Midtown Lunch

On Saturday we gathered together at City Winery with a couple hundred of our closest friends to celebrate the 5 year anniversary of Midtown Lunch (yes, we too are surprised this thing has been around for 5 years!)   A great time was had by all thanks to the amazing food (provided graciously by Kwik Meal, The Biryani Cart, Cer Te, Ma Peche, Food Gallery 32, El Rey del Sabor, Tri Tip Grill, Wafels & Dinges, Miss Softee & the Rolling Cones, Kelvin Slush, and Momofuku Milk Bar) and the endless drinks courtesy of Brooklyn Brewery and GuS’s soda.

Check out the highlights, after the jump…

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For those of you just north of Grand Central hoping for some Mexican deliciousness from El Rey del Sabor during the middle of this week, you’ll have to wait until at least Friday. The cart they normally have parked on 49th Street and Park will be off the streets from today until at least Thursday for its inspection. Though if you really need your fix there’s always the ERdS carts on 43rd & 6th or the original on 60th & 3rd.

Can I just take a quick minute to get nostalgic about El Rey del Sabor? It was actually two years ago this week that I first tried the original cart on 60th and 3rd.  They had been open for just a month, parked behind Bloomingdales (on 60th and 3rd), and needless to say I was excited.  Back then it was just one cart, run by Vilio (who cooked the food) and his sister Rosa (who made the tortillas by hand.)  This was back before their Mexican cheesesteak, their second cart on 49th and Park, their run in with Rafiqi, the fight their third cart on 43rd had with that halal vendor, and of course plantergate. Rosa no longer makes the tortillas by hand (the 3 carts are way too busy), but they now serve al pastor, and chalupas.  Of course last month they were nominated for the 2010 Vendy Awards, and yesterday they got a full spread in Serious Eats: New York. They’re facing some stiff competition at the Vendy’s this weekend, and I don’t know if they can pull it off (Patacon Pisao and Schnitzel & Things are some fierce competition). But no matter what happens it won’t make us feel any less proud.

Even though the El Rey del Sabor carts came out with their three chalupa special late last fall, I completely forgot about them. The location closest to my work (on 49th and Park Avenue) didn’t have any signs up for it and it wasn’t on their regular menu. Well, there’s a pretty legit looking sign up now, and even though the price has gone up a buck I had to try them.

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Have you ever been kind of jealous of the winners of Zach’s various cart tours?  Even though I work in midtown and can hit the great midtown carts anytime I want, there’s something to be said about the fun of taking on a bunch of them at once.  To really do it right you need strength in numbers, so when I learned that a couple of my friends from Seattle, would be in town and free for lunch during the week, I started plotting potential food adventures.  Both of them regularly read Blondie & Brownie and they were jealous of the midtown cart/food truck scene.  The more I thought about it, the more convinced I became that we should try to hit as many carts for as many different types of foods as possible and with that in mind, may a present Brownie’s Cart Canyon Tour: 10 carts/10 cuisines/$10 a person…

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When I read the other day that El Rey Del Sabor is now offering al pastor, I was all over it. I headed to their new cart on Park Ave and 49th Street (one of three they now operate in Midtown)- and not only did I score an al pastor taco, I also grabbed a spicy pork torta, and a carne asada huarache. This was a cheap excuse to splurge and buy a few menu items that I’ve been meaning to try under the pretext of getting a taco in the name of ML. I know, I just give and give don’t I? It was a ton of food, but luckily I had a friend with me to help out.

Comida pornografia after the jump….

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The weather hasn’t exactly been taco cart friendly lately, but this news should get you pumped to hit the streets.  El Rey del Sabor is now serving al pastor, spicy pork with pineapple, cilantro, and chipotle. $2.50 in a taco or $6 in a burrito and available at all three of their locations (43rd and 6th, 60th and 3rd, and the newest on Park and 49th.)  One catch… it’s not on the menu.  You’ve got to ask for it.

Lunch’er “Chris” checked in yesterday with this tidbit of info: “Was walking home and noticed a cart on NW corner of Broadway/49th. Never seen one there so I took a look and was excited to see it was an El Rey Del Sabor cart. Haven’t gotten to try them yet but you always rave about them. Any idea if it is permanent o

It’s good to see that the El Rey del Sabor Mexican carts aren’t content to just rest on their laurels. We all know their huaraches are boss, their mole is tight, and their lengua tacos are tongue-tastic. But they’re always coming up with new specials, and  “The Hungry Commuter” checks in to let us know about the latest:

El Rey de Sabor is serving chalupas!!! I had lunch yesterday at El Rey de Sabor on 43rd and 6th and while I was prepared to get my standard 3 salt beef tacos, I noticed a sign that said they had a chalupa platter special for $6. It includes 3 chalupas with your choice of meat (I got the spicy pork) and rice and beans on the side. Score! Chalupas were on point! They use the same corn tortillas they use for tacos, but these are fried and stuffed with the meat, sour cream, salsa verde and queso fresco. Had to send a pic, too.

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