Midtown Lunch

Please welcome our newest ML contributor the fold… Anna L.  She was profiled a few weeks ago, and we liked her so much we offered her a gig! Today, she lets us know about the new Mexican “inspired” sandwiches from Gourmet 53.

The coconut shrimp at Gourmet 53 is the stuff that Midtown Lunch dreams are made of, but did you know that they also have Mexican inspired sandwiches on the menu as well? They’ve actually had them for awhile but for some reason I haven’t bothered to try one until now. Carefully constructed with top-quality ingredients these are not, but they will certainly satisfy anybody looking for a cheap, delicious, and different sandwich (plus extras, but more on that later).

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El Rey Del Sabor’s carts have long been a mainstay of Mexican Midtown Lunch’ing. Their menu has everything you’d expect: tacos, burritos, quesadillas, nachos. But did you know that they also serve a Mexified version of classic street meat? I sure didn’t until I saw someone get a plate of it from the cart on 43rd and 6th. The only logical thing for me to do was order one of my own (Street Meat Palooza 4 results might not be out yet, but it’s never too early to start doing research for next year).

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The out-of-bounds Leon Bakery (9th Ave. btw 47+48th), one of the greater Midtown area’s premiere purveyors of tamales (not to mention their selection of baked goods), is currently closed for renovations. From what I could see of the interior, the changes are extensive and the space will probably look much different. As long as there is still a barrel of tamales in the back, I’ll be happy. One of the workers told me they should reopen in the next few weeks. Can’t wait!

I was pretty excited when I saw the first reports of Mexicue bringing its Mexican/Barbecue fusion to the northwest edge of Flatiron Lunch bounds. The area, south of Penn Station and around FIT has precious little good or interesting food to draw lunchers so having a solid spot like Mexicue will be huge.

According to Fork in the Road they had their soft opening last night and the first day of lunch service is today starting at 11am!  Last week, they offered a preview of the new shop to friends and family as a test of the ordering system and we snuck in to get you a look.

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Yesterday Lunch’er Mala tipped us off about a new taco truck just outside the Mexican embassy consulate, Tacos Mexicana Juquilita on 39th and Madison- which if you remember is the same spot where the tamale lady hangs out. So will there be a battle of Mexican street food outside the Mexican embassy or like Lunch’er Ike suggested, could they possibly be the same people.

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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.

Today may be the last week day of Madison Square Eats, but that doesn’t mean there isn’t going to be at least one food option left in Worth Square after it’s all over. Calexico, the California-style Mexican cart that won a Vendy back in ’08 and got a rave from Andrea a year ago, is sticking around for at least the next year. They’ll be serving from 11am to 9pm every day – and according to one of the staffers, including a beer license, presumably using the same boundaries as have been in place for Madison Square Eats. I’ve stopped in at Calexico a few times since they arrived in Flatiron bounds, see what it’s all about after the jump.
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Not exactly sure how Cinco de Mayo went from “commemoration of Mexico’s victory over the French at the Battle of Puebla” to “excuse to drink massive amounts of alcohol and act like an idiot”, but it’s an annual tradition here on ML to use the holiday as an excuse to eat Mexican food (not that we need any excuse!)  So in honor of it being May 5th, we decided to post a round up of all our contributor’s favorite Mexican dishes…

Chris H: The Torta de Pollo at Tehuitzingo Deli and Grocery

When I think Mexican food, I think bold, pure flavors, and I think value for money.  Nothing captures those principles like the *Torta de Pollo* at Tehuitzingo, which is simply *¡Que rico! – *a nearly perfect balance of boldly seasoned chicken, assertive spice, crusty bread, and that lovely creamy queso blanco to mellow and bind all the components.  And at $6, it’s more enough food for the average luncher, although heartier eaters could add one of their excellent tacos and still remain under $10.  Yes, it’s a hike to 10th Avenue, but it’s a journey worth making.*  *And for the lazy/time pressed office worker?  They deliver as far east as 6th Ave.  695 10th Ave(between 47th St & 48th St); 212-397-5956

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The downstairs Times Restaurant (8th Ave btw. 39+40) has endured near constant change over the last few years: name changes, wildly fluctuating buffet prices, DOH imposed downtime. Through all of that, Times has been some kind of Indian restaurant, much like the upstairs Kashmir Grill it used to share a name with. But now Times Restaurant is offering “traditional Mexican and Tex-Mex food.” It looks like it’s still a sit-down place, but there are a few ML friendly lunch items, like tacos and sandwiches. Perhaps more exciting is the fact that it may also be some sort of Mexican Hooters…
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Ask the simple question, “Where’s the best Mexican food in New York City?” and you’ll likely be met with exasperated sighs, an eye roll, and the fierce proclamation that New York Mexican cuisine could never in a million years rival that of California’s (at least until California is swallowed by the Pacific). Part of me agrees. I’ve had the pleasure of eating at the clapped out taco trucks in random parking lots around Salinas and Fresno, CA – gleefully shoveling down $1.50 tacos meant for the local day laborers, now being elbowed out by DSLR toting hipsters.

But we shouldn’t be so self depreciating, for there’s perfectly acceptable Mexican to be had at Tehuitzingo Deli and Grocery (10th Avenue between 47th & 48th st) – well out of reach of Midtown, but accessible for the lucky lunchers that work on the western edge of Midtown, or those with very lax lunch breaks (they also deliver as far east as 6th ave).

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I haven’t touched tequila in years. Just a whiff brings back memories of my 20s and “just one more shot” at 3am on a Tuesday night. No, thanks. That said, I’ll do a go a long way for a good taco. When I read about Zengo’s new lunch of three tacos for $10 in their tequila bar, I knew I’d have to suck it up and bury those shredded memories to get my hands on some high class tacos.

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