Midtown Lunch

Got this message from Lunch’er “Michael” the other day: “A new cart opened on 53red and Park. Its an “international soup” and “halal” cart that offer 9 soups daily plus a special. 12oz = $4.50, 16oz = 5.50 32oz = 9.50. The guy running it was very nice and generous with the samples.” Turns out the cart is from a newish soup restaurant in College Point Queens called the Herb International Soup Factory. It’s got great reviews on Chow and Chowhound, and like Michael said they’re willing to give you a sample of any of the soups. I tried a taste of the pumpkin soup yesterday, which was really tasty and more of a savory squash soup than the sweet orange goop you’d expect. Super interesting, and a great change of pace from the red signed Hot Soup carts that have come to dominate the Midtown soup scene. It’s parked on the NW corner of 53rd & Park (where the Mexican burrito cart used to be.)

Remember last April when NBCNewYork put David Chang into a street cart downtown to promote their new website? Well, they’re at it again.  We’re hearing from a very good source that on Feburary 8th Daniel Boulud “and friends” will be hijacking a food truck to promote the launch of NBC’s new restaurant site. “It’ll be a bonafide truck, stopping at various unannounced locations through out the city.” And unlike the Chang thing, they are guaranteeing a Midtown stop. (My vote is for charcuterie sandwiches!)

Unless they’re offering free food, I pretty much have no reason to ever want to step into a location of Pump Energy Food… until now.  Thrillist is reporting that a brand new Pump just opened on 52nd btw. Lex+3rd, and they’re serving “an adobo-marinated bison and yogurt-dill sauce job called the Street Meat” (only available at this new location.)  I’m normally not interested in low fat alternatives to my favorite foods, but it is a new year… and I have to admit I’m kind of curious.  UPDATE: Just got an email from Pump, who clarify that the new street meat special is called the “Spicy Dilligan” and is “a healthy take on the Rafiqi’s street meat”. PLUS “anyone who comes in today gets $5 off any order of $10 or more if they use the password “Midtown Lunch” at the cash register.”

Apparently when it rains coffee, it pours coffee. Yesterday I posted about Zibetto Espresso Bar, and discovered that Machiatto Espresso Bar is opening a new location on 52nd Street. Today we get word that the Love Truck popped up in Midtown yesterday. Lunch’er Brian spotted it on the corner of 46th & 6th, and sent along this photo. The Love Truck was created when the owners of the Mud Truck (a Downtown mainstay) split back in 2007. No word on if they’ll be back today, but you can track their whereabouts on this website.

Just before the new year Time Out New York reported that a new Japanese restaurant called Haru Hana had opened on the main strip in Koreatown (on 32nd btw. B’way+5th), serving up “sushi, yakitori and hot pots”. They also have udon, ramen, and katsu, plus a lunch menu in which most of the items are under $10. Ultraclay gets the first taste, and seemed to enjoy his eel over rice and yakitori– although he noted how unusual it is to see a Japanese restaurant in Midtown that does everything, rather than focus on doing one thing well.

Check out the lunch menu after the jump…

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Got word last week that Urban Lobster Shack has opened a new location in the downstairs food court on 3rd Ave. btw. 49+50th (the one with Sophie’s Cuban and Pampano Taqueria.) Our original Downtown Lunch man Daniel Krieger wrote about their downtown location, where at one time $15 got you a lobster roll, soup, chips, cole slaw, crackers, and a water (although from the looks of their website the combo has gone up to $18.)  $18 is way above the ML price range, but we’re talking about lobster rolls here.  (The one at the very excellent Grand Central Oyster Bar takeout window is $27!)   According to Lunch’er “Andrew”, they were doing a $10 special last week (lobster roll, caesar salad, and cole slaw) but not sure if that’s still going on.  Early adopters, feel free to give us some info in the comments.

Related:
Downtown Lunch: Urban Lobster Shack

Got an email from Lunch’er “Elizabeth” on Tuesday telling me about a brand new pizza place called Previti that opened Monday on 41st btw. Park+Lex.

“Hi there, avid follower of the blog. Have a new place for you to check out. It’s called Previti, just opened on 41st and Lex. Get the artichoke slice — delicious!”

Now, when you say “artichoke slice”, are you talking slice of pizza with artichokes on top? Or are you talking a deliciously gross, spinach and “artichoke” dip topped slice- ala Artichoke in the East Village? Turns out it’s a little from column A, and a little from column B.

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If this is wrong, than I don’t want to be right…

I’m all for the Department of Health making sure our food is safe to eat, but this is ridiculous!  Apparently at the end of last year, the Department of Health adopted a resolution that rewrote many parts of the health code as it pertains to street vendors.  It takes effect January 1st of this year, and if enforced it’s going to have a huge effect on Midtown Lunch’ing.  Namely, no more fish, shellfish, or seafood from street vendors.  Here it is direct from the newly rewritten Article 89:

§89.19 f(2) Fish. No fish, shellfish, or any food consisting of or made with an aquatic animal, as defined in Article 81, shall be prepared, stored, held for service or sold from a mobile food vending unit.

The full ramifications of this are just sinking into my brain right now, and it’s easy to joke about the “safety” of eating seafood from a truck. But think about all the great seafood options being offered right now from carts and trucks in Midtown alone… the fried cod from the Schnitzel Truck, Tianbula from the NYC Cravings Truck, and the always delicious salmon and tilapia served by Kwik Meal (shown above.) And worst of all, what the hell is Kim’s Aunt Kitchen Cart going to sell?! This must be some kind of a bad dream.

And that’s not all.

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I was pretty freakin’ bummed when Arang (on 32nd btw. B’way+5th) closed down their Korean/Japanese all you can eat lunch buffet. They reopened for lunch a few months ago (sans buffet), and Ultrayclay is reporting that their lunch specials are not only good, but most are under $10.

Our Happy Hour Correspondent “Mamacita” isn’t all alcohol all the time.  She also enjoys her street meat… so when she told me that she had a great chicken and lamb over rice plate from La Baguette Truck (a strangely named halal truck that I’ve walked by many times, but never pulled the trigger on), I told her to her write it up for everyone to enjoy!  Here’s her report…

Every once in a while you find yourself in midtown after dark and seek the comfort of a reliable street cart for dinner. I was in Bryant Park recently on the first cold night of December and my initial thought was that of the cart on 40th St. & Broadway, the 3rd place winner of Street Meat Palooza 1. Unfortunately I found it’s only a daytime cart, so after I got there I reluctantly looked towards the truck that I’ve seen for years on the opposite side of the street. It’s called “La Baguette Cafe,” and has a Parisian motif but with a typical Halal menu. I was hungry so I figured after all these years I’d finally bite the bullet and check it out. Of course I went with the ML staple: chicken and lamb over rice… but I was surprised by what I got for $5.50.

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