Midtown Lunch

As is customary here on Midtown Lunch, I turn the site over to you at the end of the year to vote for your favorite Midtown Lunches. So… you voted… and here are the results, along with my picks. Some are were expected… some are surprises were mildly surprising… and a few were clearly influenced by Twitter. Here are the results of the 2009 Midtown Lunch Readers’ Poll:

Best Fast Food Hamburger: Burger Joint

After complete domination by Burger Joint in this category over the past few years I thought this might be the year that Five Guys take the crown.  They jumped out to an early lead- but then twitter took over, and pushed the Burger Joint to the victory.  Both are undeniably good burgers, and which one you prefer says a lot about your personal taste. If you want to eat a medium rare burger that tastes like it was grilled in your backyard on a summer day, Burger Joint is your spot.  If you prefer a thin patty, covered in cheese and toppings (like grilled onions, and mushrooms, and jalapenos), Five Guys is where you’ll be found.  I like the toppings.  Zach’s Pick: Five Guys [view full results]

Best Coffee: Joe the Art of Coffee

Photo Courtesy of Kathy YL Chan

I fully admit that I don’t drink coffee every morning (I’m a PG Tips kind of guy), but those of you who did have a clear favorite.  Joe the Art of Coffee in Grand Central.  For me though, the most exciting Midtown coffee news was the arrival of Intelligentsia- which you can now get at Culture Espresso Bar, a great new spot on 38th btw. 5+6th.  Their sandwiches aren’t too bad either.  I may not drink it ever day, but when I’m in the mood for some coffee that’s where I end up. Zach’s Pick: Culture Espresso Bar [view full results]

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It’s time for the 3rd Annual Midtown Lunch Readers’ Poll. Your nominations are in, and between now and the end of the year I’ll be asking all of you to vote for the best Midtown Lunches in a whole range of categories. You can only vote once per category (so choose wisely), and official results will be posted after the new year.

As expected 2009 was a tough one, and we lost a lot of great Midtown Lunches. The economy took down old standbys, and new wannabe chains that never got going… and while we’ll never get some of our favorite spots back, we can hope that 2010 will be kinder. Here are the nominations for Saddest Closing of the Year. (I feel like this should be accompanied by a video montage…)

• Cafe Zest (47th btw. Lex+3rd)
• City Burger (39th & Broadway)
• Diamond Dairy (47th btw. 5+6th)
• Empanada Joe’s (43rd & 8th)
• Fashion Soup (41st btw. 6+B’way)
• Milant (39th btw. Lex+3rd)
• Norimaki (35th btw. 7+8th)
• Sahara Grill (7th Ave. & 40th)
• Uncle Marky’s Organics (53rd btw. 2+3rd)

Vote for which one you miss the most, after the jump.

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It’s time for the 3rd Annual Midtown Lunch Readers’ Poll. Your nominations are in, and between now and the end of the year I’ll be asking all of you to vote for the best Midtown Lunches in a whole range of categories. You can only vote once per category (so choose wisely), and official results will be posted after the new year.

I love me some all you can Indian buffets… but sometimes you just don’t feel like stuffing your face until it can’t take anymore. And for those days, you head to these places. Whether it’s chaat, kati rolls, or a combo platter of food from a steam table, these Midtown spots always have you covered. Here are the nominees for Best Indian Fast Food:

• Biriyani Cart (46th btw. 6+7th)
• Indus Express (48th btw. 5+6th)
• Joy Curry & Tandoor (46th btw. Lex+3rd)
• Kati Roll (39th btw. 5+6th)
• Khodiar Lunch Services (6th Ave. btw. 38+39th)
• Maharaja (45th btw. Lex+3rd)
• Minar (46th btw. 6+7th)

Vote for your favorite after the jump…

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It’s time for the 3rd Annual Midtown Lunch Readers’ Poll. Your nominations are in, and between now and the end of the year I’ll be asking all of you to vote for the best Midtown Lunches in a whole range of categories. You can only vote once per category (so choose wisely), and official results will be posted after the new year.

I’m a sucker for the all you can eat Chinese buffet… but there’s only one of those in Midtown (and it’s pretty bad.) So when you want all you can eat, for under $11, there really is only one option… INDIAN! There are so many all you can eat Indian buffets in Midtown, at every price point. But being the cheap bastard I am, I only hit up the ones that are $10.95 or less. Here are the nominees for Best Under $11 ACYE Indian buffet:

• Apna Taj (55th btw. Lex+3rd)
• Curry Dream (39th btw. 5+6th)
• Darbar Grill (55th btw. Lex+3rd)
• Kashmir/Times Restaurant (8th Ave. btw. 39+40th)
• Spice Fusion (8th Ave. btw. 47+48th)
• Sukhadia’s Gokul (45th btw. 5+6th)
• Touch of India (37th btw. 7+8th)

Vote for your favorite after the jump…

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It’s time for the 3rd Annual Midtown Lunch Readers’ Poll. Your nominations are in, and between now and the end of the year I’ll be asking all of you to vote for the best Midtown Lunches in a whole range of categories. You can only vote once per category (so choose wisely), and official results will be posted after the new year.

When I started Midtown Lunch I purposefully set the southern boundaries at 32nd so I could have an excuse to eat in Koreatown… you know… “for work”. But since then, a good number of decent Korean options have popped up north of 35th Street. But are they good enough to beat the K-Town under $10 masters? Only you guys can decide. Here are the nominees for best Korean food in Midtown:

• Cafe Amande (37th btw. 5+6th)
• Cafe Duke (51st btw. 6+7th)
• Mandoo Bar (32nd btw. B’way+5th)
• Pro Hot Korean (56th btw. 5+6th)
• Shilla (32nd btw. B’way+5th)
• Woorijip (on 32nd btw. B’way+5th)

Vote for your favorite after the jump.

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It’s time for the 3rd Annual Midtown Lunch Readers’ Poll. Your nominations are in, and between now and the end of the year I’ll be asking all of you to vote for the best Midtown Lunches in a whole range of categories. You can only vote once per category (so choose wisely), and official results will be posted after the new year.

We’ve already voted on Japanese soups… but what about Japanese fast food? Will one of the 41st Street trinity take it down? Or will Cafe Zaiya be dethroned by one of the two newcomers (Dainobu & Washoku Cafe)? And then there is Go Go Curry, who will most certainly look to follow in the Yankees footsteps. Is this their “World Series” year? You decide. Here are the nominees…

• Cafe Zaiya (41st btw. Mad+5th)
• Chiyoda Sushi (41st btw. Mad+5th)
• Dainobu (47th btw. Lex+3rd)
• Go Go Curry (38th btw. 7+8th)
• Washoku Cafe (37th btw. Mad+5th)
• Yagura (41st btw. Mad+5th)

Vote for your favorite after the jump…

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It’s time for the 3rd Annual Midtown Lunch Readers’ Poll. Your nominations are in, and between now and the end of the year I’ll be asking all of you to vote for the best Midtown Lunches in a whole range of categories. You can only vote once per category (so choose wisely), and official results will be posted after the new year.

Who says New York City has terrible Mexican food? Well… actually… I do. But there are a few gems to be found in Midtown… like the El Rey del Sabor cart (which went from one cart to three this year), and Las Poblanitas. But are they strong enough to take down the big three chains (Chipotle/Baja Fresh/Qdoba). And of course there is the Sombrero Cart, which is arguably the least Mexican of them all… but the people have spoken! (Sadly the best places are over on 10th Ave. which is way out of bounds.) Here are the nominees for Best Mexican Food in Midtown.

• Baja Fresh (Multiple Locations)
• Chipotle (Multiple Locations)
• El Rey del Sabor (Multiple Locations)
• Las Poblanitas (38th btw. 8+9th)
• Qdoba (Multiple Locations)
• Sombrero Cart (50th btw. 6+7th)

Vote for your favorite, after the jump…

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It’s time for the 3rd Annual Midtown Lunch Readers’ Poll. Your nominations are in, and between now and the end of the year I’ll be asking all of you to vote for the best Midtown Lunches in a whole range of categories. You can only vote once per category (so choose wisely), and official results will be posted after the new year.

This was kind of a crazy year for Midtown Lunchers with a sweet tooth. We lost the Dessert Truck, but Crumbs exploded into every corner of Midtown, Magnolia Bakery opened in Rock Center, Le Pain Quotidien and Financier Patisserie both expanded, and the Cupcake Stop Truck joined Midtown standbys the Treats Truck and Wafels & Dinges. But only one can be the champ. Here are the nominees for best sweets…

• Cafe Zaiya (41st btw. Mad+5th)
• Crumbs (Multiple Locations)
• Cupcake Stop Truck (Multiple Locations)
• Financier Patisserie (Multiple Locations)
• Le Pain Quotidien (Multiple Locations)
• Magnolia Bakery (6th Ave. & 49th)
• Street Sweets (Multiple Locations)
• Treats Truck (Multiple Locations)
• Wafels & Dinges (Multiple Locations)

Vote for your favorite spot, after the jump…

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It’s time for the 3rd Annual Midtown Lunch Readers’ Poll. Your nominations are in, and between now and the end of the year I’ll be asking all of you to vote for the best Midtown Lunches in a whole range of categories. You can only vote once per category (so choose wisely), and official results will be posted after the new year.

Just because 8th Ave. is the fried chicken corridor of Midtown, doesn’t mean that’s where the *best* fried chicken is. Or is it? Popeye’s makes some damn fine chicken… but it’s a National chain, which goes against what Midtown Lunch is all about. But damn it’s some good chicken. Could they take it? Or will Korean fried chicken rule the day? We also had two new street food versions of fried chicken join the fray this year. Ignore them at your own peril. The nominees are…

• Cafe Cello (46th btw. 5+6th)
• Chicken House (36th btw. 7+8th)
• Fried Chicken Cart (55th & Madison)
• Jerk Pan Cart (Park & 48th)
• Mad For Chicken (5th btw. 31+32nd)
• NYC Cravings (Multiple Locations)
• Piece of Chicken (45th btw. 8+9th)
• Popeye’s (40th btw. 7+8th)

Vote for your favorite, after the jump…

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It’s time for the 3rd Annual Midtown Lunch Readers’ Poll. Your nominations are in, and between now and the end of the year I’ll be asking all of you to vote for the best Midtown Lunches in a whole range of categories. You can only vote once per category (so choose wisely), and official results will be posted after the new year.

In some ways 2009 was the year of the sandwich here in Midtown. Our Midtown Lunch Sandwich Challenge produced over 20 entries, and nobody distinguished themselves more than Cer Te. Could this be the year they break the Cuban sandwich domination in this category? Or could Lenny’s (behind the strength of their expansion) sneak in and snatch victory? You guys decide… Here are the nominees:

• Boi Sandwich (3rd btw. 44+45th)
• Cer Te (on 55th btw. 5+6th)
• Lenny’s (Multiple Locations)
• Margon (46th btw. 6+7th)
• Sophie’s Cuban (Multiple Locations)
• Tina’s Restaurant (Multiple Locations)
• ‘wichcraft (Multiple Locations)

Vote for your favorite after the jump…

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