PROFILE: Midtown Lunch’er “Lindsay”

Every Tuesday I 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 Lindsay, a legal assistant, who has terrible cholesterol, but takes pictures of himself eating bacon.  Ahhh, the perfect Midtown Lunch’er.

Name: Lindsay

Age:
25

Occupation:
Legal Assistant

Where in Midtown do you Work?:
50th & 8th

Favorite Kind of Food:
I suppose Japanese or crazy fusion foods with unusual flavors (for a mind blowing and unusual set of bodega sandwiches, for example, try Sunny & Annie’s on Ave B and 5th), but I’ll eat pretty much anything. I recently found out that my mother blessed me with terrible cholesterol and high blood pressure and that I should avoid foods that exacerbate those things. After some agonizing, I realized that those foods now taste better because it’s a transgressive act. For example, last night I had a burger at BRGR, and it was pretty darn delicious because of the guilt alone. Thanks, Mom.

Least Favorite Kind of Food:
South African — honestly most of the meat there tastes like paper (as does the beef at Better Burger). I’m not too huge on English food either, but I think that’s sort of its perverse selling point. Also any menu written in papyrus font immediately turns me off to its food.

Favorite Place(s) to Eat Lunch in Midtown:
The burekas, or the fava beans with hummus at Gazala’s Place (9th Ave. btw. 48+49th); most anything at Pam Real Thai (their Thai iced teas/coffees are also very reasonably priced) (49th & 9th); I’ve got an irrational soft spot for Island Burger (but eat in, don’t order: the burgers soak through the buns otherwise)(9th Ave. btw. 51+52nd). Also it’s hard to beat a lot of the street meat carts in the 49th/6th area; that stuff is just absurdly tasty. And I adore Bouchon’s ‘wiches, particularly the roast beef (Time Warner Center, Columbus Circle).

The “go-to” lunch place you and your co-workers eat at too often:
Our own cafeteria, sadly; it’s subsidized heavily so it’s easy to be lazy and stay in. I also eat at Chipotle far too often for all the obvious reasons (sorry ML).  (Dude… if I were you, I’d be at Piece of Chicken (45th btw. 8+9th) every single day!  The day I took the photos for the place, I think I was sitting in the courtyard outside your building.  -zach)

Place you discovered thanks to Midtown Lunch: Kati Roll and the Daisy May’s BBQ cart; Margon; pretty much any Mexican restaurant I’ve ever eaten at.

If you could work anywhere (just because of the lunch) where would it be and why? I don’t know any place that matches Manhattan for its convenience and variety, so I’m going to have to say right here. More specifically the Lower East Side, although areas of Brooklyn and Queens have pretty strong arguments going for them, too.

Anything you’d like to ask the midtown lunch readers???: I’m still looking for a great Malaysian place…

A great Malaysian place in Midtown, or in general?  Because in Midtown, you are pretty out of luck.  Did a search for Malaysian on Menupages and nothing comes up anywhere in Midtown.  It looks like the closest you are going to get is Penang on 72nd btw. Columbus+Amsterdam.  They have an $8 lunch special, and they do deliver- down to 53rd St. (westside only).  So close, yet so far.  

Penang’s very popular Mango Chicken, after the jump… 


Posted to Flickr by halene

Got your own recommendation for Lindsay, feel free to post it in the comments below. 

And as always, if you want to be the next Profiled: Midtown Lunch’er, or you’d like to nominate somebody in your office (like last week’s lunch’er Grace), email me at zach@midtownlunch.com

13 Comments

  • Yay! Lindz!

  • Best Post Evah

    mumm the guilty pleasure of bacon….

  • As far as Malaysian, if it doesn’t have to be in Midtown, then I’d highly reccomend Nyonya in Chinatown.

  • Good profile, but 8th and 9th aves are too far a trek for me during the winter

  • “I realized that those foods now taste better because it’s a transgressive act.”

    Genius.

  • Sunny & Annie’s on Ave B and 5th…….WHAT? I live on 5th b/w A & B. No such place there…. maybe it’s on 6th street?

  • Sunny & Annie’s has great sandwiches and they pile on the meat unlike Subway. Yes, it is on the NW corner of 6th St & Ave B, not on 5th. They make some interesting sandwiches with Kimchee, but my favorites are the 101 (Peppermill turkey, coleslaw, bacon, and russian dressing) or the Roast Beef with russian dressing and peppers.

  • Best Malaysian I found (by far), alas not in midtown, is Nyonya, at Mulberry & Grand. Pretty close to Canal St. stop, so easy to get to.

    Marina, you live right by the ACE Bar! Awesome!!!

  • Benji’s; Kuala Lumpa(r)

  • Rudy, I thought you would have a lot more to say in defense of your country’s cuisine. Instead you just revert to the usual ‘asians-eat-dogs’ joke? Disappointed. Very disappointed.

  • Yup, I live upstairs from Le Gamin & Minca & right across the street from ACE bar. And everytime one of you drunk maniacs comes crashing out of the bar or talks (sreams)loudly while smoking on the sidewalk, I think evil thoughts. Very evil non-christmas thoghts.
    ;)

  • Better watch out, Lindsey…you might as well have said the name of the firm with that description!

  • Actually, I know two people, both malaysian, who sell lunch specials you can pick up in Midtown. $7. Go to “Malaysians in NYC” Facebook group…
    OR Here’s a review/link, Message me for the other one – I have her phone #.

    http://www.eatingintranslation.com/2012/09/aunt-oois-kitchen.html

    I am half malaysian so yeah if you want a restaurant the best would be NYONYA on grand st or SANUR a little tiny spot on Doyer St, both are in Ctown. Penang is so-so but pricier…maybe we need a Malaysian food truck…anyone???

    =) Sarah

Leave a Reply

You must log in or register to post a comment.