Midtown Lunch

After my out–of-control delicious tongue taco experience in San Francisco a few weeks ago, I was ready to get back on the lengua train here in Midtown.  Easiest place for that? The El Rey del Sabor cart.  If you haven’t been yet (there are now three of them in Midtown), what the hell are you waiting for? There’s one on 60th and 3rd Ave., 49th and 3rd, and 43rd and 6th.  I decided to hit up the one on 49th, because it gets the least amount of love! (And yet the highfalutin, more expensive Pampano Taqueria across the street, is a mob scene. Figures.)

Read more »

Photos courtesy of Food in Mouth

Midtown Lunch’er Danny was all about carts on his blog Food in Mouth this week, giving a big thumbs up to Street Meat Palooza 2 winner Kwik Meal (on 45th & 6th).  Sadly, the spicy pork tacos at El Rey Del Sabor (on 43rd btw. 5+6th) were plenty spicy but not as porktastic as he would have liked.

Related:
Street Meat Palooza 2: Our New York City Chicken/Lamb Over Rice Showdown Crowns A New Champion
All Midtown Lunch Posts about El Rey del Sabor
All Midtown Lunch Posts About Kwik Meal

The El Rey Del Sabor cart that got kicked out of their spot on 43rd and 6th appears to have made the transition across 6th Ave. into a new spot.  They’ve been on the NE corner of 43rd and 6th all week long without any problems, and have added a menu with prices (since it is required by law.) They plan on parking there for the foreseeable future, but sadly there is still no word from the hot dog vendor lady.

Such a sad sad sight on 43rd street yesterday afternoon, after two carts were carted off by the cops and the El Rey Del Sabor fled the scene. We haven’t been able to find out exactly why the carts were taken away, but if it was because of the “No Standing” sign on that block, then no vendor is safe.  Almost every single block of Midtown has one of those signs.

I do need to apologize, though, for a mix-up regarding the other two carts next to El Rey del Sabor.  I reported incorrectly that it was the lady from the $1 hot dog cart (closest to the corner of 43rd and 6th) that was shown in the El Rey del Sabor street fight video.  Lunch’er “Wendy” pointed out the error in an email (which you can read after the jump…)

Read more »

Photo of 43rd btw. 6+B’way Taken on Monday

Whoa… this just in courtesy of EJVallejo: “Looks like cops are confiscating one or both of carts involved in Vendor Fight on 43rd & 6th.” “All carts removed including hot dog lady. Cops said they were breaking zoning & ordinance laws.” Just spoke to Olivia from the El Rey del Sabor cart, and she confirmed that the cops came and started rounding up the carts on 43rd. The hot dog halal cart (run by the Greek lady from the video) and the halal cart $1 hot dog cart were both loaded onto a truck by police and taken away. They were planning on taking the El Rey del Sabor cart as well, but it wouldn’t fit on the truck- so they told her to move the cart by the time they came back, or they would seize her cart as well.

There’s no question that the building wants all the carts gone. After the “plantergate” episode, the building took matters into their own hands, installing a new group of planters. And yesterday, a representative from the building told El Rey del Sabor that they planned on planting a tree where their cart was currently parked (basically telling them they weren’t wanted.) Not sure if the building is responsible, but ERdS also said the cops came last week to say that the carts on the block were all parking illegally because of the “No Stopping” sign. The vendors argued that those signs don’t apply to carts, only trucks- but clearly that didn’t hold water. They were told today their carts were being seized because last week they were told to move, and they didn’t.

More on this as it comes in… but one thing is for sure- no Mexican food from the 43rd Street El Rey del Sabor cart today.

Related:
Vendor Fight Over 6th Ave. Spot Caught on Video
The Latest Weapon in the Vendor Wars is… Sidewalk Planters!?
“Plantergate” Continues As Building Reinstalls Planters on 43rd St.

With all the talk of vendor wars and cops and news coverage and planters I feel like I’ve lost site of one of the most important things… stuffing my fat face! And at the end of last week I took advantage of some time spent hanging around the new El Rey del Sabor cart (on 43rd btw. 6+B’way) to do just that. When I originally ate at the El Rey del Sabor cart on 60th & 3rd, I didn’t try the beef- but I’m told it’s changed since last year. I decided to try that, in taco form, with some of their chipotle sauce (also new since last year.)

The chipotle sauce was pretty awesome (almost like a Mexican BBQ sauce), and packed a nice bit of heat. I liked the beef too. And for $2, it can’t be beat. (I think it was $2… maybe $2.50. I can’t remember.) I still prefer the salsa verde overall, but that’s why you get more than one taco! (And by more than 1, I mean 3.)

Related:
The New El Rey Del Sabor is Serving Authentic Mexican Food From a Cart
El Rey Del Sabor Round Two: Mole, Tamales, and a Spicy New Creation You Won’t Want to Miss

So it looks like the saga dubbed “Plantergate” by various Midtown Lunchers is not quite over.  Just to bring everyone up to speed… Mexican cart El Rey del Sabor parked their third cart on 43rd and 6th Ave., and was immediately confronted by a hot dog cart owner from the same block (caught on video here.)  That proved unsuccessful, but when El Rey del Sabor showed up to their spot last Monday, they found that it had been blocked by shoddily installed planters, and the next day they were removed.  An article about Vendor Wars in this morning’s NYPost has confirmation from the landlord of the building that it was in fact vandalism (in addition to similar stories from newcomers Kosher Oasis, and the Downtown Cart Little Ochi’s Hot Spot.)  On Wednesday El Rey del Sabor returned, and ran out of food by 1:30pm (there just ain’t a lot of good Mexican food in Midtown.)

The latest happened on Friday… according to the guys at the El Rey del Sabor cart, the building has now decided to reinstall the planters on that block.  They had marked the sidewalk with spray paint, and were planning on putting the planters in over the weekend.  Depending on the size of the planters, and there exact location on the sidewalk, it could mean the end for all vending on that block.  We’ll see today when the carts show up to park.  If anybody passes by today, feel free to post updates in the comments or forward along a photo.

I can’t even imagine how angry that Greek hot dog vendor must have been today watching you guys clean out the El Rey Del Sabor cart on 43rd & 6th.  According to comments, by 12:45 they were out of tamales, by 1:30 “all they had left was cheese.  They did say that someone was supposed to be bringing more food but wasn’t there yet.”  You people know they have two other carts in Midtown, right? One on 60th & 3rd, and another on 49th & 3rd.

If there was any doubt the building had nothing to do with the shoddily installed planters that blocked the El Rey Del Sabor cart from parking on 43rd and 6th the other day, they were erased yesterday. Lunch’er Jeff sends in this update:

Walked real fast near where the El Sabor/Greek Hotdog Lady battle went down… bad news, didn’t see the El Sabor cart but good news some maintenance men were out there working hard to move the planters. Can’t be 100% what the situation was but they definitely were chopping off and cracking the cement that glued them down… and they were definitely lifting the planter boxes to move them around a bit.

Another comment confirmed that they were completely gone by 3pm. So… one would think that would clear the way for the return of the El Rey Del Sabor cart today! If you’re on the scene, let us know if they’re there serving up tacos and enchiladas.

UPDATE: From the comments… “They’re back again today!” The cart, not the planters…

Related:
The Latest Weapon in the Vendor Wars is… Sidewalk Planters!?