PROFILE: Midtown Lunch’er “Josh”

So it’s Tuesday… which means I turn over the site to a Midtown Lunch’er for their recommendations of places to eat in Midtown. This week, it’s Josh- an Interactive Marketing guy who just realized his lifelong goal of helping people gain the ability to turn themselves into M&M’s.

Name: Josh

Age:
36

Occupation:
Interactive Marketing Executive (recently oversaw the launch of http://www.becomeanmm.com/)

Where in Midtown do you Work?:
BBDO New York (51st & 6th Ave.)

Favorite Kind of Food:
Pasta — especially Ziti with meat sauce and two meatballs from a place near White Plains named LaMandas — it’s PURE red sauce, checkered box table cloths, and familiy-owned for 60 years.  Greatness and well worth the trip!

Least Favorite Kind of Food:
Sweet dishes — ya know, the ones that mix lamb with prunes or chicken with orange, etc. I’m a savory foods guy; keep your prunes away from my meal!

Favorite Place to Eat Lunch in Midtown:
Burger Joint at the Parker Meridian hotel — any of their burgers.

The “go-to” lunch place you and your co-workers eat at too often: Cafe Duke (51st btw. 6&7th)— it’s across the street, easy, and it feels like they have some new stuff everyday, although I always end up with the same Mac-n-Cheese and peas….

Place you discovered on MidtownLunch.com: Daisy May’s BBQ cart. Great pulled pork!

What would be your dream job location for Lunch purposes? Providence, R.I. – THE best sandwich shop, Geoff’s, serves one called THE JUGGS; turkey, bacon laid on top, swiss melted over the two, pumpernickel bread, CRANBERRY SAUCE, onions, lettuce and something called “sheds sauce” – a garlicky mayonnaise! OH MY!.  (Editor’s Note:  The cranberry sauce contradicts your dislike of sweet and savory my friend.  It’s time to join the dark side.  A round of orange chicken for everyone!!!!)

Anything you’d like to ask our Midtown Lunch readers? As a founding member of Chowhound, I’ve always tried to find an answer to WHERE ARE THE BEST BUFFALO CHICKEN WINGS? The closest I’ve come to perfection is on Central Ave. in Scarsdale at a place called CANDLELIGHT INN…any thoughts Midtown Eaters??

 

Hmmm… I’ve never had buffalo wings in Midtown.  Good question.  As far as Mac & Cheese at Cafe Duke goes, I don’t know if you are talking about the by the lb. M&C or the order at the counter M&C; but if you’re talking about the stuff at the buffet, then you have found one of my favorite little jems of Midtown. 

It’s no S’Mac or Supermac, but the by the lb. Mac & Cheese at Cafe Duke’s is better then you would think.  Downside… it’s by the pound, and you know how much trouble that crap can get me into.  One of my co-workers found out the hard way last week when he loaded up one of those big plastic containers with Mac & Cheese, and the bill came out to $10!!!  Want to see what $10 worth of Mac & Cheese looks like?  The pic is after the jump…   

 

Awwww yeah! $10 worth of Mac & Cheese. (Object in picture may appear smaller than it actually is.  That’s the big plastic container people!  My co-worker Brian is a True People’s Champion).  The noodles they use are really big (which I why I think the picture above looks smaller than it is). The noodles don’t get soggy sitting around in the tin, and they use the right amount of cheese, which doesn’t look or taste like Nacho cheese sauce- (always a good thing).  Another tip, don’t ignore the crispy side bits that some people scoop around, it’s one of the best parts. 

As always if you have any suggestions (including a chicken wing place for Josh), Midtown Lunch news or you’d like to be next week’s Profiled: Midtown Lunch’er, just email me at zach@midtownlunch.com

7 Comments

  • I’ll second the support for Geoff’s of Providence. The Kevorkian sandwhich (extra hot sauce) is where it’s at!

  • Man… Geoff’s. I thought that place closed down.

    Making me miss the Thayer St. spots — nothing in NYC beats Spike’s or East Side Pocket!

  • I once had a menu in my apartment for SPIKE’S and some friends stayed in my place while I was away for the weekend. They placed a HUGE order, having spent nearly 1/2 hour figuring out the perfect combinations, not knowing that the area code was for Rhode Island. Needless to say, they were BUMMED to learn that they didn’t delivery that far away!

  • Candelight Inn on Central Avenue definitely has some of the best buffalo wings around. Their cherenoble (sp?) wings are so hot that you feel like you are having a heart attack.

  • Best wings in midtown (or anywhere else in Manhattan!) is a bit west, at Scruffy Duffy’s on 8th Ave bet. 46th/47th. Always perfectly cooked, meaty wings in a very tasty spicy wing sauce. Been a wing fanatic for over 20 years, and these put others like Blondies, Atomic, PluckU, and DownTheHatch/OffTheWagon to shame.

  • First of all, anything labeled “buffalo wings” will be terrible. No wing joint in Buffalo refers to their wings as “buffalo wings” they are chicken wings. Next you will never find good chicken wings here. No one here knows how to make the 4 different sauces (suicidal, hot, medium, mild). Too bad really.

  • Oh here’s a tip, if you do want authentic chicken wings order from LaNova in Buffalo NY. They will ship the prepared wings to you.

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