A new cart popped up this morning on 52nd & 6th, and Lunch’er Yasmin sent in this report: “I was getting my daily fruit smoothie this morning when I noticed a new cart had been set up directly next to the smoothie truck on NW corner of 52nd and 6th. This DEFINITELY wont appeal to you, but might appeal to your vegetarian readers, or those on diets. Here are some crappy phone pictures…”

I was in the area when Yasmin emailed the photos, so I decided to swing by this new cart and found a “scene” that at this point should surprise nobody.

Ah, the old park a hot dog cart in front of your new cart trick! We’ve seen that one before… although in this case there is that extra F you to the particular clientele that would be interested in checking out a new cart such as this one. Strangely enough the vendor with the hot dog cart was wearing a Shendy’s Halal t-shirt (their cart is two spaces to the East) and appeared to be unofficially representing all the other vendors parked on that particular stretch of 52nd and 6th.

Eventually the cops came, and forced the hot dog cart to move (although as of 2pm it didn’t look like anybody was actually selling hot dogs from it. Purely a protest cart, I suppose.)

But what about the food, man!?! Vegetarians deserve a cart of their own, don’t they?

Veggie burgers, vegetarian chili, veggies, yams, beans, soup, brown rice and the like… choose any four options for $6. Not bad at all. They’re also open for breakfast, serving up oatmeal and fresh juices.

Apparently these guys are from Chicago, where they own a vegetarian restaurant. They’re committed to staying on 52nd and 6th, so look out for them tomorrow. I didn’t partake (naturally) but if any vegetarian early adopters want to check it out and report back, feel free. You know, provided there aren’t random planters installed in the spot tomorrow.

Healthy Vegetarian Food, NW corner of 52nd & 6th Ave.

Photo by 52 Projects

It’s been awhile since I’ve eaten at Yips, and I have to say I’m a little concerned about the fast food Chinese mainstay on 52nd btw. 5+6th. The last time I walked by I noticed they had condensed their operation from 2 steam tables and 3 lines, to 1 steam table and 1 line. It can’t help that better options, like Hing Won on 48th btw. 5+6th) are so close by. But Jeff from 52 Projects stopped by last week and vouches for his favorite fast food Chinese place. “Their excellent BBQ Chicken on top of Lo Mein [is] cheap, fast, plentiful-times-two, and absolutely delicious.” Well, there you have it. No need to worry…

Well, last week, I hit the motherload.  Not only did I find a deli with something beyond the norm- they may have invented a new and unbelievably delicious food!  The burrito, stuffed with fried plantains.  That’s right.  And the place to get it is the Bread Market Cafe (on 52nd btw. 5+6th).  A generic make your own burrito bar, distinguished by one add-on ingredient.  The sweet, fried plantain.  It makes sense if you think about it… at Margon, you eat a meat, rice, beans, and fried plantains.  Why not wrap the whole thing up in burrito form???  It’s genius.

See the pics, and the +/- after the jump….

The burrito bar at Bread Market Cafe is pretty standard- with some good and some bad.  The first great thing is the steamed tortilla.  One of the biggest problems with New York City burrito places is they don’t steam the tortilla.  Surprisingly, this crappy Midtown deli does.  They also roll their burritos very well; a tight, compact nugget.  Very impressive.  Unfortunately, when it came to the meats they lose alot of points.  One of the biggest mistakes a “bad burrito place” makes is over-spice’ing each individual element.  What makes a burrito great is the combination of each of the very simple single elements.  The rich fattiness of the roast pork (or any meat), with the base of the rice and beans, the tangy-ness of the salsa and the fresh coolness of the guacamole or sour cream, mixes together to form a perfect burrito union.  If you add a ton of salt and fancy spices to the meat, salt and spices to the rice, and tons of  salt and spices to the beans- you get a gigantic over spiced mess.  Let each simple element do it’s job, and you get the perfect burrito.  Why would you need to add cilantro and lime to the rice?  It’s already in the pico de gallo (Chipotle I’m look at you).  It’s very simple people…   

I’m a huge fan of pork, but unfortunately their pork is “Tangy pulled pork” or as most people would refer it to it- pork covered in BBQ sauce.  Not good for a burrito.  I ended up with the beef, which was over spiced.  They had yellow “Mexican” rice, which is a plus for many people (or brown rice if you want to be “healthy” I guess), pico, cheese, two kinds of chicken (one shredded with the same spices as the beef, and one that look like it was boiled plain) guac and sour cream.  Anything in your burrito costs around $6.25 to $6.75, depending on the meat.  A vegetarian burrito will run you $5.50 to $6.25.  The addition of the plantains is supposed to cost $.75, but they didn’t charge me, so maybe it’s free.  Not exactly sure.

I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again, there are no great burritos in New York City.  Say what you will about Chipotle, Burritoville, Burrito Box or any other number of places- they all pale in comparison to any Burrito you will get in San Francisco, Los Angeles (or even a few places in Boston- like the often mentioned Anna’s Taqueria).  Bread Market Cafe doesn’t change my mind about this.  Despite being called “Mission Style Burritos”, they are mediocre burritos salvaged by the addition of one ingredient:  the fried plantain.  That’s not to say it wasn’t decent.  The sweetness of the plantain mixes so well with the rice and beans and meat, this new invention can’t be ignored.  If I went back, I would go with the plain chicken and it would probably be better.

All I know is, Latin places should start paying attention.  THE CUBAN BURRITO could be huge!  Invented by Bread Market Cafe, perfected by ______________.  Oh man would that be good…  imagine the same burrito stuffed with the roast pork, beans and rice, grilled onions and of course- the fried plantains from Margon (or Cafe Cello, or Sophie’s Cuban).  Disgustingly delicious!!!!  I think we’ve got something here… 

THE +

• Um.  Plantains… stuffed… INSIDE the burrito!!!
• They steam the tortilla
• They roll the burrito really well (no fork and knife needed) and it stays together until the last bite
• The plantain add on is supposed to cost .75, but they didn’t charge me

THE -

• Everything is over spiced, making it one of those typical, mediocre burritos
• The pork has BBQ sauce on it.  Terrible.

Bread Market Cafe, 1290 Ave of the Americas- 52nd. St. (btw. 5+6th), 212-957-5677

Name: Nick

Age: The same age as my twin sister

Occupation: Radio Imaging Producer

Where in Midtown do you Work?: Sirius Satellite Radio on 49th & 6th

Favorite Kind of Food: I was born and raised in New Orleans, so- boiled crawfish, red beans & rice, PoBoys (fried oyster, roast beef, fried shrimp, etc…). You know… New Orleans food!
Least Favorite Kind of Food: Not a fan of Indian food. Some of the dishes smell like stinky armpits so I’m immediately reminded of uncomfortable situations while riding the subway into work.

Favorite Place to Eat Lunch in Midtown: I usually end up at Lenny’s a couple of times a week. Fresh ingredients, made to order pretty fast, and a wide selection. Plus I have a crush on one of the cashiers.

The “go-to” lunch place you and your co-workers eat at too often: See above. I often run into my boss and others at Lenny’s without notice. We all have to run back to work to produce the “Best Radio on Radio” so it seems to be the place to get to easily and get a fresh sandwich that I can eat at my desk or in the studio.

Place you discovered on MidtownLunch.com: The Daisy May’s BBQ Cart (yummy!), the Burger Joint @ Le Parker Meridien (delicious!), and I’m sure as soon as it opens- The Hawaiian Tropic Zone on 49th & 7th. I’m sure it will be a ridiculously over-priced tourist trap, but hey- you’re paying for the scenery.

If you could work anywhere (just because of the lunch) where would it be and why? Um… I think it’s pretty obvious. The radio station I used to work at in New Orleans was blocks away from anything I could ever want- including real Red Beans & Rice. Notice the placement of the red beans, before the rice… the beans are the star people! Don’t understand why restaurants outside of N.O. can’t get that right.

Anything else you’d like to add? Make levees not war! And I’d love to know where to get authentic New Orleans lunch in Midtown, or New Orleans food anytime, anywhere in NYC- that isn’t an overpriced novelty restaurant.

Our half-hearted recommendation to Nick, a New Orleans Food P.S.A., and how to become the next Profiled Midtown Lunch’er- after the jump…

Hey Nick… tomorrow we’ll be reviewing Jacques-Imo’s To Geaux in the Grand Central Terminal Market- but don’t get your hopes up. Not only does it not come close to the original Jacques Imo’s (or even Crabby Jack’s), they don’t even know how to make a shrimp po-boy (and the red beans to rice ratio will probably not be sufficient either). Sorry!

Being very familiar with New Orleans food (my wife went to school there), my best recommendation to New Yorkers for great cajun food, is to go to New Orleans! I don’t want to get too preachy- but don’t let the show on last night’s Monday Night Football fool you. There is so much more to be done in the city, and nothing would help more than traveling to New Orleans and spending some money! So many of the great restaurants are back open, or in the process of re-opening, and even some new ones have sprouted up (we’re most excited about Cochon in the CBD). Went there in May and had great meals at Upperline, Bayona, Cafe du Monde (yes, I consider beignets a meal), Harbor Seafood, Crabby Jack’s & Emeril’s. Please support this great city by going back, and stuffing your face. For more info on New Orleans restaurants, go to http://www.nomenu.com/

If you eat lunch in Midtown, and would like to be profiled next week- just email us at zach@midtownlunch.com

I am addicted to cheap chinese food… and Yips is the kind of place I have trouble walking by.  The food is right there, in all it’s steam plate glory… calling to you… “Please point to me”.  With all the choices right there, waiting to be picked in any number of combinations, it’s hard for me not to eat at these kinds of cheap chinese food places… so right off the bat, I can say- if you are not into this kind of eating, Yips is not going to be the place to change your mind.

Most places like this suffer from the same problems.  Is the food authentic?  Usually not.  Is it as fresh as it could be?  Usually not?  Is it restaurant quality?  Usually not… and Yips is no different.  But it’s got a lot of choices, and many of them you don’t normally see at places like this.  Garlic (Salt & Pepper) Shrimp, Honey Roast Pork, Curry Fish Balls, Spicy Thai Chicken, Some sort of fried cutlet, and numerous soups joined the usual suspects.  And they had a Tue&Thurs. specials board, so it appears as if they change some of their items around every few days.

When you walk in, there are three or four different places you can get in line to pick your food.  On first glimpse, they look mostly the same, but some of them have different things.  Usually I like to ignore the menu, and just order with my eyes… but here that’s a little tough because there are a few different places to order.  My suggestion would be to look up at the bulletin boards hanging behind each station, and choose which line to get in based on that.  There are a ton of choices, and the board (while it doesn’t seem complete) will help you to at least narrow it down.

What I ordered, and the +/- after the jump…

You get two items and a choice of white rice, fried rice or lo mein for around $6 (depending on what items you choose it could be cheaper or more expensive).  I went with the General Tso’s & Garlic Shrimp over Lo Mein.  I know some might look down on the General Tso’s choice, but it’s part of my addiction… and is usually the first thing I try at places like this.  This version was not one of the better ones I have had.  The quality of the chicken was not the best, and the coating was a little soggy.  But the taste was good, and it had a nice bit of heat to it from the red chili peppers.  The salt and pepper garlic shrimp made up for it a little, and provided a nice contrast to the sweet and sticky chicken.  The lo mein was ok, but a little on the mushy side.

Now, don’t mistaken this for a bad review… I ate every single bite of my lunch.  I just want to be honest for people who don’t have the same addiction I do.  If you are looking for great chinese food, this is not your place.  But, if you love cheap chinese food places, then the selection at Yips makes it worth going to at least a few times.  I would definetely get the Garlic shrimp again, and I’m interested in trying some of the other things they had.  Suggestions are welcome.  If you work closer to 48th St., I definetely think the steam plate food at Hing Won is better, but if you are on the north part of midtown, or are looking to try a different cheap chinese food place, you could do a lot worse then Yips.

THE + (what people who like this place would say)

• Good selection
• Cheap and quick
• It’s cheap Chinese food!  I love cheap Chinese food!  I think I’m addicted to cheap Chinese food

THE – (what people who don’t like this place would say)

• The quality of the food (meat in particular) is not that great
• Not as fresh as it could be
• Not authentic chinese
• There are better places for this kind of food in Midtown

Yips, 52 W. 52nd St. btw. 5th & 6th, (212) 397-8280

I am addicted to cheap chinese food… and Yips is the kind of place I have trouble walking by.  The food is right there, in all it’s steam plate glory… calling to you… “Please point to me”.  With all the choices right there, waiting to be picked in any number of combinations, it’s hard for me not to eat at these kinds of cheap chinese food places… so right off the bat, I can say- if you are not into this kind of eating, Yips is not going to be the place to change your mind.

Most places like this suffer from the same problems.  Is the food authentic?  Usually not.  Is it as fresh as it could be?  Usually not?  Is it restaurant quality?  Usually not… and Yips is no different.  But it’s got a lot of choices, and many of them you don’t normally see at places like this.  Garlic (Salt & Pepper) Shrimp, Honey Roast Pork, Curry Fish Balls, Spicy Thai Chicken, Some sort of fried cutlet, and numerous soups joined the usual suspects.  And they had a Tue&Thurs. specials board, so it appears as if they change some of their items around every few days.

When you walk in, there are three or four different places you can get in line to pick your food.  On first glimpse, they look mostly the same, but some of them have different things.  Usually I like to ignore the menu, and just order with my eyes… but here that’s a little tough because there are a few different places to order.  My suggestion would be to look up at the bulletin boards hanging behind each station, and choose which line to get in based on that.  There are a ton of choices, and the board (while it doesn’t seem complete) will help you to at least narrow it down.

What I ordered, and the +/- after the jump…

You get two items and a choice of white rice, fried rice or lo mein for around $6 (depending on what items you choose it could be cheaper or more expensive).  I went with the General Tso’s & Garlic Shrimp over Lo Mein.  I know some might look down on the General Tso’s choice, but it’s part of my addiction… and is usually the first thing I try at places like this.  This version was not one of the better ones I have had.  The quality of the chicken was not the best, and the coating was a little soggy.  But the taste was good, and it had a nice bit of heat to it from the red chili peppers.  The salt and pepper garlic shrimp made up for it a little, and provided a nice contrast to the sweet and sticky chicken.  The lo mein was ok, but a little on the mushy side.

Now, don’t mistaken this for a bad review… I ate every single bite of my lunch.  I just want to be honest for people who don’t have the same addiction I do.  If you are looking for great chinese food, this is not your place.  But, if you love cheap chinese food places, then the selection at Yips makes it worth going to at least a few times.  I would definetely get the Garlic shrimp again, and I’m interested in trying some of the other things they had.  Suggestions are welcome.  If you work closer to 48th St., I definetely think the steam plate food at Hing Won is better, but if you are on the north part of midtown, or are looking to try a different cheap chinese food place, you could do a lot worse then Yips.

THE + (what people who like this place would say)

• Good selection
• Cheap and quick
• It’s cheap Chinese food!  I love cheap Chinese food!  I think I’m addicted to cheap Chinese food

THE – (what people who don’t like this place would say)

• The quality of the food (meat in particular) is not that great
• Not as fresh as it could be
• Not authentic chinese
• There are better places for this kind of food in Midtown

Yips, 52 W. 52nd St. btw. 5th & 6th, (212) 397-8280