Midtown Lunch

Free Foods NYC, the brainchild of Chef Matt Kenney from Pure Food & Wine, is opening today on 45th btw. 5+6th.  They are putting the finishing touches on the place this morning, and plan on being open by Noon for lunch.  I caught a partial glimpse of the menu on the wall, and with Salads & Entrees all over $10, it looks like Midtown Lunch might be priced out of this one.  The sandwich menu was on the far wall, so I couldn’t see the prices… Either way, the place looks pretty nice and I’m sure will be a welcome addition to all the well paid Midtown’ers who are looking for a more upscale deli experience.

Any rich Midtown vegetarians or organic food enthusiasts want to be our guinea pigs?  Check it out and report back…

Starting on Monday, September 24th The Jamaican Dutchy (on 51st btw. 6+7th) will be serving hot soups daily.  Top of my list to try… the Chicken Feet soup and the Goat’s Head Soup.  (I wonder if I can get Andrew Zimmern or Anthony Bourdain to come with me.) I’ve never been more ready for Summer to be over.  Bring on the cold weather!

Thanks to cocktailian for posting the photo to the Midtown Lunch Flickr Photo Group.  His amazing looking Cow’s foot stew (yesterday’s lunch special), after the jump… Read more »

Ramadan, the holiest month of the Muslim calendar, begins today and the Chicken Briyani Cart on 46th & 6th is offering special “Iftar Boxes” for those who are observing (pronounced “if-tar” or “fitoor”).  Muslims all around the world will fast from sunrise to sunset for the next 30 days, abstaining from food and drinks of any kind.  At sunset, a special meal known as “Iftar” (which literally means breakfast or break fast) is enjoyed, usually as a communal event.

The box from the Briyani Cart will include a scoop of Chicken Biriyani, 1 Kati Roll, a samosa and what the guys in the cart described to me as a potato kebab.  It costs $5 and will be available from 4:30pm to 6:30pm every night for the next 30 days (starting on Friday).

The Midtown Yolato location on Park Ave. just south of 42nd St. was supposed to have its Grand Opening yesterday (with free Yolato all day long), but as you can tell from the photo, they weren’t quite ready.  I got an email saying 10 more days, but I can’t imagine how they’ll pull that off.  I will keep you updated…

In the meantime, you’ll have to settle for Brooklyn Ice Cream Factory, which is available (when it’s not raining) from a table next to Pershing Square on 42nd & Park until the end of the month (and in the restaurant on the dessert menu all year long).

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 »

Words can’t even begin to describe the monstrosity that showed up on the NE corner of 47th St. & Park this week.  Ladies and gentleman, I’m proud to introduce, “The Steak Truck”

Oh my lord.  This could be a keeper.  The Lunch Menu, after the jump… Read more »

This may be a surprise to some, but occasionally comments posted to Midtown Lunch are actually about the food- and some are worthy of more then just a reply in the comment section.  I noticed this one posted by “Messy” about the Aussie Pies at the Tuck Shop in the Cyber Cafe (49th btw. B’way+8th) which hasn’t been mentioned very much lately…

Popped in there the other day and as an Aussie I have to say it was disappointing. They only wholesale to this store now and so the selection is as big. Frankly the pies weren’t up to scratch, though i have to say i have pretty high pie standards ;) The sausage roll was all right though.

Well, this is not surprising considering that (as you mentioned) the Tuck Shop is no longer affiliated with the Cyber Cafe. 

They decided to stop running the Cyber Cafe location in order to focus on their new wholesale business which they hope will put Tuck Shop pies in pubs all over the city… and considering there are one or two of those in Midtown, I’m guessing this is not the last we’ve seen of the Tuck Shop. 

Truthfully, I always felt the Cyber Cafe didn’t give the pies the TLC they deserved.  Luckily they don’t have anything to do with Madeleine the Crepe Lady, who is still set up at the old C.C. Wed-Sun serving up freshly made, real deal French crepes from Brittany!

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…

I’ll be honest, I have no idea what Mongolian Food is.  I don’t even know anything about Mongolia itself.  But I feel pretty safe in saying that if you ever find yourself at a restaurant in Mongolia, there will be no sign of a gigantic round griddle, and they will not allow you to pick out your own ingredients from a buffet.  If you were a soldier in the Mongol Empire, you may have eaten copious amounts of meat and vegetables off of your overturned shield, cooked over a fire and stirred with your sword, but that’s pretty much where the comparison ends.  (Although I’m not sure if I should be getting my Mongol Empire historical information from a U.S. chain restaurant website?)

Anyway, regardless of its origin, Mongolian BBQ is here, and people love it.  I’m constantly asked “Where can I find some good Mongolian BBQ in Midtown?”  Which is a tough one for me to answer, because I don’t usually eat Mongolian BBQ.  And there are four words to explain why: Pay by the Pound.  Take me to an all you can eat Mongolian BBQ (like Fire & Ice in Boston), and I’m a madman.  You force me to weigh my food and there’s going to be trouble… but for the sake of you people, I headed to Food World- the freshest looking Mongolian BBQ I’ve seen in Midtown.

What I got, Mongolian BBQ Porn, and a +/- after the jump… Read more »

Ever wondered what the white sauce is made from at your favorite chicken and rice cart?  Or where the cart even comes from?  Where do they prepare the food?  And, of course- is it clean?  Have you ever wondered what it was like to run a street cart?  Here is a glimpse into the life of one person that knows the answers to all those questions…

Much has been written about Muhammed Rahman.  Born in Bangladesh, this chef has become famous for being that street cart guy who used to work at the Russian Tea Room.  Now he owns and operates Kwik Meal, a Lamb & Rice cart on 45th & 6th which opened in 2000.  Since then Rahman has opened two more carts (one on 45th & 5th, and one on 47th & Park) both run by his brothers.  Food costs are high, and profits are low- yet he would never go back to cooking at a restaurant, because he loves the interaction with the customers you only get running a food cart.  This is a day in his life…

Photos & Timeline by Ryan Devlin

6:00am: Muhammed Rahman wakes up in Jackson Heights, Queens. Heads to garage (also in Jackson Heights) to pick up his cart.

6:28am: Arrives at the garage in Jackson Heights, and gets the cart stocked with goods. As is required by law, all the food, drinks and sauces must be prepared and stored in the garage, or other DOH approved facility.  Nothing can be prepared at home. Rahman buys most of his supplies directly from wholesalers and has them delivered directly to the garage.  The cart is stocked up with supplies for the day, including the meat which had been prepared the night before, and left to marinate overnight.

6:55am: The cart is hooked up to the truck, and they leave the garage with cart in tow.

7:25am: The truck arrives at corner of 45th and 6th, at which point the truck tows it into place before the workers straighten it out by hand.  The whole process takes about five minutes.  On this morning, the sidewalk had already been hosed down by the building’s maintenence man… but if they show up to a dirty sidewalk, Rahman will rinse it off himself while the truck waits with the cart. 

7:30am: The cart is secured in its spot.  A worker takes the truck to be parked in a Midtown garage, which costs hundreds of dollars a month.  Everyone else goes to work setting the cart up. The glass windows are put into place, and the inside of the cart is prepared.  First the pans and containers are arranged in their proper place.  Then the sauces.  After that, the propane tank is set up and the surfaces are given another wipe-down just before cooking starts. One guy sets up the beverages, putting ice in the cooler and water, sodas, etc.  After that, the workers pull on their white chef smocks and white hats.

8:07am: Once the cart is prepped and everything is in place, they fire up the grill, oil it down, and the cooking begins. Chicken goes on the grill first, while another worker starts throwing falafel balls into the deep fryer.  The cooking takes about three hours as they work through the chicken, lamb and beef.  During this time they will also cut and prep the vegetables.

11:00am: Cart officially opens for business.

Read more »