Midtown Lunch

With all the talk over Patsy’s (Patty’s?) Taco Truck making a two day appearance in Midtown, it’s not surprising that the two mainstay Midtown taco trucks have been mentioned a bit in the past week. There is the sombrero topped taco truck on 50th btw. 6+7th, and the previously sombrero-less Tacos/Burritos cart on 54th and Madison. I say “previously” because it appears as if this cart has come down with a case of sombrero envy… Read more »

According to her profile on the Village Voice blog this morning, Ruth Reichl, the editor of Gourmet Magazine, works in Times Square and loves to eat lunch at Minar (46th btw. 6+7th) and the Chicken & Rice Cart on 43rd & 6th.  “I get white rice, the curried chicken with vegetables and extra red sauce, no white sauce.”  I don’t even understand what the words “no white sauce” mean, but you certainly get extra points for your choice of cart, and the guts to pile on the heat. I should take you to the Jamaican Dutchy.  Are you free tomorrow for lunch?  [Fork in the Road]

If you missed the one on the left this weekend, get the one on the right today in Midtown

It was a porktastic weekend for everybody who braved the heat and hit up the Big Apple BBQ Block Party this weekend.  I stopped by for a bit on Sunday and enjoyed my personal favorite: Ed Mitchell’s whole hog sandwich.  A creation just as amazing as it sounds, he literally takes a whole pig out of the smoker, and chops it down into sandwich form (you may say the secret ingredient is the crispy bits of skin.)  If you missed it, and now you’re craving some ‘cue (there are alot of meat photos from Madison Sq. Park floating around flickr today) there really is only one for lunch today in Midtown:  the Daisy May’s BBQ cart on 50th btw. 6+7th. 

I though everybody knew about this pretty famous cart, but you’d be surprised.  They used to have a couple more carts on the east side, and one downtown- but it looks like those are gone for good, leaving 50th as your only option.  (Actually the last time a Daisy May’s cart was on the east side was for the filming of that new Adam Sandler “Zohan” movie.  Anybody see the cart in the movie?)

Seeing as how you probably won’t want to eat outside today (“Feels Like” 102° + 43% humidity = a very sweaty Zach), the cart does a real good job of packaging up everything to take back to your desk.  If you do eat outside,  you might want to snag one of their awesome sweet teas.  At $4, it’s a little pricey, but you get to keep the mason jar.

Cookie fans on 45th & 6th will have to wait until tomorrow to get their Treats Truck fix.  Due to a private event in the afternoon, the Treats Truck will be parking at a location to be announced from Noon to 2pm (check the website for details), before returning to their typical Wednesday spot (45th & 6th) on Thursday from Noon to 4pm.

For those who feel like the Treats Truck doesn’t come to your office nearly enough, you’ll be happy to hear that Time Out New York reported earlier in the week that a second Treats Truck is close to being unleashed on the city, and treats maker Kim has assured me that the second truck will be spending some time in Midtown.  As soon as that truck is out and about, we’ll let you know, or you can check for updates on their website, http://www.treatstruck.com/

I don’t know why I found this so funny.  Admittedly I know nothing about selling books, but if you are going to advertise “The Hot Latin Diet”, don’t you think there are better places than street carts?  And even if you must go with a sidewalk vendor as your canvas of choice, wouldn’t one of those fresh juice carts be a better choice?  And what was the vendor thinking?  Do you really want to remind people how fat they are, just before they step up to your cart for their 75 cent coffee with doughnut chaser?

Seeing as how I consider myself the prototypic street cart customer, I can’t see how this book will appeal to anybody willing to buy pastries out of a mobile tin can, parked on a Midtown sidewalk.  Unless “Hot Latin Diet” is one of those crazy weight loss programs (Atkins I’m looking at you) that involves eating more carnitas?  Does it involve stuffing your face with roast pork?  Because I’d buy that book.

Save Tony Video, courtesy of the Street Vendor Project

The New York Times has an article this morning about Tony “The Dragon” Dragonas, the famous street meat and burger vendor situated just outside the Midtown Lunch boundaries, on 62nd & Madison.  According to the Times, the 2005 Vendy Award winner “has 42 outstanding violations totaling $16,865” and “next month he is scheduled to appear before an administrative law judge, who will determine whether he can continue operating.”

Not mentioned in the newspaper article, but highlighted on the website of the Street Vendor Project, the organization who runs the annual Vendy awards, is Tony’s explanation for the fines:

Last year, the guy in the restaurant down the street started to complain about my smoke. I’ve never really had any problems with the Health Department, but the inspectors started coming every couple of weeks. Every time they came, they would give me 3,4, 5 or 6 tickets. Usually they cited me for the smoke. They also gave me tickets for not wearing my hat, being too close to the crosswalk, and other things. But never for selling bad food — nobody has ever gotten sick or complained about my food.

If “The Dragon” gets shut down, it will be a big blow to the city’s street meat conossieurs.  Get more information, and sign the petition to help save Tony at http://streetvendor.org/

Lunch’er Shauna (who we have to thank for yesterday’s McD’s photo), also sent along this photo of the “Crepe Cafe” cart parked on 50th btw. 6+7th yesterday. Not to be confused with the Crepe Cart on 53rd btw. 5+6th, I know I’ve seen this cart somewhere- but it definitely wasn’t on 50th btw. 6+7th. Anybody eaten from it yet? The one on 53rd btw. 5+6th is ok, but nothing to write home about- and I’m sure no cart could be better than the crepe lady in the Cyber Cafe on 49th btw. 7+8th, but I’d still be curious. If you’ve tried it, feel free to post in the comments… and if you have news, recommendations or a photo to share, send it to zach@midtownlunch.com