Midtown Lunch

Don’t get too excited about the second Daisy May’s BBQ Cart that popped up like a mirage in the distance on Park Ave. this week.  I got this email from an East Side Lunch’er very excited by Daisy May’s return to Park Ave. (they had a cart there last summer, which has not returned):

I saw from a distance that there was a Daisy May BBQ cart on Park Ave between 52nd and 53rd Street. I will take a closer look when I go out to lunch at 2:00. I hope they have some food left. — Alan

It turns out that it wasn’t a mirage, but it’s not exactly the triumphant return lunch’ers were hoping for.  Apparently the cart on Park is only there for the filming of Adam Sandler’s new movie “You Don’t Mess With the Zohan“, and isn’t even serving any food.  The angry and disappointed emails have already started pouring in:

Dude I was really bummed and pissed actually when I [realized the] Daisy May’s BBQ cart at the Seagrams Building on Park+52nd… was just for the filming of the Adam Sandler movie, and you could not actually get any ‘cue. Grrrr.  –Jason

According to IMDB “You Don’t Mess With the Zohan” is rumored to star Mariah Carey.  All will be forgiven if we see her crazy ass eating at a Midtown street cart. 

BBQ lovers are not the only ones who have been effected by the production.  The Jiannetto’s Pizza truck that appeared on 48th this week, is actually the cart that is normally on Park Ave.  When the movie leaves, the Park Ave. Jiannetto’s truck will return, and they will put their newly built truck on 48th. St. 

As always, if you have any Midtown Lunch news, send them to zach@midtownlunch.com

I think I’ve said this before, but I’m going to say it again.  I love food courts.  What’s there not to like?  It’s like 20 cheap restaurants, all under the same roof.  Sure I always get the Chinese food, or the Chinese food knock off (bourbon chicken I’m looking at you)… but having the options (whether you use them or not) is great- because if you go with other people, everyone can get what they want.  So when I want Chinese food (which I always do), my wife and I can go to a food court even if she doesn’t want Chinese food, because there’s other things for her to get!  It’s a fool proof scheme…

There aren’t many food courts in Manhattan (you’ve gotta go to a mall in the suburbs for that), but there are a few.  And one, that seems like it should be amazing, is the Grand Central Terminal Food Court.  One walk through this place, and you’ll think you’ve died and gone to food court heaven.  No wasted space on generic fast food joints like McDonalds or BK, and they have all the requisite food options (Chinese, Sushi, Indian, Cajun, Caribbean, BBQ, Pizza, and more.) 

And yet, for a food court- with a ton of options- right in the middle of Midtown, it’s not nearly as crowded as you would think.  None of the places have lines, and we didn’t have too much trouble finding a place to sit.  To top it off, I get emails all the time recommending places to eat in Midtown.  Very few “good” (a relative term of course) or popular places have gone unrecommended.  And yet, nobody has ever recommended the food court, or singled out any of the choices in an email.

A superficial look at the options, more pictures, and a call to arms… after the jump.

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New Yorkers love their BBQ.  If you doubt that, try going to the Big Apple BBQ Fest at the beginning of the summer in Bryant Park Madison Sq. Park (I’m retarded).  I had read tons about it- but couldn’t believe what I saw when I actually went.  People waiting hours in line to buy these tiny $7 plates of BBQ from different vendors from across the country.  And if you want to try all the different choices, you’ve got to go with an entourage of friends, each waiting in a separate line.  Go alone and you have to sit in 3 different one hour lines to get what would be considered a meals worth of food.  And worst of all- what does it say about the BBQ places in New York City?  Are they so bad that you’d be willing to wait an hour for four baby back ribs from Illinois.

Well, despite people’s willingness to wait hours in line every June in Madison Sq. Park, there are *some* decent BBQ places in NYC.  Which one is the “best” is always up for debate- you know, when people aren’t arguing about where to get the “best” burger in town.  (Actually the irony of the BBQ fest being in Madison Sq. Park was not lost on me.  It is also home to the longest burger line in New York City.)

Lucky for us in Midtown there is no real dispute as to where the best BBQ is.  Seeing that Dinosaur, R.U.B., and Blue Smoke are all outside of Midtown- it leaves only one true choice for the best BBQ (for the purposes of this blog of course).  Daisy May’s BBQ.  (Beware those of you who feel the need to speak up for Virgil’s on 44th… unless you want to be accused of being a tourist who knows nothing of good BBQ). 

The actual Daisy May’s restaurant is on 11th Ave. & 46th St., but they have graced Midtown with the presence of THREE carts serving BBQ sandwiches and chili during lunchtime.  I thought everyone knew about Daisy May’s…  but once again, I brought my sandwich back to my desk, and the guy next to me asked where I got it.  I had to answer “The BBQ cart.  You know… the one that is right outside the entrance of our building”.  Of course, this is the same guy who asked if my sandwich from Cosi was a falafel…  (If you work next to someone like this- and I know you do, please forward them a link to this blog.  They need our help the most…)

Pictures, where you can find the three different carts,  and the +/- after the jump… Read more »