Midtown Lunch

Got a frantic email yesterday from a lunch’er lookin to confirm the news that Lost City reported about the Hallo Berlin Cart:

I heard the head vendor talk about how all the world wanted him and his food and he wouldn’t be at the corner forever. I didn’t completely get the gist of his meaning, but the general idea is that the cart was wanted elsewhere across the globe and he was going on a world tour. He would sell sausage in Beijing for the coming Olympics. From there he would go to Rio de Janiero for a spell. The upshot was we would be without the cart for a number of months, but he would eventually return.

It turns out the cart will indeed be gone for at least the first two weeks in July (and probably the second two weeks) as the two Babiel brothers make their annual trip home to Germany.  It’s hard to tell when they’re joking and when they’re being serious, but they also told me they’d be attending a sausage and beer convention.  Either way, the cart will be gone starting on June 30th, and will return the first week in August at the latest. 

As for the Olympics, which begin on August 8th, Rolf confirmed that they have been invited to Beijing to sling sausages- but there will be a replacement cart on 54th & 5th, so there won’t be any further interruption in service.  In the meantime you’ve got a little less than two weeks to load up at the cart, and then we’ll all have to make the trip over to the 9th Ave. Hallo Berlin Express (btw. 50+51st).

While I was away in Chile, I turned the site over to you for the first ever Midtown Lunch Readers’ Poll.  All of the nominees had to have lunch for under $10 (except the buffet category, where a $1 exception was made), and they all had to be within the Midtown boundaries (32nd St. to the South, Central Park to the North, 3rd Ave on the East, and 8th Ave. to the West).  Thanks to everyone who participated.  Thousands of votes were cast, and here are the results:

Best Fast Food Indian: Kati Roll

Despite changing locations this year (Kati Roll is now on 39th btw. 5+6th), Indian burritos just barely beat out old steam table standby (and former neighbor) Minar, on 46th btw. 6+7th.  35% to 32%  Editor’s Pick: Man do I miss being 2 blocks away from Kati Roll.  It’s the unanimous winner.

Best Cheap Chinese Food: Hing Won

“Cheap” is code for fast food, take out Chinese, and while Szechuan Gourmet (on 39th btw. 5+6th) may possibly be the best Chinese food in Midtown- Hing Won/Hop Won wins the battle of the steam tables, easily beating out the competition.  Editor’s Pick:  No secret here.  Hing Won was my first Midtown Lunch post, and still remains my favorite Chinese food take out in Midtown.

Best burger, best street carts and a best pizza shocker, after the jump… Read more »

What would October(fest) be without a trip to the Hallo Berlin Cart…

If you haven’t been yet, you’ve got to do it.  Best sausage in the city, and watching him operate the cart is quite a sight to behold.  My “Dictator’s Special” after the jump… Read more »

Every dreamed of ditching your crappy Midtown desk job, and slinging sausages on a New York City street corner?  (I have very strange dreams…)  Well now is your big chance… there is a prime Midtown Cart opening at the award winning Hallo Berlin Sausage Cart.

Getting hired to work at the Hallo Berlin Cart would be like getting a golden ticket into Willy Wonka’s Chocolate Factory.  All those hidden compartments filled with various German treasures.  How does it all work?  I need to know!!! 

I’m not sure what kind of qualifications you need, the pay, or what kind of benefit package is included with the job- but if we’re talking free Weisswurst, I might need to consider a career change.  Interested?  Call Rolf at 212-947-9008.

After the jump… midtown links about things you definitely want to know about.  PLUS a sneak peak into where I’ll be stuffing my face next week.

Read more »

For German sausage freaks, July 2006 was a terrible month.  Not only did you have to watch your Football (aka Soccer) team lose in the Semi-Finals of the World Cup in their home country- but you had to suffer the indignity of not being able to drown your sorrows in a delicious bratwurst during lunch time.

Well, there’s good news.  As of yesterday, the Hallo Berlin Cart is back and operating at it’s usual spot on 54th st. & 5th Ave.  Back from their annual July trip to Germany, the Babiel Brothers’ cart is back open (as usual) from 11:30 am to 3:30 pm and serving up the best German sausage Midtown has to offer.  Choose from 10 different kinds of sausages, in all sorts of different combos. 

Our favorites (for no other reason then our love for the pictures of Kennedy & Mao Zedong): The Dictator or Democracy Special.  Dictator special… you get no choice.  One Berliner frank, one bratwurst.  Topped with German fries, cabbage, onions and crusty bread for 6 bucks.  The Democracy Special…  your choice (obviously) of any two wurst, covered in German fries, cabbage, onions and 2 pieces of Bavarian meatballs.  Served with crusty bread for $8.

I’ll save my review of the cart, and the +/- for another time…  see you on line this afternoon!  After all, what could be better then eating sausage, outside in 97 degree heat!

An annoymous poster said that they saw a sign saying the Hallo Berlin Cart would gone all of July… back on August 1st.  I’ll be there with bells on.  Who’s with me?

Apparently Rolf is in Germany, and has been there for a few weeks… so, now that the World Cup is over, we can hope to expect the Hallo Berlin Cart back soon.  I thought about calling the restaurant again to find out exactly when… but the first call didn’t go so well.  The lady I talked to yesterday thought the cart was there.  I guess her and Rolf aren’t that close…

Thanks to Bryan from MOMA for the tip.  He had a conversation with Rolf about a month ago… not sure the exact date of return- but we’ll try to keep you up to date!

• Hallo Berlin Cart… M.I.A.!!!