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 Phil, a musician who loves soup.

Name: Phil

Age: 28

Occupation: Temp/Musician

Where in Midtown do you Work?: 48th & Broadway

Favorite Kind of Food: Any good soup, grungy Chinese food, fancy sandwiches, Mediterranean/Israeli, diner food, anything really REALLY spicy, In-N-Out Burger (alas), breakfast, mac and cheese, pad thai…

Least Favorite Kind of Food: Anything even remotely related to coconut, anything that has been in the same store/warehouse as a coconut, most Vietnamese food.

Favorite Place(s) to Eat Lunch in Midtown: The Outpost in the Viacom building on 44th and Broadway (all their soups are amazing), Chipotle burritos very occasionally (trying to avoid that pre-30 heart attack), that natural market on 54th and 8th (Powerbars and lentil soup), the teriyaki bar just above the M&M store on 48th and 7th (the soba is not terrible).

“Go-To” Lunch Place You and Your Coworkers Eat at Too Often? Belly Delly. Damn. Also, Hale & Hearty (wayyy too expensive, but the soups are not too bad).

Place(s) you discovered thanks to Midtown Lunch? Actually The Outpost. So cheap it makes me dizzy.

If you could work anywhere (just because of the lunch) where would it be and why? 79th and Amsterdam, so I could eat at Shining Star Diner every day, interspersed (on paydays) with the mac and cheese from Fred’s. Wow. Alternatively, in Silverlake in LA, because of the Brite Spot.

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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 Kate, a Times Square gal who loves stuff wrapped up in other stuff- as long as you hold the dipping sauce. (She’s also agreed to submit our first Friday happy hour post… and from the look of the photo, she is clearly qualified.)

Name: Kate

Age: 25

Occupation: Cog in the wheel of a major media corporation

Where in Midtown do you Work?: Times Square. Eh.

Favorite Kind of Food: I really love anything that’s wrapped up in another something and then cooked. So that means empanadas, dumplings, pierogies, and battered deep fried Oreos. I also enjoy a good curry.

Least Favorite Kind of Food: Mayonnaise, mustard, ranch dressing, tahini sauce. Condiments in general I guess.

Favorite Place(s) to Eat Lunch in Midtown: The pizza place next to Dean and Deluca on W 46th btwn Bdway and 8th has a killer Grandma Slice. (I think it’s called Patzeria Perfect Pizza) I also frequent Green Symphony (43rd btwn Bdway and 8th) for their awesome buffet of warm stews and samosas. I also like Piece of Chicken (45th btw 8+9th) or Burger Joint (on 56th btw. 6+7th) if I’m feeling particularly greasy.

“Go-To” Lunch Place You and Your Coworkers Eat at Too Often? As I am a very lone luncher, my book tends to absorb most of my lunch hour. I’m guilty of just picking up a yogurt or granola bar from Cranberry Deli (45th and 6th) more than a few times a week. I also love to go up to Empanada Mama (9th and 51st), though I know that’s considered out of bounds.

Place(s) you discovered thanks to Midtown Lunch? Ahhhh, the Sullivan St Bakery (on 47th btw. 10+11th), 99 Cent Pizza, and Madeliene ‘the crepe lady’ (on 49th btw. B’way+8th)

If you could work anywhere (just because of the lunch) where would it be and why? I would work in the East Village because if I could eat at Veselka everyday, my life might very well be a success after all.

Is there anything you’d like to ask the Midtown Lunch readers? Where’s the Mac and cheese at yo?

So, as you may or may not know- occasionally profiled lunch’ers will send in two photos. And less often than not, both will be so good that I feel required to post a second photo of the lunch’er. That photo (oh yeah, and a mac and cheese rec) after the jump…

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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 Anastasia,  a Lawyer (and baker?) who loves anything at Just Salad and may or may not be a vegan (despite at one time loving the Burger Joint.)

Name: Anastasia

Age: 27

Occupation: Attorney/Baker

Where in Midtown do you Work?: Most expensive stretch of retail rents in the world, with the fewest cheap and good food options (57th and Madison), I guess high retail rents do not equal cheap and good food. Maybe Obika will change that… (Doubtful.  The first mention of prices is not a good sign. -zach)

Favorite Kind of Food: Mexican

Least Favorite Kind of Food: Americanized Chinese, casseroles, chicken (a.k.a. sponge meat)

Favorite Place(s) to Eat Lunch in Midtown: Pescado taco at Pampano Taqueria (3rd Ave. btw. 49+50th); anything at Just Salad; lox and tofu cream cheese on a whole wheat everything bagel at Ess-a-Bagel (3rd btw. 49+50th); quinoa conqueror salad at Uncle Marky’s Organics (53rd btw. 2+3rd); black bean vegan burger at the newly opened Good Health Burgers (on 53rd btw. 2+3rd); grilled cheese and tomato soup at Bouchon Bakery in the Time Warner Center (hold the grilled cheese these days); any slice/salad at Bella Vita (58th btw. 6+7th); anything at FIKA (58th btw. 5+6th); vegetable combo at Indian cart on 54th/53rd and Park; lobster bisque at Soup Man (great deal for a great bisque, a half baguette, a piece of fruit and a piece of chocolate).

“Go-To” Lunch Place You and Your Coworkers Eat at Too Often? Europa Cafe (it’s close and fast, but eating food that has gone through a shredder gets less and less alluring); Hale and Hearty (decent salads, great carrot ginger dressing, and the best side of bread in midtown, after Pret); Chef’s Kitchen (generally, no good excuse for going to this place); Pret (always good, though bland and over-priced); Mangia.

Place(s) you discovered thanks to Midtown Lunch? Certe (amazing lobster bisque and brisket wrap were go-tos when I wasn’t a fish-eating vegan, but now I just stick to the mixed grain salad, also, the desserts here are out of this world); Topaz Thai (on 56th btw. 6+7th); Burger Joint (B.V. – before veganism); La Strada (on 56th btw. Lex+3rd); Men Kui Tei (on 56th btw. 5+6th), Pro Hot Bagel (on 56th btw. 5+6th).

If you could work anywhere (just because of the lunch) where would it be and why? Does Wiley Dufresne’s kitchen count? Mexico City (or anywhere in Mexico, really), or Nice (can’t get enough bouillabaisse)

Is there anything you’d like to ask the Midtown Lunch readers? Where can one find a great CASUAL bar in the 57th/Mad nabe? I am not looking for anything high end (there’s plenty of that around here), just a hole in the wall with affordable beers (sadly, P.J. Carney’s closed).

My favorite happy hour in Midtown is after the jump…  Read more »

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 Jeremy, who you my remember as the author of the Midtown Lunch guide to turning free samples into a lunchtime tasting menu.  I guess they’re paying him more at work because his profile is filled with stuff that actually requires money.

Name: Jeremy

Age: 24

Occupation: Publicist/Private Chef

Where in Midtown do you Work?: 44th Street bet. 5+6th Avenues

Favorite Kind of Food: Recently it’s barbequed cuttlefish and Malaysian food, both introduced to me by my friend Mark who makes some of the craziest pizzas in New York. But I love all kinds of pork, hanger steak, and oysters! In college I set up a raw bar outside of the library during finals. Nobody got sick but I cut my hand pretty badly with a Swiss Army knife.

Least Favorite Kind of Food: Chicken feet are disgusting. I’ve never had memorable Indian food. If you can convince me otherwise, lunch is on me.

Favorite Place(s) to Eat Lunch in Midtown: Soon Doo Boo Jjigae (Tofu Seafood Stew) at Ambrosia (45th btw. 5+6th), Mountain Vegetable Udon at Yagura (41st btw. Mad+5th). And I’m still eating my supervisor’s hard-boiled eggs.

“Go-To” Lunch Place You and Your Coworkers Eat at Too Often? Dishes (45th btw. Mad+5th), which I don’t understand, because everything there is wet. I probably eat at FreeFoods (45th btw. 5+6th) way too often because it’s right outside the door and I dig the lobster soup.

Place(s) you discovered thanks to Midtown Lunch? Zaiya and its neighbors were an epiphany for me, but I can only eat sushi alone at my desk for so long. Can Midtown Lunch provide friends to eat with? Just kidding.

If you could work anywhere (just because of the lunch) where would it be and why? Cote de Beaune (Burgundy), France. I know it’s a little pretentious, but if it means snails and pinot noir for lunch, so be it.

Is there anything you’d like to ask the Midtown Lunch readers? I guess I have a few questions. Let’s start with this: That Indian place on 45th between 5th and 6th. I go in about once a week looking for soup and they always tell me there’s no soup. Unbelievable. Why? Can you eat a 1kg burger? I think I can but nobody will take me up on the challenge. And finally, has anybody ever eaten at the Indian place on 44th bet. 5th and 6th? I think it’s called Jewel of India and it recently got shut down by the health department for being “uninspired.”

I’m guessing that the place on 45th you’re talking about is Sukhadia? For a guy who claims to not like Indian food, you kind of seem obsessed with the two places near your office. If you want the best Indian food in Manhattan, try the Khodiar Food Services steam table in the former newsstand on 6th Ave. btw. 37+38th. It’s vegetarian, but it’s the best I’ve had. And I have to say, I wish there were some good chicken feet in Midtown. As for the burger, how big is one kg? The largest burger I’ve eaten in Midtown is after the jump…  Read more »

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 Jill, a photo editor who loves meat, but not “organ meat”.

Name: Jill

Age: 40

Occupation: Photo Editor

Where in Midtown do you Work?: Rockefeller Center Area

Favorite Kind of Food: Italian, Indian, Mexican, Japanese

Least Favorite Kind of Food: Honestly? Organ Meats. I can’t even sit at the same table as someone who is eating tripe. It’s just gross.

Favorite Place(s) to Eat Lunch in Midtown: Del Frisco’s (on 49th btw. 6+7th) for the steak, chateau potatoes and the outrageously huge slice of lemon cake; Pam Real Thai (49th btw. 9+10th) for the vegetable red curry and spring rolls; Hallo Berlin cart (54th & 5th) for the currywurst combo; Ruby Foo’s (B’way & 49th) for the veggie sushi and chicken pineapple rice; Sosa Borella (8th Ave. btw. 50+51st) for the roast beef sandwich or the steak salad; Le Bonne Soup (on 55th btw. 5+6th) for the salad/soup/chocolate mousse lunch special; Poseidon Bakery (9th Ave. btw. 44+45th) for the spanakopita, baklava, and cherry cheese strudel; Two Boots (Rock Center) for a Cleopatra Jones slice (OK, two slices); Burger Joint (55th btw. 6+7th) for burgers and fries (although my true burger love is the ridiculously expensive burger at 21 Club. It’s amazing.); and I love that chicken from Popeye’s! (40th btw. 7+8th)

“Go-To” Lunch Place You and Your Coworkers Eat at Too Often? Mi Nidito on 8th ave and 51st street. It’s a bit more expensive than, say, Chipotle, but the ingredients are so fresh and they use tons of veggies in the soups and burritos. There’s a bar menu with a soup/combo special for $8.99 or $9.99, but I usually go with PKs black bean soup or my special favorite, the very spicy chicken tortilla soup. Years ago when I was feeling like I was coming down with a cold, my boyfriend at the time brought me some of Mi Nidito’s chicken tortilla soup. Turned out we got engaged that night. We started calling it the proposal soup. The next time I ordered it for delivery, we told that story to the guy and, along with the order, he sent a little bottle of champagne. It was very nice.

Place(s) you discovered thanks to Midtown Lunch? Jamaican Dutchy (51st & 7th), Sapporo (49th btw. 6+7th), Hallo Berlin Cart

If you could work anywhere (just because of the lunch) where would it be and why? Domestically: somewhere in Maine. I could never tire of eating crab rolls or lobster rolls and blueberry pie. Internationally: a farm in Tuscany would be great for simple, incredibly fresh italian lusciousness. and Buenos Aires or Paris because I like to eat a huge steak and drink red wine in the middle of the day.

Is there anything you’d like to ask the Midtown Lunch readers? Yes! I’ve been craving a fried fish sandwich. Is there a great one in midtown? Also, any shabu shabu restaurants nearby? And, lastly, what’s the best crab dish in midtown?

I don’t know about great one, but my favorite fried fish sandwich (once again) is after the jump…   Read more »

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 Kristen, a vegetarian who seems to know a hell of alot about 45th St. btw. 6th & Broadway.

Name: Kristen

Age: 28

Occupation: Systems Associate

Where in Midtown do you Work?: An investment and technology development firm located near Times Square

Favorite Kind of Food: Middle Eastern, Mediterranean

Least Favorite Kind of Food: I can’t think of any cuisine that I categorically dislike, but I prefer savory food over sweets.

Favorite Place(s) to Eat Lunch in Midtown: I mostly patronize spots within a one-block radius of my office and I definitely have my regular dishes at each spot. I’m a vegetarian, a point which will soon become apparent. At Cranberry (on 45th btw. 6th+Bway) I like to get the avocado sandwich. The kind folk at Cranberry use a lot of avocado and also load the sandwich with other deli-type vegetables (lettuce, sprouts, cucumber, etc.) On mornings when I want a substantial breakfast, I’ll get the egg white wrap from Dunhill (also on 45th btw. 6+Bway). I believe it’s the #6. Dunhill puts an impressive amount of vegetables in the wrap and it costs something unholy like $3.50.

I’m going to give a shout-out to two kosher restaurants as they offer many great vegetarian options. My Most Favorite Food (also on 45th btw. 6+Bway) has a clandestine take-out room in the back that has great soup and salad options. Each day they typically offer two cold pasta salads, at least two vegetable salads, and two types of soup. The menu changes daily, so call in advance if foreknowledge matters to you. I usually just show up and order whatever they are offering that day. My favorite soup is the tomato basil. My favorite two salads are the fennel with parsley and celery salad and the broccoli slaw with almonds and dried cranberries. Milk & Honey (on 45th btw. 5+6th) has a great portobello mushroom panini aptly called “The Italian.” Every time I bring one back to my office, at least one coworker invariably asks about it. Basically, people can not control themselves around “The Italian.”

For Middle Eastern, there are two pretty good restaurants kind of nearby: Akdeniz (46th btw. 5+6th) and Marrakesh (53rd btw. 2+3rd). I usually order their food via Seamless Web because both are bona-fide restaurants and I don’t want to go in person to such places since I would have to wait for my food to be prepared. Also, who doesn’t like reading the expertly-composed descriptions on Seamless Web? Akdeniz has a great stuffed eggplant dish plus amazing complimentary bread. Marrakesh has a variety of delicious vegetarian platters.

Finally, I love the fruit stand (in my photo) on 44th near the northwest corner of 44th and 6th. First, they use no dairy or added sweeteners in their smoothies. Second, you can create your own smoothie selecting from almost any type of fruit you would typically find in the Northeast, plus savory spa-type ingredients, such as parsley. Third, they are insanely cheap ($3 for a small smoothie, $4 for a large.) Oh, and they’re really friendly.

More after the jump… Read more »

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 Florence, a publishing something or other, who loves Cantonese food, hates lunchables, and is looking for a good bowl of matzoh ball soup.

Name: Florence

Age: 21

Occupation: Publishing (and proprietor of the blog “Eating Well on $7 A Day“)

Where in Midtown do you Work?: 55th & Broadway

Favorite Kind of Food: I’m tempted to say “anything good,” but for the sake of specificity (and readability), will say Cantonese, because I don’t get sick of it. And even more specifically: braised tofu, silken on the inside, with a crispy exterior. (A note: This is likely because I grew up on Chinese food, and am very experienced with its myriad of possibilities. Perhaps if I had grown up with something else, it’d have been something else. Cultural relativism and all that.) But really, anything good!

Least Favorite Kind of Food: Bland and tasteless prepackaged food, particularly the variety adults maliciously feed to children, i.e. Lunchables, fat free turkey and a Kraft single on Wonderbread, etc. Also adult equivalents, like Healthy Choice microwaveables. Or tofu used repulsively: tofu-dogs, etc. See above: tofu can be so great but only when NOT manipulated into a completely unnatural form! Also, I find McDonald’s all-white meat chicken nuggets offensive. Bring back the dark meat! (Though not the little bits of unchewable tendon.)

Favorite Place(s) to Eat Lunch in Midtown: ,The $9 lamb kofta kebab lunch special at Ariana Afghan Kebab (on 9th Ave. btw. 52+53rd). Flavorful, subtly-spiced, tender, and just-right portions. And I love that slightly sour yogurt dressing – mouth-puckeringly tasty. Oms/b(on 45th btw. Lex+3rd): Ate here when I was an intern at another publishing house in Midtown East. I miss it so! I usually go for the Special Set, which comes with an appetizer, seaweed soup, and three rice balls for $6.50 (Editor’s Note: That price may have gone up since you worked there). If I’m very hungry, I’ll add another rice ball, a la carte, to my meal (my favorites: shrimp tempura, eel, lobster salad, and spicy tuna.) Five Guys Burger(on 55th btw. 5+6th): I grew up in California, and this, more than any other burger place in New York, reminds me of In-n-Out — thin, double-stacked patties, a greasy, truly fast-food, but yummy, not-bland burger. I like the fact that the regular “hamburger” and “cheeseburger” default to two patties, while the “little” versions contain one. And the fries are crispy and plentiful — I usually go for the Cajun, for a little spice. And finally (the inevitable): 53rd and 6th Halal Chicken and Rice, winner of the infamous Midtown Lunch blind taste test! It is, as everybody says, so good, and cheap to boot.

“Go-To” Lunch Place You and Your Coworkers Eat at Too Often? When in East Midtown, it was Toasties East, which was reliably decent, but never interesting. Now, it’s bringing leftovers from home and eating in the cafeteria, though I really can’t complain about anything but the lack of ambience: it’s a money-saving option, and if I do my job right the night before, leftovers are not just tolerated, but welcomed. If I mess up, then, well…

Place(s) you discovered thanks to Midtown Lunch? Sapporo(on 49th btw. 6+7th) tasty, comforting, and well-portioned! (Though the recent Sapporo post has made me want to investigate Menchanko Tei and Men Kui Tei). I’ve also been meaning to check out Café Edison(on 47th btw. Bway+8th) for some good Matzoh Ball soup.

If you could work anywhere (just because of the lunch) where would it be and why? I was going to go with Chinatown — under $5 lunch specials, and the #1 Saigon banh mi! — but realized the scope of the question allowed for an even freer range of imagination. But being anti-metaphysical, I’m still going to stay within my material experience — I worked in Hong Kong for a summer, and the lunch options there are unbelievable! I especially loved having brunch-y food for lunch (steamed noodles with dried shrimp and scallions, doused in sweet soy sauce, and congee with salted pork and preserved egg), but the street food was great too (my go-to was tomato beef over egg-fried rice).

Is there anything you’d like to ask the Midtown Lunch readers? Anyone have suggestions as to where to go on Ninth Ave.? As I’m in West Midtown, I’ve been exploring the west-west side, which seems to have some great places (like Afghan Kebab) — any specific recommendations?

Alright… for those of you who always complain that the Midtown Lunch boundaries don’t extend to 9th Ave., here is your chance.  Have at it in the comments. 

And as always, if you want to be the next Profiled: Midtown Lunch’er, or you’d like to nominate somebody in your office, email me at zach@midtownlunch.com

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 Amy- a marketing something or other who is just looking for some cheap Greek.

Name: Amy

Age: 26

Occupation: Marketing

Where in Midtown do you Work?: 40th St. & Ave of the Americas

Favorite Kind of Food: Japanese or Greek, but I love food so it’s really hard to choose. Thankfully living in NYC I really don’t have to! I haven’t found a good Greek place in midtown yet, but for Japanese I love love love Oms/b (on 45th btw. Lex+3rd)—the wasabi shrimp rice ball is my favorite but the choices change all the time it seems and Sapporo (on 49th btw. 6+7th) has amazing gyoza and donburi bowls

Least Favorite Kind of Food: I love food! But if pressed to choose, I’m not really that into fusion cuisine like Rice restaurant.

Favorite Place(s) to Eat Lunch in Midtown: Djerdan balkan restaurant (on 38th btw. 7+8th) for the authentic burek slices and cucumber yogurt salads (the entrees like the meat balls with polenta, like grits there, are good too and they have big servings, so the leftovers are yummy too), the Aloo Masala roll at Kati Roll (39th btw. 5+6th), the Italiano sandwich and the macarons (of course) at Macaron Cafe (on 35th btw. 6+7th), and I do love ‘wichcraft in the park when I want a fancy sandwich.

“Go-To” Lunch Place You and Your Coworkers Eat at Too Often? Pergola (on 39th btw. B’way+6th) for Mongolian BBQ or Duke’s (on 41st & Bway) because they have everything.

Place(s) you discovered thanks to Midtown Lunch? Oms/b and Macaron Cafe (thanks by the way!)

If you could work anywhere (just because of the lunch) where would it be and why? Nolita because it’s near the deliciousness in the Little Italy delis, and close enough to the variety in the East Village and even Chinatown.

Is there anything you’d like to ask the Midtown Lunch readers? Is there a reasonably priced Greek lunch place in midtown?

Ok, so before we get to the Greek food question, something else needs to be mentioned.  On rare occasions a Lunch’er will send more than one photo, often leaving me with a difficult decision.  Especially in cases like this, where one photo is clearly amazing, but maybe the other photo gives you a better idea of what the person looks like.  And lord knows, with the ladies, that’s all you creepy dudes care about…  so, in those rare cases when I can’t decide, I’m forced to post both.  Amy’s New Orleans make out photo, after the jump… Read more »

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- an XPL convert who is scared of Indian food and Mongolian BBQ.

Name: Lou

Age: 26

Occupation: Accounting

Where in Midtown do you Work?: 42nd & Lex.

Favorite Kind of Food: Waffles and Gyros… I love them, and I’ll try any suggestion that gets a good review. 53rd and 6th cart is timeless… but XPL (on 48th & Park) has found a new place in my heart. Wafels and Dinges is truly amazing… I wish I worked close enough to get them for breakfast! Seeing as I’m Puerto Rican, I love my roast pork… especially the Cuban sandwiches. But I haven’t gotten around to trying Cafe Cello (46th btw. 5+6th)… have been to Margon (on 46th btw. 6+7th) and their Morir Sonando is great! On a side note… I don’t know how many of you love your bacon, egg, and cheeses, I know I do… but Stella Deli over on 3rd Avenue between 43rd and 44th sells $2 bacon, egg, and cheese sandwiches on rolls and bagels. Granted, it can be light on the bacon and heavy on the carbs, but seeing as most places charge at least $3, I thought I HAD to mention this place.

Least Favorite Kind of Food: Falafel Sandwiches… I’ve tried a few highly recommended places from this website, and I just don’t see the fuss. Although I did kind of enjoy the Mexican falafel sandwich from Crisp… it’s just too expensive. I just don’t like the strong flavors in these things, but I do love the laffa… Sandwiches can seem so generic at times, and unfortunately I haven’t tried Milant and it’s been closed…

Favorite Place(s) to Eat Lunch in Midtown: I enjoy the atmosphere at Taki Sushi (on 48th btw. 5+6th)… service time can sometimes be a little long, but it’s a pretty comfy spot with good prices… 53rd and 6th is always a pleasure… I’ll just sit on the ledge right next to it and enjoy my food fresh. I don’t usually eat AT the places suggested by this site. Rather I get my food and go… but 90% of the places on this site I have re-visited… so hell you can say that a lot of the places I’ve been to are equally as good in my stomach! (Not sure what that means, but whatever. -zach)

“Go-To” Lunch Place You and Your Coworkers Eat at Too Often? I go to Del Monico Deli (on Park btw. 41+42nd) way too much. I don’t know, I feel like their buffet seems pretty high quality… but yea, I definitely go there way too often for my liking… And it’s always packed so I don’t even really like it when I eat there…

Place(s) you discovered thanks to Midtown Lunch? Well, XPL certainly was a huge find that I credit this site for… same goes for Margon… ummm, Wafels and Dinges… jeez, to be honest, I get on this site every freakin day and check out the index and try to venture out anywhere cause 1) it can be good exercise walking to these places, and 2) I love reading about food, cooking food, eating food and apparently, as evidenced by this profile, writing about it! But seriously… aside from the generic buffet/delis that seem to have all the same food, and fast food spots, every place I’ve had lunch I credit this blog for luring me there…

If you could work anywhere (just because of the lunch) where would it be and why? If I could work anywhere, I’d have to say Los Angeles… I don’t know why, but from all the comments I’ve seen about the seriously authentic Mexican carts and shacks, this place seems intriguing…

Is there anything you’d like to ask the Midtown Lunch readers? I have a two questions so I hope everyone can deal with that! Indian food scares me most, so if someone can help clearly explain what some of the meat dishes are, I’d probably try it more often. And my second question has to do with this place called Food World… It is a huge buffet place that I noticed has a Mongolian buffet where you choose what you want, bring it to the cook and they make it in front of you. Something about raw meat sitting on a buffet in Midtown waiting to be cooked scares me… has anyone ventured into this place… I can’t remember where it is exactly…

Oh Lou. All your questions are answered- after the jump… Read more »

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 something we’ve never had before: a tag team profile.  I kind of like it.  Meet Joyce & Sarah, who from the sound of their answers have used Midtown Lunch as a  personal checklist.  I must say, I’m a little impressed with how thorough they’ve been, and this may be one of my favorite profiles of all time.  They also wanted everyone to know that the photo below is from Momofuku Ko (aka the “best night of our lives”) which means these ladies spend alot of time (and money) eating together.

Name: Sarah (left) & Joyce (right)

Age: Both 25

Occupation: Finance

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

Favorite Kind of Food: We both enjoy street meat of all kinds (especially the hardcore chicken and rice cart at 53rd and 6th). Benihana (on 56th btw. 5+6th) is our new ‘splurge’ midtown lunch since it is just outside of the $10 range, a tie with the steak tips at Del Frisco’s which are also outside of Midtown Lunch range now. Joyce likes plantains, cupcakes and all desserts, while Sarah has a craving for Indian food every day, or at least on Tuesdays because that is when Spice Fusion is the tastiest.

Least Favorite Kind of Food: Sandwiches in theory, with an exception for ‘wichcraft. They are a poor excuse for a real Midtown Lunch.

Favorite Place(s) to Eat Lunch in Midtown: Much like the state of the economy, lunch in Midtown is subject to high volatility and uncertainty. We respond to these trends by being exceptionally cyclical Midtown Lunchers who are very fickle with our affections. Screw up once and we will never return. Our previous obsessions have included a month of only eating chapati rolls from the Biryani cart on 46th and 6th (Chennai for Sarah, Pune for Joyce), until the chef disappeared earlier this year and we were disappointed with the substitute chefs. We have yet to make a return to try out the new menu items due to the tremendous letdown in January. Last summer we braved the intense summer heat and waited inside City 75 at the “Man Bar”  (51st btw. 5+6th) just to have cheesesteaks and fries occasionally with seaweed salad and Black and White cookies (we know it sounds gross). We don’t want to spread rumors but there was definitely a noticeable correlation between the subprime blowup and the shuttering of our beloved Tuck Shop at the Cyber Cafe. Perhaps the Aussies decided Midtown was too saturated with other Midtown Lunch hotspots. Sarah spent one winter switching between salmon teriyaki and udon soup at Teriyaki Boy (on 49th and 7th). Sapporo  (on 49th btw. 6+7th) was also another 10-steps-away-from-the-office favorite for a while, before the credit crunch forced us to re-evaluate the sensibility of $9 fried rice. Indian food turned out to be a great fallback, especially since you tipped us off to Spice Fusion (on 8th Ave. btw. 47+48th) where you can get rice AND naan. Before that, we only frequented Minar (on 46th btw. 6+7th) periodically due to the soup kitchen like atmosphere. We were very excited when we discovered Azuri Cafe on 51st btw. 9+10th last year. It’s a bit of a trek but the delicious falafel and shwarma and shish kabob and everything else is worth the walk. Although we know in our heads that it is inefficient to waste part of our $10 Midtown Lunch resources on drinks, our hearts can’t resist the call of the succulent fruit nectar beverages at Azuri Cafe.

“Go-To” Lunch Place You and Your Coworkers Eat at Too Often? There are too many lame places to list but some include the company cafeteria, Hale and Hearty despite the price gouging, and generic Midtown delis specifically BellyDelly Deli on 50th and Broadway.

Place(s) you discovered thanks to Midtown Lunch? Midtown Lunch as been a godsend to us and we have taken it upon ourselves to spread the gospel by going somewhere recommended by Midtown Lunch almost every day. Our favorite finds include our steak tips splurge (RIP), the “Man Bar”, and Madeleine the crepe lady at the Cyber Cafe (on 49th btw. 7+8th.)

If you could work anywhere (just because of the lunch) where would it be and why? Joyce: Boston, so I can eat lobster rolls and clam chowder for lunch every day. Sarah: Spain, because of the potential for variety in a meal made up of tapas. Plus, who wouldn’t enjoy a nice long post-lunch siesta?

Is there anything you’d like to ask the Midtown Lunch readers? Although they are outside of Midtown Lunch price boundaries, what are the best lobster rolls in the city?

Funny you should ask that.  Thanks to a tip from a Midtown Lunch’er, I had what may be the best lobster roll deal in the city over the weekend.  Check it out after the jump…  Read more »