Midtown Lunch

It’s freakin’ hot as shit outside (can I say that?)  That means Japanese Ramen places are rolling out the cold noodles.  I’m pretty sure Menchanko Tei (55th btw. 5+6th & 45th btw. Lex+3rd) always has Hiyashi Chuka on their menu, but Men Kui Tei (56th btw. 5+6th) and Sapporo (49th btw. 6+7th) only serve it in the summer time.  And I think it’s pretty safe to say… it’s summertime.  (I called to confirm… all three restaurants are serving it.

But the most exciting news is after the jump… Read more »

I am not a huge soup person, but when the weather gets like this it’s tough to resist… so rather then attempt to fake expertise, I asked Midtown Lunch’er Grace, our resident soup expert, to compile a list of her favorite soups in Midtown.  Here’s what she came up with:  

Turkish

• The Creamy Chicken Soup ($4.95) at Akdeniz (46th between 5th and 6th) — Akdeniz is hands down my favorite Turkish place in midtown. I normally go for the Sultan’s Delight (stewed dark meat chicken over smoky eggplant puree) as an entree, but when I just have to have soup, the creamy chicken soup can’t be beat. The silky, milky broth has a butteriness to it that complements the sweetness of long simmered vegetables and goes perfectly with the rich dark meat chicken chunks.

Healthy/Vegan

• The White Bean Escarole Soup (about $3.50 and for a small) at Green Symphony (43rd btw 7+8th) — This place bills itself as a “healthy” food place and many of their soups are vegan for those that flow that way. Most of the soups here are pretty tasty, but I particularly like the white bean escarole on a cold winter day. I probably like it because despite being vegan, it tastes like it has meat in it. The owner tells me that the secret ingredient that gives it that carnivorous richness is miso—never would have guessed that a little soy could make a soup taste like that.

Carts

• The Jamaican Jerk Chicken at the “hot soup” carts (Multiple Locations) — I use to work by one of these carts on 34th and Park, and my take on it was that the soups were a bit too artificially starchy for me so I sort of avoided them. However, I remember the Jamaican jerk chicken being somewhat tasty despite the gunky cornstarch thickener.
• Potato Cabbage Soup at Hallo Berlin (54th and 5th ) —Though German sausages are the star at this cart, my co worker once brought me back a creamy potato cabbage soup from this cart that tasted like a German grandmother slaved away in the kitchen all day to make it. He said it came as part of the “Dictator’s Special,” so he wasn’t allowed to choose from the other soups on the menu. I haven’t tried any of the other soups, but if the potato cabbage is any indicator of the rest of the soup, it’s definitely worth the trek to try the rest.
• Soups at the Jamaican Dutchy (51st between 6th and 7th) — Now I haven’t had a chance to try the soups here yet, but they just sound plain intriguing. A” Goat’s Head” soup? Bring on the weird animal parts!

Chains

• The Harvest Pumpkin Soup (about $4 for a large) at Au Bon Pain (Multiple Locations) — Of all the commercial, mass market soups out there, ABP’s are probably some of the best in terms of consistency and seasoning. This creamy pumpkin creation that starts to be available around October has the perfect amount of spice (the ingredient list includes curry) and sweetness with a silky consistency.
• The Macaroni and Cheese with Beef Soup and Mulligatawny Soup ($4.39 Small/ $ 6.19 Medium/ $ 7.19 Large) at Hale & Hearty (Multiple Locations)— I’m not generally a huge fan of Hale & Hearty because many of the soups taste gummy and I think they are overpriced, but I do really like these two soups—to the point where I have Hale & Hearty send me email alerts when they are available. I’m not sure it’s fair to call the Macaroni and Cheese with Beef a Soup because it is so thick that it is almost the consistency of a casserole, but whatever it is, I can never resist the meaty, cheesy goodness of this comfort food classic turned soup. I love the bold curry flavor of the Mulligatawny soup reminds me of a number of Indian dishes, but has a sweetness that is almost like a Japanese curry you might get at place like Go-Go Curry. 

The longest list of Asian soups you’ve ever seen… after the jump Read more »

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.

Tonight is Rosh Hashanah (the Jewish New Year), and if you don’t have your Mom in town to cook for you (mine is flying in this morning), then you may want to consider Cafe Edison for lunch.  I don’t eat at too many sit down restaraunts, but they don’t have good matzoh ball soup at too many places that specialize in quick lunches.  Luckily Cafe Edison, despite being a sit down diner, is cheap enough (the prices probably haven’t changed in 20 years) to be included as a bonafide Midtown Lunch.

Situated in the Edison Hotel on 47th btw. B’way & 8th, Cafe Edison is a relic of the Old Times Square.  Stepping inside is like stepping into a time warp, and it doesn’t matter how old you are, chances are- if you are reading this blog, you will be the youngest person there.  Their ever changing list of daily soups are easily the stand outs of the menu, but they also have great blintzes, matzoh brie (I’ll be back for Passover!), a real nice corned beef sandwich, and kasha varnishkes (if you don’t know, you probably don’t want to know).

The best Matzoh Ball soup in Midtown, more old school deli porn and a +/- after the jump… Read more »

Vegan and raw food enthusiasts of Midtown, your prayers have been answered.  Chef Matthew Kenney, formerly of Pure Food & Wine, is about to open his organic fast food outlet “Free Foods NYC” on 45th btw. 5+6th.  Unfortunately, the “free” doesn’t refer to price (I’m guessing it’s actually going to be pretty expensive), but the fact that all the food is organic and sustainable, with raw, vegetarian and vegan options to boot.  Think gussed up Generic Midtown Deli.

Don’t worry meat lovers, there will be plenty of options for you.  According to the NY Sun the “specialty sandwiches, soups, and salads [will also feature] grass-fed organic beef, wild Alaskan fish, and organic free range chicken”. To get a general idea of what they may be serving, check out the Free Foods NYC catering site, which has been servicing offices and events since July from their headquarters on the Upper East Side. 

They are shooting for a September 10th opening date, but from the looks of the place this morning (photo above)- I’d be surprised if that happens.  I’ll keep you updated…

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 »

Earlier in the week Manhattan Users Guide posted their 5 best bowls of Ramen in the city… and it included two of my favorites (Menchanko Tei & Sapporo).  It was probably my inspiration for lunch on Monday & Tuesday (that and the disgustingly cold weather).  But apparently we’ve all been missing out on the real deal Midtown ramen steal…

The Ramen Special @ Chikubu (44th & Madison).  It’s $11.50 and only served on Friday & Saturday for lunch (with Japanese pickles and rice).  It’s a little bit more money then I’m used to spending at lunch, but for handpulled ramen in a pork stock that is supposedly simmered all week long, I’ll make an exception.  (Considering how authentic and expensive Chikubu is normally, one could argue it’s actually a deal!) Don’t be turned off by the line, I’ve been told it moves really quick…

More Ramen photos, courtesy of Midtown Lunch readers, after the jump… Read more »

Is there anything better than a big bowl of Ramen on a cold day, when
you’re coming down with a cold?  The “Special Ramen” from Sapporo (49th btw
6&7th)…

Some places you just know are going to be good.  It may be rare, but it happens.  I trekked over to Milant, a tiny deli on 39th St. btw. 3rd & Lex. after getting a tip from a Midtown Lunch’er named Corey.  I’m not usually a big sandwich guy, and I almost never write about “delis”, but when I walked into this tiny take-out only place, something said to me “This is going to be good.”  Don’t let the name fool you though.  Milant is tiny, and sort of dumpy, but I think that’s part of its charm.  Take the same place and dress it up in fancy Midtown duds, and it probably wouldn’t be as good.

I don’t know if it was the crowd (there were about 5 or 6 people cramped in there waiting for their sandwiches), the price ($5 to $6.50 for some pretty sweet sounding sandwiches), the free soup (you get a free cup of soup) or the fridges full of nice cheeses and assorted pates- but I was not leaving this place empty handed.  Corey had told me to get the #13.  No explanation, or description… just an “Order the #13.  It rocks.”  When I saw it on the menu, I knew I had found a winner. 

The #13, more food porn and a +/-, after the jump…

Read more »