Midtown Lunch

Photo by Dave Cook from Eating in Translation

The Pranzo Pizza Truck, which popped up on 55th btw. Park+Lex last October, and then disappeared, has been found (sort of) by Eating in Translation! This sign was spotted yesterday in Washington Heights. Lesson learned: if you copy a concept from a really popular vendor (in this case the much loved Jiannetto’s Pizza Truck), you may want to park your truck a little more than 6 blocks away from the original. Carribean Spice Cart (on 46th St btw. 6+7th)… you’ve been warned.

Related:
Midtown Links (Pizza Truck is M.I.A. & the Treats Truck is Sick Edition)
The Pranzo Pizza Truck Attempts to Replace Jiannetto’s as Best Grandma Slice

I’m out of town until January 7th, so until then I’m turning over the site to you for the First Annual Midtown Lunch Readers Poll, to determine the best that Midtown lunch’ing has to offer. You can only vote once, so choose wisely. Links to info about most of the nominees can be found on the “Restaurant Index” page. Feel free to write in votes in the comments section. Official winners will be posted to the site on January 9th.

I have a soft spot in my heart for Cosi.  The bread is just so damn good, and baked fresh right in the middle of the store.  We can make jokes about chains all we want, but a sandwich on fresh, brick oven baked bread is good.  I don’t care what anybody says.  And if you put free pieces in a bowl at the front of your establishment, I’m going to show up.

Pizza?  Now that’s a different story.  I’m sure when Cosi decided to add Flatbread pizzas to their menu, New York was not the market they had in mind.  Anybody who pays $7+ for a Cosi pizza, when there are great slices on every corner of the city, is just nuts.  That being said, if you love Cosi bread, and the idea of having two pieces of it for lunch, topped with mozzarella cheese, and their (too sweet for me) marinara sauce- you just might be into it.  Me?  If I ever move to Oklahoma, I’ll be all over this.  For now, I think I’ll stick with this or this or even this.

If imitation is the highest form of flattery, then the new Pranzo Pizza Truck that recently popped up on 55th & Park is a really complementary outfit.  My guess is the Jiannetto’s Pizza Truck doesn’t see it that way.  It’s one thing to build your own truck and serve pizza out of it.  It’s another thing to copy another truck’s entire concept, down to the design of the menu.

On the other hand, you have to admit- it’s pretty ballsy to start a pizza truck 4 blocks away from New York City’s most famous pizza truck.  It must be good, right?  Not entirely trusting their own “Best Grandma Pie” proclamation painted on the front and back of the truck, I decided to try it for myself.  As skeptical as I was, you know I can’t resist food out of a truck!

The pizza pie porn, and +/- after the jump… Read more »

The search for a good Chicken Parm sub in Midtown trucks on.  This week’s stop is Little Italy Pizza on 45th btw. 5+6th.  If you spend any time reading the comments posted to Midtown Lunch, then you know about Little Italy Pizza, and its neighbor across the street, Park Italian.  Both places have their fans, and detractors, serving up what amounts to two pretty mediocre chicken parm subs.

I’m not saying they are inedible.  I’m just saying mediocre.  A Chicken Parm Sub is going to taste good by default.  Any sandwich that consists of fried chicken topped with sauce and cheese is going to have its redeeming qualities.  Sure the sauce may be too sweet, the cheese may be no good, the bread may be soggy, or not toasted- but in the end it’s still a fried chicken sandwich.  It’s going to taste good enough to eat.  That being said, I’m not going to to tell you to go to Little Italy Pizza for the chicken parm.  It’s just ok.  The pizza on the other hand… now that’s a different story!

Awesome pizza porn, and a +/- after the jump… Read more »

In the far reaches of Midtown, there exists a magical place whose enormity, and depth of choice, is only eclipsed by its price.  A wonderland of lunches, that makes Dishes or Variety Cafe look like a sandbox inside Disney World.  Where prepared meals circle ethnic food stations, and pre-packaged sushi is turned out fresh by the minute.  If only it wasn’t hampered by the anti-fat man, pay the lb. price structure, it could possibly be the Midtown equivalent of Willy Wonka’s Chocoate Factory.

This place I speak of is Whole Foods, and I finally got a chance to check it out last week for lunch.  It rests on the Upper West Side corner of the Midtown Lunch boundries, on 8th Ave. & 59th St., Columbus Circle, in the basement of the Time Warner Center.  It is easily the best “Grocery Store” in Midtown, and despite its high prices and questionable business practices, the food is undeniably fresh and of a much higher quality than any other place in our area.

The grocery store is nice, but for lunch purposes, we’re looking at the prepared foods area.  The gigantic section between the “store” and the registers.  What they’ve got, grocery store porn and a +/- after the jump… Read more »

The new Jiannetto’s Piza Truck is parked on 48th btw 6+7th. There are “No Parking” signs everywhere, so I’m not sure how long he’s going to last at that location… but as of right now, Midtown West has got it’s very own pizza truck! He claims they will be at that spot for good, but we’ll see. If it moves, i’ll let you know…

Related: Two Well Known Carts Getting New Locations in Midtown
Related: Jiannetto’s Pizza Truck

Every Tuesday I turn over Midtown Lunch to a random Midtown worker, for their favorite places to eat lunch in Midtown.  Normally when I get a picture like this, I’ll ask for a replacement… something “Midtown’ish” and more zoomed in.  Unfortunately, Vivian told me this is the only picture of herself she had at work.  I’m assuming she meant on her computer at work, and not- this was a picture of her “at work”.  Either way, if this is the pic she wants posted, who am I to stop her. 

***PICTURE REMOVED***

Name: Vivian

Age: 29

Occupation: Education Coordinator

Where in Midtown do you Work?: Vanderbilt* btw. 44+45th  (Oooh!  You work on Vanderbilt. That’s exciting. -zach) 

Favorite Kind of Food: Thai

Least Favorite Kind of Food: Eel.  I love Japanese food, however I tried eel once and I didn’t like it.

Favorite Place to Eat Lunch in Midtown: For sit-down, Park Italian Gourmet on 45th btw. 5+6th. They make the best Italian heros, but also offer hot Italian fare. For take-away, a falafel sandwich from Moshe’s cart on 46th & 5th or the Golden Krust kiosk in Grand Central.  (Another vote for Park Italian.  I will get around to writing about this place eventually… -zach)

The “go-to” lunch place you and your co-workers eat at too often: Cucina & Co., but only because it’s across the street!

Place you discovered on MidtownLunch.com: Hing Won. Finally, authentic Chinese in Midtown!

If you could work anywhere (just because of the lunch) where would it be and why? Chinatown- fresh, quality ingredients prepared super fast at amazing prices, what more could a ‘luncher’ ask for!

 

*Vanderbilt is that little street that runs between 42nd & 47th between Madison and Park… next to Grand Central, and home to Jiannetto’s Pizza Truck (47th & Vanderbilt).  Speaking of Jiannetto’s, I’ve got some news for you- after the jump… Read more »

I am a firm believer in the fact that there is no bad Pizza in New York City.  Some slices are better than others, but in the end- even a crappy New York slice is better than most slices in other cities.  I’m sure everyone has their favorite slice, but when it comes to pizza- my favorite is the deal.  And there is no better deal than $1 pizza!

A few months ago I wrote about 99¢ Fresh Pizza opening a second location right by Grand Central.  That was shortly followed by the $1.25 pizza deal at Naples 45 (arguably the highest quality pizza at that low price)- but you have to wait until after 2pm.  For most people, time is more precious than money- so if you don’t work near either of those two places, it may not be worth the extra walking just to save a couple of bucks.

Well, I’m happy to say that the West side of Midtown now has their own $1 pizza deal (that is closer than the original 99¢ Fresh Pizza behind Port Authority).  And it’s an all day kind of thing.  As with anything, you get what you pay for- and Z Deli is no exception.  But if $1 pizza is what you are looking for, than here it is, right on 8th Ave. btw. 48+49th St.

Pics of the pie, and a +/- after the jump… Read more »