Midtown Lunch

Every Tuesday I turn over the site to a different Midtown Lunch’er for his or her recommendations for the best lunch in Midtown. This week it’s Jenn, a magazine minion who claims that Midtown Lunch may be responsible for her current state of employement…

Name: Jenn

Age: 22

Occupation: Magazine Publishing Minion

Where in Midtown do you Work?: 43rd & 6th Ave.

Favorite Kind of Food: The foods I inhale the most often fall into or across the following gastronomic categories: Spicy, Asian, Deep-fried, MEAT+BREAD, Molten Cheese, Foods That Can Be Eaten While Walking, Anything Topped With a Fried Egg, and Stinky Lunches That Cubicle Neighbors Secretly Complain About (sorry!). More specifically: cheeseburgers, hot dogs with everything on them (two Gray’s, one to eat on the spot, one for the walk home), cheesesteaks wit onions, carnitas tortas, prosciutto-mozzarella heroes, fried pork dumplings, sweetbreads, bi bim bap, okonomiyaki, lox with extra capers, rice balls, paratha rolls, sardines and rice, soon dobu, pa jun, breakfast burritos, mushroom pizza (with the canned slice mushrooms), potato/corn chips, charcuterie, ma po tofu, bento boxes, strong curries, sushi and ahi poke, banh mi, little onion rings, Difara’s, fideua, crab cake sandwiches, stinky cheese, fried oysters, shawarma kebabs with extra hot sauce, English breakfasts and Chinese food from my parents’ restaurant and my grandma. Also can’t forget condiments because with just a slather or a drizzle can make all the difference– favorites include: Sriracha, Dijon mustard, Chiu Chow chili oil, cocktail sauce, and garlic mayo.

Least Favorite Kind of Food: Garden salads and raw celery

Favorite Place(s) to Eat Lunch in Midtown: $5 bento boxes (especially the salted mackerel), inari, green tea beard papas and rice balls from Cafe Zaiya (on 41st btw. Mad+5th) I’m a slave to my mid-afternoon rice ball break addiction. Tuna Avocado over rice at Chiyoda (on 41st btw. Mad+5th) when I’m feeling un-poor, paratha rolls and chicken biriyani from the Biriyani Cart (on 46th & 6th), ma po tofu or roast pork over rice at Hing Won (on 48th btw. 5+6th), oyako don from Yagura (also on 41st btw. Mad+5th), veg combo from Minar (on 46th btw. 6+7th), Cubans and chicken sandwiches from Margon (on 46th btw. 6+7th), mini cheeseburgers with a pint of Brooklyn Black Chocolate Stout from Stout NYC on 33rd btw. 6+7th (more of a Happy Hour Meal). The day I had a mentaiko rice ball and miso soup from Washoku (on 37th btw. Mad+5th) for $2 was a very, very good day.

“Go-To” Lunch Place You and Your Coworkers Eat at Too Often? Pret, Hale & Hearty, Red Flame on 44th btw. 5+6th (A company favorite for impromptu lunch meetings, the Red Flame Wrap with chicken, cheese, and honey dijon is way better than expected).

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Every Tuesday I turn over the site to a different Midtown Lunch’er for his or her recommendations for the best lunch in Midtown. This week, it’s Steve a guy who wishes that Midtown were a little more like New Orleans.  (Don’t we all…)

Name: Steve

Age: 22

Occupation: Paralegal on my way to law school in the fall. (I hope)

Where in Midtown do you Work?: MetLife Building — 44th and Park

Favorite Kind of Food: Cajun/Creole (The only type of food where every bite of a single dish tastes different than the bite before it and progressively becomes more delicious), Indian, Shawarma, Mexican (my favorite comes out of trucks along the Southern border of the US), Sushi, Butternut Squash (so delicious), bread pudding, tongue

Least Favorite Kind of Food: Grilled eggplant (eggplant is the only food I prefer fried over grilled), Whitefish salad, pineapple, licorice, pickles that aren’t as sour as it gets

Favorite Place(s) to Eat Lunch in Midtown: Taam Tov (on 47th btw. 5+6th): lamb kabob and chicken kabob over rice with an appetizer that I’m utterly unable to pronounce. It is kind of like a meat pie. Authentic Bukharian food served by a friendly and helpful staff. Newsstand Indian (aka Khodiar Lunch Services on 6th Ave. btw. 38+39th): I choose a different chaat every time and never ask any questions about contents. 60th St. Taco Cart (aka El Rey del Sabor on 3rd Ave. & 60th St.): This cart saved my life. When I first came to Midtown I thought Qdoba and Chipotle were the only places that would service my burrito cravings. I’d probably have relocated long ago if my triumphant awakening in the form of a ML post never came to be. It is of the utmost importance to have a reliable burrito establishment that is actually good. Kim’s Aunt Kitchen Cart (on 46th & 6th): the Flounder Platter is unbelievable! I was so skeptical at first, but after trying it a few weeks ago I can truly say that this is about as good a meal as you can get for $6. Even though I’m not huge on fried foods, this really hit the spot. It doesn’t hurt that the lo mein is plentiful and addicting. Also, contrary to some reports I’ve read, no fishiness to speak of in taste or smell. I’m a recent convert, so maybe the quality has improved.

“Go-To” Lunch Place You and Your Coworkers Eat at Too Often? Naples 45 (on 45th Park+Mad): It is 23 seconds from my elevator bank and truly outstanding. I find myself eating lunch from 1-2 and then stopping into Naples for a slice on the way back to my desk simply because, at $1.90 including tax, I can’t justify not taking advantage. Cucina & Co: Another MetLife building spot. I’ve only entered a few times for a bagel in the morning, but many coworkers seem to retrieve lunch from this place regularly. Not awful, but as unadventurous as it gets in terms of finding a meal.

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Every Tuesday I turn over the site to a different Midtown Lunch’er for his or her recommendations for the best lunch in Midtown. This week, it’s Matt a guy who has *shocker* never tried Thai food? I don’t even know what to make of that…

Name: Matt

Age: 27

Occupation: Television

Where in Midtown do you Work?: NBC

Favorite Kind of Food: I love Pizza, Italian, and Burgers but I try to eat healthy so I go to a lot of health food places now.

Least Favorite Kind of Food: Thai. I’ve never actually had any. When I was in camp, one of the directors got food poisoning a few days before his wedding after eating Thai food. I remember telling everyone “who eats Thai food before their wedding? Isn’t that risky?” To this day I haven’t had it.

Favorite Place(s) to Eat Lunch in Midtown: I love Jianetto’s pizza truck (on 47th btw. Park+Mad), I love the fancy sandwiches at Dishes, I like Chopt’s salads, Café Duke (on 51st btw. 6+7th) has good whole wheat pizza’s but they fill me up too much.

“Go-To” Lunch Place You and Your Coworkers Eat at Too Often? Variety Café (on 48th btw. 5+6th). They really have everything. The salad is a good deal with lots of toppings, they have whole wheat pasta, and they even have a wok in the back

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Every Tuesday I turn over the site to a different Midtown Lunch’er for his or her recommendations for the best lunch in Midtown. This week, it’s Andy the blogger behind Wined and Dined, and the first person to show me up by eating the Walgreens Sandwich. Judging by his comments below, I feel like I made the right decision. I figured you’d want to know more about this ML hero (or suicidal maniac, depending on how you look at it I suppose…)

Name: Andy

Age: 33

Occupation: Attorney/Food Blogger/Food Daredevil

Where in Midtown do you Work?: 55th between Park & Mad (home of the 100% Halal & Healthy Food, aka Cart with the Greek Salad, Papa Perrone’s Pizza Truck and the best hot dog stand in Midtown)

Favorite Kind of Food: Steak, shaved truffles (could have used some to mask the taste of that freakish bulkie burger), burgers, bbq, french fries of all varieties, spicy thai, smoked salmon, bacon and corned beef, fried zucchini sticks, plus I’ve been eating these low-fat donuts lately called ‘holey donuts.’

Least Favorite Kind of Food: Olives, tofu, anything at overpriced diners like Burger Heaven, pre-packaged sandwiches, anything bland, sardines, anchovies, anything with the name Beantown on it.

Favorite Place(s) to Eat Lunch in Midtown: Pasta bar at Fresco on the Go (on 52nd btw. Mad+Park), greek salad with spicy grilled chicken from my man at the cart on 55th and Park, the $8.50 sesame chicken lunch special at Fusia (56th and Lex… not to be confused with Fusha or the other Fusia on 2nd Ave), mexican falafel from Crisp (on 3rd Ave. & 43rd), grilled chicken salad at Houston’s (or is it Hillstone?) and the off-the-menu chicken fingers there- which are insanely good, a Carnegie Deli corned beef sandwich split 3 ways with co-workers (like Serious Eats: New York did with the Carnegie pastrami), alambre and carne asada tacos from Pampano Taqueria (3rd Ave. btw. 49+50th), and the southwestern chicken wrap at Pig n’ Whistle on 3rd (btw. 55+56th).

“Go-To” Lunch Place You and Your Coworkers Eat at Too Often? Chop’t which I’m thoroughly sick of, City Market Cafe on 55th, Pret, Stale and Farty Soups, Pig n’ Whistle on 3rd, Europa Cafe and my co-workers continue to eat at the Cosi on 56th despite the fruit flies and the horrendous service (I haven’t been since ’06.)

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Every Tuesday I turn over the site to a different Midtown Lunch’er for his or her recommendations for the best lunch in Midtown. This week, it’s Lou a audio guy who likes steak. But can we help him find good BBQ?  Yes we can!

Name: Lou

Age: 38

Occupation: Audio Post Production Engineer

Where in Midtown do you Work?: 45th btw. 5+6th

Favorite Kind of Food: Cowboy bone in Ribeye Steak

Least Favorite Kind of Food: Seafood

Favorite Place(s) to Eat Lunch in Midtown: The katsu curry with sausages from Go Go Curry (on 38th btw. 7+8th), all the baked goods from Cafe Zaiya (on 41st btw. Mad+5th), The bacon/pepperoni slice from Little Italy Pizza (on 4rd btw. Mad+5th), the kati rolls from the Biryani Cart (on 46th & 6th), the butterscotch pecan blondie from the Treats Truck.

“Go-To” Lunch Place You and Your Coworkers Eat at Too Often? Park Italian on 45th and 6th. We go there mainly when we’re in a rush or are feeling lazy since it is right downstairs. That said, the food is low priced, heros are good sized, and they have good assortment of hot Italian food everyday, like chicken parm, sausage and peppers, stuffed shells and so on.

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Every Tuesday I turn over the site to a different Midtown Lunch’er for his or her recommendations for the best lunch in Midtown. This week, it’s Richard a Marketing dude who boldly admits that he doesn’t like potatoes that have been cubed and deep fried.

Name: Richard

Age: 25

Occupation: Marketing Analyst for SeamlessWeb (and amateur food critic for EatRichly.com)

Where in Midtown do you Work?: 37th and Madison

Favorite Kind of Food: Soba noodles, soft tacos (I only say “soft” because I used to think that hard tacos with ground beef were the only type of Mexican food), pappardelle with any meat ragout, anything over rice

Least Favorite Kind of Food: Home fries (how are these served with every omelette?)

Favorite Place(s) to Eat Lunch in Midtown: One paneer and one meat (chicken/beef) roll at Kati Roll Company (on 39th btw. 5+6th); Norvegian or Siciliano sandwich with one macaron of the day at Macaron Cafe (36th btw. B’way+7th); Chilorio, Pescado, and Alambre tacos with the warm, salty chips from Pampano Taqueria (3rd Ave. btw. 49+50th); Set A with Lobster Salad and a rotating cast of characters at OMS/b.

“Go-To” Lunch Place You and Your Coworkers Eat at Too Often? Lucky Deli Asian Kobe (on 37th btw. Mad+5th): This spot serves mediocre, yet expensive, wraps, sandwiches, and salads. And no one has ever dared to try anything “Asian” there. But it is directly across the street from the office. Mondello (on 37th btw. Mad+5th): They actually have a pretty good New York slice (and apparently a decent chicken parm?), but it’s really only a spot to go when feeling lazy, cheap, or pressed for time. Au Bon Pain: This place nearly ruined my college experience and now it forces me to uncomfortably refuse lunch outings twice a week.

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Every Tuesday I turn over the site to a different Midtown Lunch’er for his or her recommendations for the best lunch in Midtown. This week, it’s Naomi a Market Researcher and self proclaimed “fat kid” who likes banana sushi rolls.

Name: Naomi

Age: 23

Occupation: Market Researcher

Where in Midtown do you Work?: Rock Center’ish

Favorite Kind of Food: String beans, red peppers, spinach, cheese, blueberries, grapes, dark chocolate, sushi, falafel, fro-yo, cheesecake, Thai, Indian, Greek, Mexican… oh I’m sorry, was I just supposed to just name one?

Least Favorite Kind of Food: Capers, olives, dill, anything pickled that isn’t a pickle, beets, zucchini, certain sea creatures (urchins, jellyfish and swordfish, to name a few), animal organs, tofu, Korean food and ham. Oh, and Jell-O… I just don’t trust the stuff.

Favorite Place(s) to Eat Lunch in Midtown: I’d say I probably have one place to go for each kind of ethnic cuisine, however Cafe Duke (on 51st btw. 6+7th) is always a convenient option — although the excess of choices can be very overwhelming (and expensive). Burger Joint in the Parker Meridien (on 56th btw. 6+7th) is where I go when I crave something greasy — which may or may not be after a late night out — but if you want to get a booth you had better go armed with a strategy. On that same block there is a restaurant called Topaz Thai that I just tried last week. It offers a satisfying pad thai lunch special for $7. La Bonne Soupe on 55th St. offers the most delicious French Onion soup around and has a nice, cozy atmosphere. Havana Central has great Cuban food (try the seafood paella), and Two Boots is usually my office’s pizza place of choice. Oh, and I would be lying if I said I didn’t have a Cosi card… those Signature salads add up!

“Go-To” Lunch Place You and Your Coworkers Eat at Too Often? It’s not exactly “go-to” since we order delivery, but Toyama Sushi makes some of the most phenomenal sushi rolls I have ever tasted. I’m personally a fan of the Dynamite and Banana rolls, but they also have great maki lunch specials, which happen to be relatively inexpensive. Also, I am pretty sure market researchers as a whole have a slightly inappropriate hankering for Daisy May’s BBQ… (and yes, I did just use the word “hankering.”)

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Every Tuesday I turn over the site to a different Midtown Lunch’er for his or her recommendations for the best lunch in Midtown. This week, it’s the final profiled luncher of 2008… meet Casa a “training developer” who seems to like every kind of food but durian.

Name: Casa

Age: 28

Occupation: Training Developer /occasional wanna-be chef broadcaster

Where in Midtown do you Work?: 49th & 7th Ave.

Favorite Kind of Food: Vietnamese food (pho, spring roll, etc), Indian, Thai, Korean, Mexican/Tex-Mex, southern food (BBQ ribs, chicken fried steak, fried okra, mash ‘tators and gravy). These are the types of food that I enjoy and are in my rotation frequently (except for southern food; I haven’t found a decent place in NYC that does southern food well). I’m also a fan of desserts and have these horrid “cake” cravings around 2 PM that drive me out of my office regardless of how the weather is to search for a slice of moist and crumbly cake with a creamy layer of frosting that is not too sweet/too buttery. Then I settle for a Crumbs cupcake after I realize I’m in Midtown.

Least Favorite Kind of Food: Durian, mustard (it’s not a food per se, but I despise it), fermented fish, shrimp paste. My mom scarred me for life when she cooked food with fermented fish or shrimp paste when I was growing up. The smell lingered for two weeks in the house! As for mustard, I don’t know why, but it reminds me too much of durian. I think it’s the color.

Favorite Place(s) to Eat Lunch in Midtown: Café Duke (on 51st btw. 6+7th) for their soon tofu or ramen ( I know it’s way overpriced, but I love ramen. If I can bring in my own ramen to cook, I would in a heartbeat), papri or samosa chaat at Indus Express (on 48th btw. 5+6th), Thai coconut soup and mushroom bisque from Au Bon Pain, and waffle fries from my company’s cafeteria. There are many places that I also want to try, but during my first visit to NYC, I ate a chicken kebab from a vendor in Times Square and got violently ill that night. I was a tourist then, and now I’ve been enlightened: don’t eat from shady street vendors in Times Square. So I’ll leave the street meat for the others and just salivate and admire their stomachs of steel from afar.

“Go-To” Lunch Place You and Your Coworkers Eat at Too Often? Café Duke – I head straight to the back for soon tofu, spicy beef ramen, and sometimes their bibimbap. Teriyaki boy (on 7th Ave. btw. 48+49th). This is a hit/miss place for me though. There were times where I got more chicken fat than chicken (yuck!), and I’d stay away from the beef there. I got their beef bowl, and it was actually beef fat with some meat on it. So far, the udon soup has been satisfying when I’m too lazy to walk to Café Duke.
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Every Tuesday I turn over the site to a different Midtown Lunch’er for his or her recommendations for the best lunch in Midtown. This week, it’s Sal- a TV technician by day, musician by night… looking for a decent burrito. (Aren’t we all?)

Name: Sal

Age: 24

Occupation: Live Television Technician at Media 3 LTD (and drummer for the band Quiet Loudly)

Where in Midtown do you Work?: 44th St. & 5th Ave.

Favorite Kind of Food: TexMex.. specifically Burritos. But considering my options in Midtown, I’ll usually go with Japanese.

Least Favorite Kind of Food: I try to find the good in everything, but have no patience for bad pizza in New York.

Favorite Place(s) to Eat Lunch in Midtown: Veggie Kati Rolls at The Biryani Cart (on 46th & 6th), and the Curry at Cafe Zaiya (on 41st. btw. Mad+5th).

“Go-To” Lunch Place You and Your Coworkers Eat at Too Often? We overdue our go-to places until we can’t take it anymore. First it was Goodburger (on 45th btw. 5+6th), then Moshe’s Falafel (on 46th btw. 5+6th), now we are aching for a new obsession.

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Every Tuesday I turn over the site to a different Midtown Lunch’er for his or her recommendations for the best lunch in Midtown. This week, it’s Ranjan an ‘Emerging Markets Trader’ with a taste for the spicy food.

Name: Ranjan

Age: 28

Occupation: Emerging Markets Trader

Where in Midtown do you Work?: Bank of America, right on Bryant Park

Favorite Kind of Food: All types of asian food, spicy foods, and fried chicken (I heard a rumor that Bojangles is finally coming to town!).

Least Favorite Kind of Food: A boring pasta with red sauce

Favorite Place(s) to Eat Lunch in Midtown: A secret i will reveal for spicy food lovers: at Dunhill Cafe (on 45th btw. B’way+6th) they have a prepared cajun chicken… throw it in a whole wheat wrap with lettuce and onions and enjoy; the Spicy Bulgogi with rice dish at Cafe Duke on 51st street (the one near Bryant Park sucks); the Roast Pork Special (broccoli rabe and roasted pork) from Tony Lukes/Shorty’s on 9th Ave. btw. 41+42nd, and be sure to get a side of their Parmesan Fries. The Kra Prow lunch special at Seeda Thai on 50th and 8th; and the best bacon, egg, and cheese is from D&S Marketplace on 56th and 5th.

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