Midtown Lunch

Imagine it’s “one of those days” at the office. You look up and it’s way past lunchtime, and suddenly you realize that sound you keep hearing is your own tummy grumbling. Now what? Now you can order Korilla delivery. Details are thin at this point, but according to this you can email them after lunchtime rush to order delivery. They did clarify that deliveries are available only in midtown and lower, and that orders should be placed an hour in advance.

Crisp on Wheels has also been tweeting lately about delivery in Midtown, usually around where their truck is parked. Could this be the new model for food trucks in 2012? Only time will tell …

It’s been a big month for the online food delivery company formerly known as Seamless Web.  They dropped the “Web” from their name and recently opened up nominations for the “Craved Restaurant Awards”, to honor the best restaurants that deliver via Seamless… information we probably wouldn’t have passed along, if they hadn’t offered to give two of our readers $20 gift cards!  (The things we’ll do to get you people free food.)   All you have to do to enter to win one of the gift cards is post your favorite lunch spot to order delivery from. (Don’t believe in delivery?  Just post any random comment and you’ll still be entered to win… although, it would make us wonder why somebody who hates delivery would want to win $20 worth of delivery.)   Limit one entry per person, winners will be chosen at random next Monday, October 17th at 5pm EST.

I just learned about a new website that launched last week called foodtoeat.com. I had been noticing the stickers on some of the food carts in Midtown and yesterday I ran into the founder of the company. Turns out it’s a food ordering system for pickup and delivery, not too dissimilar from Seamless Web. But what makes this one very different (and even more exciting in my eyes) is that they also include food carts and trucks. Currently, there’s only a handful of carts signed up, but they’re some of the favorites with maddeningly long lines, including Biryani Cart, Kwik Meal, Kim’s Aunt Kitchen, and Uncle Gussy’s. Supposedly, the website will be expanding to include more of the gourmet trucks. The service is free to customers and there’s even an Iphone App available. I have yet to try it out, but if it will eventually allow me to get a burrito from Korilla BBQ without a 30 minute plus wait, sign me up. Has anybody checked it out yet? Please leave thoughts in the comments….

Ultraclay wasn’t the only ML contributor in print yesterday… This week’s New York Magazine has a guide to food delivery and two of our peoples were included in the issue.  Our Downtown guru Andrea gave her delivery recs for Crown Heights, and Amy covered 2nd Ave. in Midtown East (apparently the chow fun at Mee Noodle is great.)  Other Midtown tidbits of note?  Danyelle Freeman, aka Restaurant Girl, likes Wondee Siam, the roast pork at Tina’s Cuban, and the tempura udon at Ise (on 56th btw 5+6th Ave.)    Check out the entire list of delivery recs by neighborhood here, and let us know what your favorite Midtown delivery option is in the comments…

If you’ve been wanting to try the Chubby Chinese Girl, Cer Te’s February sandwich of the month, but didn’t want to leave your desk they will now deliver it to you.  They originally wouldn’t deliver the sandwich because they couldn’t keep up with demand, and didn’t think it would hold up well… but now that things have settled down a bit it looks like they’re going to try. Welcome news considering the weather, and the fact that there’s only one week left before the sandwich goes away forever!

Related:
Cer Te Hits Pay Dirt Again With Chubby “Vietnamese” Sandwich

I love the blog but i’m currently in a serious midtown lunch depression as three of my favorites have packed up and left all at the same time. The Jamaican Dutchy has disappeared and my two bento delivery places (Yozu and Washoku cafe) have stopped delivering. Do you know anyone else offering bento delivery in the Rock Center area? We have a lot of Japanese people in our building and bento used to be delivered outside but now it has all disappeared. As lunch is all we have to look forward to this is seriously depressing! I can’t stand our cafeteria and won’t be able to eat indian food everyday. Please help!!

Well the Jamaican Dutchy is on vacation, and will most likely be back soon. But I’m sad to hear the sidewalk bento guys on 50th street are gone. I know Cafe Zaiya recently launched a huge online ordering system. You can try that. Anybody else have any good suggestions for Lunch’er David? Put it in the comments…

Just a friendly reminder that “Delivery Week” has begun, Seamless Web’s clever take on Restaurant Week. $12.09 gets you an app, entree, and dessert or drink from a number of different places in Midtown, and just like the real Restaurant Week the arguments discussions have already begun over whether or not its worth it. This was posted to the ML Forums by Lunch’er “hightemp”:

I was going to order “Delivery Week” for lunch today but perusing the options in my neighborhood I opted against it. Seems a lot of places are switching out “dessert” with “beverage”. And in one instance <> pop burger <> the savings add up to a grand total of …. wait for it… 41 cents. Anyone tried delivery week yet? Any good deals to be had or things worth trying?

$12.09 for a burger, 1/2 an order of shrimp dumpling pops, and a drink from the Volstead is still a pretty good deal (although I was hoping in vain for lobster roll sliders!) And just like Restaurant Week, Delivery Week actually lasts two weeks (through October 31st). Anybody else found any keepers? Post them to the thread in the forum>>

You know I’m morally opposed to workplace delivery (everybody should be able to take their full lunch hour!) and totally not down with spending over $10 for lunch…  so technically Seamless Web’s “Delivery Week” (happening October 19-31st) has already got two strikes against it.  On the other hand, $12.09 for an appetizer, entree, and dessert (all delivered to your office) could be too good a deal to pass up (depending on who is participating, and what their menus consist of).  And there’s nothing that says you can’t pick up your food in the lobby of your building, and just keep on walking.  A few Midtown Lunch’ish spots are on the list, like Little Thai Kitchen and Pop Burger, but you can get out of those places normally for under $12.  I’m more interested in seeing the menus being offered by some of the more expensive places… like The Volstead! (Remember when they gave away all that free food to Midtown Lunchers?  That place is goooood.)  You can find a complete list of participating restaurants here.