter last week, and had the same doubts and misgivings. The odd menu, the double duty of a coffee cart trying to extend its hours into lunch without a clear agenda or needed space, and incredibly low price point are all red flags that would warrant most customers walking to one of the more trusted carts in the area instead. I knew that I should try something other than the platter, and once I saw Chicken Parm ($5) on the menu, I knew it would either be a disaster or EPIC!

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