Archive for August 2014

Want to Be A Vendy Awards Judge? Here’s How…

Our favorite event of the year is only two weeks away, and to celebrate their 10th Anniversary the Vendy Awards are choosing their “Citizen Judge” a little differently this year. Want it to be you? All you have to do is submit a photo of your favorite street food tagged with #VendyCitizenJudge and @VendyAwards on Twitter or Instagram, and you’re entered to win. Entries will be collected between now and September 4th and the winner will be chosen by our founder Zach Brooks, in collaboration with the Vendys, on September 8th. The winner will receive a ticket to the Vendy Awards and a seat on the judging panel. (Transport is not included.)

Make sure you follow @VendyAwards on either Twitter or Instagram so they can direct message you if you are a winner. And we’ll see you at the Vendys on September 13th!

Week Two of Our Lunch Rush Tours Starts Today and Worships the Sandwich

Thanks to all those who celebrated street meat with us on our inaugural week of hour-long Lunch Rush Tours around Midtown and the Financial District.

The feasts continue this week as we turn our attention to the humble little sandwich. On each tour, expect lots of meat and cheese between bread as we visit three different carts or trucks preparing their own take on the universal dish. There will be Asian, Mexican, American, and Italian sandwiches. Today, we’ll be touring along Park Avenue (in the high 40’s/low 50’s), Tuesday will be in the Financial District, and on Thursday we’ll be hanging out on Sixth Avenue (in the 40’s).

This is the perfect thing to do for those bored with their usual lunch routine. Tickets can be purchased at the Turnstile Tours website here and a percentage of the ticket sales are donated to the Street Vendor Project. Each tour runs about an hour (or under) and begins at 1pm. So it’ll be easy enough to sandwich it into your lunch break.

Langos Truck Brings Hungarian Fried Dough to Midtown

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Tacos, pizza, burgers, lobster rolls. Those dishes are pretty much covered when it comes to food truck offerings. I have to admit I’m getting a bit bored by all the new food trucks serving variations of the same thing. Enter the Langos Truck to save the day.

This truck debuted at the beginning of the summer, but has made limited visits to Midtown. I caught them once in the FiDi and then again last week in Midtown. Their schedule is a bit more varied, including some under-served neighborhoods like Sunnyside and Borough Park. But they need to show Midtown a bit more love. Especially since they’re offering something completely different.

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Domo Arigato for Domo Taco’s Take on Asian Tacos

I’ve been slowly making my way through the entire Luck Mgmt empire (aka Bian Dang’s fellow trucks), and Domo Taco was long overdue (I know, Fun Buns, I’m coming for you…). When I saw they were parked at 52nd/6th, I headed over and reluctantly waited in line… except there was no line, it was just people who had already ordered standing around in the way. People, let this be a public service announcement: once you’ve placed your order, step to one side and don’t block people trying to order. I promise you no one will steal your food if you let other people order, plus: if your crowding around the truck discourages people from ordering, your favorite truck may just not get enough customers and then close and then you have screwed yourself out of great lunch.

Anyway.

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Getting the Butt End From The Mr Nice Guy Truck

If y’all are anything like me, you watched a movie in the late 90s called Half Baked and know exactly to what Mr. Nice Guy refers. If not, consider yourself lucky, because walking up to this truck thinking you might be able to get THAT will only disappoint. Not that I tried!! But you know, just in case you were the type to joke with the person taking your order and they just look at you like ‘wut’ and you feel very dumb…

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Hallo Berlin, Freddy, Calexico & More Return to Vendy Awards as “Masters”

For the first time ever, the Vendys are bringing back some previous winners to compete in a special category called Masters. Five previous Vendy Cup winners will be present to see who reigns supreme and to celebrate the awards’ tenth anniversary. This is a game-changer if you ask me.

The Daily News released the nominees over the weekend. And they include the very first Vendy winner ever and veteran Midtown vendor Hallo Berlin, our local favorite Freddy King of Falafel (who will be featured on today’s Street Meat tour), along with Solber Pupusas, Calexico, and NY Dosa Guy. It’s going to be a good year. If you haven’t already purchased tickets, I can’t imagine them lasting too much longer. Buy them today by clicking here.

Our Lunch Rush Tours Launch Monday Focusing on Street Meat

A few weeks ago, we told you about a unique and exciting new way to get lunch for the next month. We’ve teamed up with Turnstile Tours (who have been running food cart tours for close to 5 years) to offer one hour tours along Park and Sixth Avenue to three different food trucks and carts based around a specific theme. For $29, you receive three generous tastings, learn stories and context about the food cart industry, and help support the Street Vendor Project.

Our first tours begin on Monday and the theme is Street Meat, which we know just a little something about. Monday will be along Park Avenue (in the 50’s), Tuesday will be along Sixth Avenue (in the 40’s), and Wednesday will be in the Financial District. Both Midtown tours will include previous Street Meat Palooza winners and finalists, in addition to some unexpected twists on the usual chicken/lamb over rice (not all the tastings feature these two meats). This is just the first week of tours and the following three weeks will feature different themes and tastings. You could buy a Crash Course to experience them all, which is 4 tours of your choosing, for $89.

All tours start at 1pm and run one hour. Tickets are available until the morning of the tour at turnstiletours.com.

FIKA Pops Up Near Bryant Park

As if by magic, a new outpost of FIKA has appeared at 114 W 41st Street (btw 6th and Broadway). Personally, I’ve never heard of this place, but there have been a few Midtown Lunch posts about it in the past. While I’m sure espresso is on the menu, they also offer up a handful of breakfast and lunch options. Interestingly, there are a few sandwiches being sold right at the $10 ML limit. It’s been a while since I’ve enjoyed a good Swedish meatball, so I might have to make a return trip. I also snapped a quick photo of the menu, which you can find after the break. Already had the pleasure of trying their meatballs? Let us know in the comments.

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Carpe Donut Seizes the Donut Trend

One day after I’d already eaten, I noticed this truck with a naggingly familiar logo parked on the northwest corner of 51st Street and Park Avenue outside the AT&T store. Midtown Lunch noticed them a little over a year ago, but it doesn’t seem like we covered the donuts… I was curious and figured a little sweet treat to end my lunch would work… See what they have and what I got after the jump.

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Rock Center Greenmarket Returns in September

Rock Center Greenmarket

Are you a Rock Center worker that’s been wondering what’s happened to the annual Greenmarket? For the past few years, it’s magically appeared for about a month or so starting in late July, but this year there’s been a Koons topiary taking up valuable space. No worries, my friends, we will be eating pumpkin whoopie pies soon enough: the Greenmarket is scheduled to return every Wednesday, Thursday and Friday from September 10th to October 10th. Just in time for gourds.