Comment from Dan
Time: July 16, 2008, 9:04 am

The best “out of bounds” place we go to is to get dumplings in Chinatown. It’s a haul from midtown south, but it’s worth it. There is a little dumpling shack behind the church on Mott st. All they sell are dumplings and pork buns. The price is right, 5 dumplings for $1. That’s right, 5 for $1. In my opinion, they are the best dumplings I’ve ever had. It usually takes an hour to go there and back, but if everything is right, we can do it in 45 minutes. The process would go faster, but we usually get anywhere from 50 to 100 dumplings at a time for the office and some to take home, so they have to cook up an extra griddle full of them.

Comment from jacob
Time: July 16, 2008, 9:20 am

Once every couple of weeks or so, I hop the train from Times Square down to Chinatown for some Vietnamese or Chinese food for lunch.

With it being only 3 stops on the N/Q, if you’re not a big group, it’s pretty easy to grab some pho at Nha Trang and make it back to work in an hour and 10 minutes or so.

Comment from Nate
Time: July 16, 2008, 9:34 am

Chinatown for bao and back from Midtown West. If you can catch the express lines on the NQRW, you can make it there in no time (I can’t remember which line it is but one goes from 34th to Union Square to Canal St). It was glorious. I tried to do Shake Shack once, but the line was (as always) far too damn long and I had to leave with only some custard.

Comment from kj
Time: July 16, 2008, 9:35 am

I have hit Wildwood BBQ in Union Square several times in the last month as it is a quick shot on the N/R Line from 49th Street and Broadway.

Comment from wayne
Time: July 16, 2008, 10:26 am

While walking a long ways for lunch was great (and great exercise) when I worked downtown (Tribeca, Chinatown, Soho), I find that midtown lends itself better to trips by train. One reason is it’s a less pleasant walk to escape the crowds, traffic pollution. The other is that it takes forever to get the hell out of midtown! From Times Square it’s cake to get anywhere from Chinatown (like Nate mentioned), Soho (Alidoro anyone?), Chelsea Market (great roast beef sandwiches in Bowery Kitchen Supply), Fairway on 72nd St. (literally 5 minutes each way on an express 2/3), Whole Foods and the Greenmarket on 14th St, etc, etc, etc.

The unlimited MetroCard is the shizzit

Comment from Liz in the City
Time: July 16, 2008, 10:31 am

I catch the B/D to the village for my favorite Thai from Galanga (W. 4th at 6th Ave) or some gelato from Bruno’s on LaGuardia (near Bleecker). I should do it more often because my location at 31st between 6th and 7th is particularly scary when it comes to food options.

Comment from Front Studio
Time: July 16, 2008, 10:42 am

In a reverse lunch commute, we often hop on express train from Chinatown to go up to Koreatown for lunch. All in we almost manage to have lunch in a little over an hour. Express trains rock!

Comment from Shauna D.
Time: July 16, 2008, 10:49 am

i do this constantly! it’s not a good day if i can’t make the most of my hourlong lunch break and get tha fuck outta midtown. for sanity’s sake, i cherish these days…

my favorite haunts are:

Roti Plus on Frederick Douglas and 125th St (1/9 to 125th) for HUGE Caribbean Curry Chicken roti and a beef patty with CoCo bread

Eva’s on west 8th between 5th and 6th aves (B/D to west 4th st) for a big ass chicken and egg whites omelet or a falafel and hummus salad with pita

Nicky’s Vietnamese on east 2nd between Aves A and B (F train to 2nd Ave, then a few blocks walk) for real deal banh mi and a Vietnamese iced coffee

Comment from wayne
Time: July 16, 2008, 10:54 am

Just read the article

We should all give a big shout-out and group hug to the NY Times for once again stating the bleeding fucking obvious

Comment from Rudy McBagel
Time: July 16, 2008, 10:56 am

A friday lunch date with the present Mrs McBagel ended up with us on the eurostar to Paris.And 9 months later with twin McBagels.

Do I win?

Comment from Sarah
Time: July 16, 2008, 11:13 am

9 months is a little longer than my lunch hour allows…. When I run errands to the E Vill (fancy photo developer) on my lunch hour I hit up Mamoun’s on St. Marks while I’m down there. From 33rd on the 6, with some avenue walking it takes me an hour total, but that’s errand included. The subway usually only takes about 15-20 min of that each way….

Comment from Danny
Time: July 16, 2008, 11:17 am

Rock center on the B/D to Grand St. There are two vietnamese places withing a block, and Vanessa’s Dumpling House on Eldridge is super close and packed at lunch.

Comment from (Angie’s) Matt
Time: July 16, 2008, 12:08 pm

I won’t be eating lunch for the next week, just got a Ko reservation for next tuesday

Comment from Bronx Briner Gal
Time: July 16, 2008, 12:27 pm

The convenience of eating outside of midtown depends on who you are, what sort of position you hold in your company, and their lunch time policy. I’ve seen my lunch hour shrink from 60 minutes, to 40 minutes, and now down to a paltry 30 minutes, even as my salary and title have increased. I can barely grab a sandwich and rush back to my office in the tiny amount of time we’re given for lunch. Enjoy your long lunch hours while you have ‘em my friends. Your minutes are numbered.

Comment from Marina
Time: July 16, 2008, 12:29 pm

@ Shuana - Nicky’s Vietnamese has the worst banh mi in all of the tri-state area. Not only is it too expensive, they don’t use quality ingredients and they take too long to make their 4 inch crapwichs. You should try the place inside the jewelry store, their banh mi are AMAZING!

Comment from joseph
Time: July 16, 2008, 12:32 pm

1 stop from herald square to bleecker street on the b/d or 15 minutes from murray hill to soho on the 6 - definitely faster than some walks

Comment from thankyoulove
Time: July 16, 2008, 12:38 pm

Rock center to west 4th street for Mamoun’s falafel. Can eat it while watching the ballers or bring it right back.

Comment from Josh
Time: July 16, 2008, 12:51 pm

W Kong Bakery Co 242 Canal, right outside the N/Q entrance at Lafayette St, for the steam table in the back. $1.50 Ho Fun, Nai Cha (Milk Tea), etc. 30 mins roundtrip from times square.

Comment from Mamacita
Time: July 16, 2008, 1:48 pm

Hey Rudy, you free for lunch this Friday?

Comment from Bossman
Time: July 16, 2008, 2:03 pm

“9 months is a little longer than my lunch hour allows”

Sarah, you work with Bronx Briner Girl?

Comment from Peter Y.
Time: July 16, 2008, 2:09 pm

The key is multiple train lines servicing your route. If you are reliant on one train, you could be waiting 10-15 minutes both coming and going, because it’s midday train wait times. The B/D suggestions above are good.

Comment from me, cookies and the cat
Time: July 16, 2008, 3:24 pm

I second the banh mi in Chinatown, and also c.c. cookies at Levain (cookies are lunch). Can do either in about an hour from 34th st with serious, brisk walking.

Comment from Shauna D.
Time: July 16, 2008, 3:44 pm

@marina… wow, um, okay. didn’t mean to strike a nerve. :) always up for new lunch spots, thanks for the rec!

Comment from Rudy McBagel
Time: July 16, 2008, 4:18 pm

Mamaita, at present im free for friday lunch.

Are you in London :)?