Midtown Lunch

Every Friday our man UltraClay goes south of the ML boundaries in search of a delicious lunch. Sometimes it’s Murray Hill south or the Flatiron District, sometimes Gramercy and everything in between- but we just like to call it Flatiron Lunch.

Rhong Tiam was the first of a wave of Flatiron openings that happened around the end of the summer. It didn’t get the attention of nearby Eataly, but given how few really good Thai options there are in the area, I’m still pretty excited about the place.

When I first visited Rhong Tiam, they had only been open a couple of days and while I was excited about the food options (especially the roti) there was much confusion to be cleared up. I stopped in for a follow up visit, hoping that the logistical issues had been dealt with and it  would be easier to get to some of the previously unavailable tasty options on the menu. Check out the follow up after the jump.

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Every Friday our man UltraClay goes south of the ML boundaries in search of a delicious lunch. Sometimes it’s Murray Hill south or the Flatiron District, sometimes Gramercy and everything in between- but we just like to call it Flatiron Lunch.

Eataly (on 5th Ave. and 23rd St.) has been a favorite of mine since it opened, but much more for groceries or a glass of wine than for lunch. Of all the different dining options, I’ve mostly only tried out the pizza and pasta than anything else. Let’s face it, there’s not a ton that makes it a Midtown Lunch. Still, there’s some great food here and over the weeks I’ve discovered a few really good options that fit into the ML budget and are worth seeking out.

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By the time you read this, our man UltraClay will probably be on a plane heading to Asia or at least getting felt up by a TSA agent. Before he left, he followed up on some of the Flatiron Lunch spots that opened up in a flurry at the end of the summer. Let’s see how they are doing now that the dust has settled, the lines have subsided and (hopefully) all the kinks have been worked out. (Today might as well be friday, right?)

When we last saw Hill Country Chicken, the line was out the door and Jeffrey Steingarten was storming away because he couldn’t find someone to slide him some freebies. Now that the buzz has died down a bit, I decided it was time to check out some of the menu items I missed. What I found was that the delicious, if pricey fried chicken may be obscuring the best southern-style chicken sandwich this side of Chick-Fil-A.

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Every Friday our man UltraClay goes south of the ML boundaries in search of a delicious lunch. Sometimes it’s Murray Hill south or the Flatiron District, sometimes Gramercy and everything in between- but we just like to call it Flatiron Lunch.

El Carrito Rojo, the Mexican and Ecuadorian food truck on 19th Street and 6th Avenue is right in the middle of the ‘photography district.’ Between the color lab where I get my film developed and all the camera shops nearby, I pass it all the time, and yet somehow I never ended up eating there. Well… after stopping in a few times over the last couple weeks, I know that’s definitely going to change.

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Every Friday our man UltraClay goes south of the ML boundaries in search of a delicious lunch. Sometimes it’s Murray Hill south or the Flatiron District, sometimes Gramercy and everything in between- but we just like to call it Flatiron Lunch.

In all the hoopla over Eataly’s opening, I missed the news that Chock Full o’ Nuts was launching its comeback just down the block. When I finally came across it, I have to admit, I was conflicted. I’m excited at the idea of bringing back more old school luncheonettes like nearby Eisenberg’s and Johny’s. At the same time, there’s plenty examples of poorly executed nostalgia joints that exist more for tourists than local lunchers.

It was the fear of wasting a meal at a tourist trap that kept me away for the last couple of months. Now that I’ve been, I’m totally psyched to have it back. See why after the jump.

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Every Friday our man UltraClay goes south of the ML boundaries in search of a delicious lunch. Sometimes it’s Murray Hill south or the Flatiron District, sometimes Gramercy and everything in between- but we just like to call it Flatiron Lunch.

The Sirtaj is hidden in plain sight. Eclipsed by neighbors Hill Country and barbecue bar The Hog Pit, you could walk by it a million times without really considering walking in. I checked it out on the recommendation of a friend who is easily as into food as I am, but didn’t see what the big deal was about until I started to explore the daily specials – including vegetarian options I would never consider otherwise.

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Every Friday our man Ultraclay goes south of the ML boundaries in search of a delicious lunch. Sometimes it’s Murray Hill south or the Flatiron District, sometimes Gramercy and everything in between- but we just like to call it Flatiron Lunch.

When I first came across B&B, my initial thought was “I hope they make better soul food than Soul Fixin’s!”  But when I walked in to check it out, I instead discovered African and West Indian food with a pretty random assortment of international flavors. It’s pretty unique to find something like that in my corner of Midtown so I was pretty excited to dive into their buffet. Check it out after the jump.

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Now that Downtown has its very own section of the site, what are we going to post on Fridays? Answer… how about a column devoted to those lunches just south of the ML boundaries. Every week we post about a lunch in Murray Hill south, Gramercy, Flatiron, and everything in between… or to make it easy: Flatiron Lunch.

When the Souvlaki GR truck took home Rookie of the Year honors at this year’s Vendy Awards, they were still in their infancy, but I was really looking forward to them eventually serving lunch in Midtown. Unfortunately, they seem to be getting very cozy in a regular noon-9pm spot at 21st and 6th. Hopefully, they will still make it to Midtown eventually, but why wait? A few weeks ago, I took a (temporary) break from mourning Midtown’s loss to celebrate Flatiron’s gain (it’s still better than trekking to Astoria, right?). I can now say that wherever they park, Souvlaki GR is a great addition to the NYC food truck scene (and it’s just a few F stops away).

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Now that Downtown has its very own section of the site, what are we going to post on Fridays? Answer… how about a column devoted to those lunches just south of the ML boundaries. Every week we post about a lunch in Murray Hill south, Gramercy, Flatiron, and everything in between… or to make it easy: Flatiron Lunch.

If you blink, you might miss those few nice days we’ve had between the hailstorms, tornados and nor’easters, but they are there. With that in mind, let’s ignore the downpour (and the coldsnap) and talk about some place to go on the next sunny lunch hour. The Limelight Grill- inside the former church, former nightclub that became a mall recently- offers a menu full of food grilled on an open flame. If that doesn’t take you back to the best of summer, I don’t know what will.

We’ve only got a couple weeks left, so check out the options after the jump.

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