Midtown Lunch

Photo by Food in Mouth

The Friday scene at El Rey del Sabor, the new Mexican taco cart on 60th and 3rd, is all the proof you need that Midtown is starved for good Mexican food.  According to the comments the line on Friday was “20 gringos deep” at one point, they ran out of pork, and by “2:40 they were out of rice and beans.”  Of course now that they realize the secret is out, I’m guessing this week they’ll be more prepared.  According to one comment yesterday, big changes are already in the works…

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Back in June we mentioned how long the line for the Treats Truck had become on Wednesdays– the one day a week it’s parked on 45th btw. 6+7th. The owner Kim herself has told me it’s her most popular spot, which may lead one to wonder- “Why don’t you park there more often?”  The people want it.  It would be good for business.  What’s stopping her?  Two words.  Mister.  Softee.  Last spring, when the weather started to warm up, and the Mister Softee truck returned to its regular spot on 45th & 6th, a “conversation” ensued.  Kim was told she couldn’t park on that block, but a “deal” was struck between the two vendors allowing the Treats Truck to park on 45th and 6th one day a week.

And that’s the way things were… until the Wafels and Dinges Truck arrived.   Read more »

Oh, what a glorious day! A new cart has arrived, and is serving the most authentic Mexican food I have seen in Midtown. Pampano Taqueria… be afraid.  Be very afraid. This place does not serve small, over priced tacos, on a single, fancy pants tortilla.  Their tacos cost $2 (the way it should be) and come on *two* corn tortillas, warmed up properly on the griddle.  The two sombrero carts– you should be afraid as well.  I don’t even think this cart knows what nacho cheese is.  Every item on their menu comes topped with queso blanco- the real deal Mexican cheese. Tamale lady in front of the Mexican Embassy–  you don’t have to worry about anything.  Your tamales are cheap, authentic, and delicious.  Nobody will ever replace you.

But everyone else!  Commence your shivering.  The Mexican food savior we have all been waiting for has finally arrived.   Read more »

The Biriyani Cart on 46th btw. 6+7th., which rose to prominence when they added roti rolls in the wake of Kati Roll’s move to 39th Street, unveiled their new cart on Monday.  The menu and prices are much clearer now, with useful descriptions of all their kati rolls.  This is definitely one of my favorite carts in Midtown, and it just seems to be getting better, with the addition of a few new menu items. Their chapli kebab has been offered for a little while now (it can be ordered as a plate or in a kati roll) but today is the debut of the new PWCD Kati Roll which is described on their new flyers as being “egg layered chapati bread with farm fresh scrambled egg and potato.”  Farm fresh?  On a cart?  Get out of town.  I will definitely be trying this soon.  Sadly though 2 kati rolls is now $6 whether you order chicken or lamb.  (Not sure when this price hike occured, but at some point it was 2 for $5 if you ordered chicken- so it is a price hike.)

The old cart is not going away though.  The owner plans on opening a second location with the old cart on Monday.  He is shooting for 43rd & 6th, but I’m a little skeptical that the Trini-Paki Cart will allow that to happen. I’ll keep an eye on the situation for you.

This wasn’t the only unveiling this week on 46th St.  Moshe’s famous falafel cart got a new look as well… Read more »

I don’t remember seeing lines like this at the XPL truck (on Park Ave. & 48th St.) before they surprisingly took 2nd place at Street Meat Palooza. It just goes to show, all carts are not created equal. (You may say the secret ingredient is the rice.)

Thanks to Blondie and Brownie for passing along the photo.

Every few months I gravitate back to the Bulgogi Cart on 49th btw. 6+7th hoping that it will graduate from decent to excellent. Over the year and a half it’s been operating, I think we can all agree on certain conclusions.  1) Their kalbi is much better than their bulgogi.  2) Keeping your expectations low is a good thing.  Not amazing Korean food, but decent considering it’s from a cart.  3) They don’t give you nearly enough kimchee! 

I haven’t been in a few months, but a lunch’er emailed this report yesterday:

I don’t know if you have already been informed, but I walked over to the Bulgogi cart (49th and 6th) to get lunch today and noticed that the prices have increased! Most of the standard fare which was previously $6 has been increased to $7. So now a number 1 with double meat is $9! That is a bit steep for cart food in my opinion, but you gotta respect the effects of the economy.

But wait, there’s more…   Read more »

I am embarrassed to admit it, but I wasted my time watching that Inside Edition “expose” on NYC Street Vendors last night. Was it gross? Yes. Did they catch 3 or 4 vendors picking their noses, and then handling food without gloves. Of course. Thankfully though none of the vendors covered were popular Midtown Lunch carts (although one I recognized as being on 48th St. & 7th Ave.) They were all non-descript hot dog and kebab vendors mostly frequented by tourists. And you know what I say? Screw the tourists. Maybe these dirty carts will thin their ranks out a bit- get them out of the way so I can walk home in peace after work.

In all seriousness though (I do hate tourists, but don’t wish dysentery on them), amazingly, after watching the 3 minute and 30 second report I felt more sorry for the vendors than anything. So what. 4 street vendors are kind of dirty. So is restaurant food. So is the subway. These guys aren’t criminals. And reports like this tend to do more harm than good. The majority of vendors work hard, follow the rules, keep clean carts, and don’t pick their feet while on the job. They shouldn’t be vilified because there are 3 that don’t. Hell, I’m picking my nose as I write this. And I might go eat something when I’m done (but not boogers. That’s gross.)

If you must watch the video, it’s after the jump…  Read more »

Last week a lunch’er sent word that a Kati Roll cart had popped up on the NE corner of 45th and 2nd Ave. It has since disappeared and there has been no further word.  At first I thought it may be the Biriyani/Chapati Roll Cart (on 46th btw. 6+7th), which has plans to roll out their second cart on the East side in the next few weeks. But a quick check revealed that it’s not them… this is a another deal altogether. Last june a mysterious Kati Roll cart popped up on 46th btw. 6+7th (next to the Chapati Roll cart) but quickly disappeared as well.  I wonder if it has returned? 

Have you seen this cart? Email any info to zach@midtownlunch.com

For years the chicken and rice cart on 43rd just East of 6th Avenue has towed the line of relative annoynymity and street meat fame. Often referred to as the “Trini Pak Boys” the cart has always served up a popular Indian/Pakistani tasting version of chicken over rice, but their sign has always been pretty crap-tastic. Hand scrawled, with no real indication of what they wanted to be called, the original sign has finally been replaced. The cart is now officially known as the Trini Paki Boys Halal Food, and the full menu is layed out in an easy to read format.

In our Street Meat Palooza post, the cart scored surprisingly low- but we were criticized for getting the yellow rice instead of the white basmati rice. I’ll make sure they get their fair shake in Street Meat Palooza 2!