Grand Central Terminal Food Court
I think I’ve said this before, but I’m going to say it again. I love food courts. What’s there not to like? It’s like 20 cheap restaurants, all under the same roof. Sure I always get the Chinese food, or the Chinese food knock off (bourbon chicken I’m looking at you)… but having the options (whether you use them or not) is great- because if you go with other people, everyone can get what they want. So when I want Chinese food (which I always do), my wife and I can go to a food court even if she doesn’t want Chinese food, because there’s other things for her to get! It’s a fool proof scheme…
There aren’t many food courts in Manhattan (you’ve gotta go to a mall in the suburbs for that), but there are a few. And one, that seems like it should be amazing, is the Grand Central Terminal Food Court. One walk through this place, and you’ll think you’ve died and gone to food court heaven. No wasted space on generic fast food joints like McDonalds or BK, and they have all the requisite food options (Chinese, Sushi, Indian, Cajun, Caribbean, BBQ, Pizza, and more.)
And yet, for a food court- with a ton of options- right in the middle of Midtown, it’s not nearly as crowded as you would think. None of the places have lines, and we didn’t have too much trouble finding a place to sit. To top it off, I get emails all the time recommending places to eat in Midtown. Very few “good” (a relative term of course) or popular places have gone unrecommended. And yet, nobody has ever recommended the food court, or singled out any of the choices in an email.
A superficial look at the options, more pictures, and a call to arms… after the jump.
Posted by Zach at 8:39 am, September 25th, 2006 under *Grand Central Terminal, BBQ, Blogroll, Deli, Indian, Pizza, Salads, Sandwiches, Soups, Sushi.
My boss is constantly asking me where he can get a good burger in Midtown. He knows I write this blog, and he thinks I have some sort of insight- but the truth is, he has been working in this area a lot longer then I have- so I’m pretty useless.
I had lunch for the first time at Maharaja the other day, an Indian dive on 45th st. btw. Lexington & 3rd. Maharaja, you say? I’ve walked down that street many times and never seen a place called Maharaja… Well, that’s because the awning doesn’t say Maharaja. That’s not memorable… and it’s a little too “nice” a name- especially for a dive like this. I don’t care what the take out menu says, I’ve always called it by the name on the awning- “Hurry and Tasty Curry”. 
How could you not? It’s a perfect name for this place. Say what you want about grammar, reading the name, you understand what kind of restaurant it is. During lunch, the food is all in steam plates, so it’s “hurry”, and a lot of the food is pretty tasty (I’m not going to vouch for all of it). Maybe it was meant to be “Hurry and Taste THE Curry” but the guy who made the sign heard them wrong. To add to the confusion, Menupages has two listings for the place, at the same address (133 E. 45th St.), Maharaja (
With that in mind, you can imagine my excitement when I read about the new FIKA Swedish Espresso Bar on 
So, Fashion Week is almost over, and despite it being only one block away from Bryant Park, I didn’t get my picture of a model eating at the Chicken & Rice Cart on 43rd and 6th ave. But it didn’t stop me from enjoying a medium order of delicious chicken, served over rice, at this Midtown street meat institution.
Continuing our Fashion Week theme, I decided to give the full +/- treatment to a place I discovered on Friday, and mentioned briefly in 
If you are a regular reader of this blog then you know I’m not a huge fan of the “Midtown Deli”. You know the place I’m talking about- salad bar, pre-made sandwiches, there’s one on every block. So when my friend Joanne emailed a link to a New Yorker article about one of these very places, I was pretty surprised. The New Yorker was writing about a Midtown Lunch deli??? I expected more from you, oh high-brow’d New Yorker…
I’m not sure how it happened but Jews love Chinese food. I’m sure there are exceptions, but it seems to be a stereotype that holds true. I’m Jewish. I love Chinese food. Therefore all Jews must love Chinese food. It’s fool proof logic. Actually, it’s strange when you think about it. Pork and shellfish are a staple of Chinese cuisine, yet for some reason, Jewish mothers everywhere chose it as THE meal to order when they didn’t feel like cooking (usually on Sunday nights). Of course the boneless spareribs, and pork fried rice ensured that while Jewish, I would never end up being Kosher. (I wonder if Chinese food had something to do with the rise in the number of reform Jews?)
I don’t think I have to say it- but there are very few destination restaurants for lunch in Midtown. You know what I’m talking about… the place you can recommend wholeheartedly, without any concern for how far the person will have to travel to eat the meal your endorsing. 
What can I write about Pizza that hasn’t already been written? 
The list could go on and on. The simple fact is, I’m not a pizza aficionado. Don’t misunderstand this for pizza hate… I love pizza just as much as the next guy- I’m just not a connoisseur. I guess some places are better then others, but I can’t really pinpoint exactly what I love and hate about each slice. If you’re into that sort of thing, there are plenty of blogs that talk about pizza… and only pizza.