Midtown Lunch

We noticed this tweet today from Luke’s Lobster when asked if they plan on returning to their regular Bryant Park spot. Turns out the police have continued to crack down on food trucks parking in that area and have threatened “severe penalties” if they continue to show up. We used to see Taim around these parts at least once a week and even the smaller guys (namely the Mediterranean Grill truck who briefly parked on 39th) have been victims of police harassment. This was a prime location for many trucks and a great lunch option for those that work nearby and don’t want to settle with the food kiosks inside the park. I wonder if this has anything to do with Dan Biederman, who recently called street vendors “terrible citizens” and just so happens to be the head of the Bryant Park Corporation.

Remember when Dan Biederman, the President of the 34th Street Partnership, called our favorite lunch vendors “ugly” and “terrible citizens” a few weeks back? Well, the vendors aren’t going to take those sort of demeaning attacks. Today at 10:30am, dozens of vendors will join the Street Vendor Project to rally outside the Partnership offices on Sixth Avenue (between 40th and 41st Street) demanding an apology from Biederman. If you can slip out of work and want to show your support, come on down.  Vendor Power!!

We love Street Vendor Project here at Midtown Lunch. Not only do they throw one of the best food event of the year (the Vendys) they do noble work on behalf of our beloved street carts and food trucks. Amazingly enough they turn 10 years old this year and to celebrate they’ll be throwing a special party on March 27th! It will take place downtown at Judson Memorial Church, from 7pm to 10pm, with live music, drinks, and food from past Vendy Award winners. Early bird tickets are just $45, but are only available until tomorrow at 6pm, so grab one before the price goes up!

UPDATE: After this post initially went up we got word that Solber Pupusas and Paty’s Tacos will both be at the event… with more vendors to be announced soon.  Stay tuned!

DNAinfo published a story yesterday about the ongoing tension between brick and mortar business owners and food vendors. The 34th Street Partnership is now attempting to launch a campaign that would reduce the number of vendors allowed in Midtown. They quoted the head of the Partnership who called the vendors “the ugliest collection of vehicles,” and “terrible citizens.” They also want the carts to “beautify” themselves to look more like attractive carts like Wafels & Dinges. And they claim this campaign would make Midtown much more pleasant for residents.

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In case you missed it on Eater yesterday, our very own Blondie & Brownie scored a book deal this week!  The project is tentatively titled “New York ala Carte” and will be a “guide to the city’s gourmet food cart scene, with more than 60 recipes from New York’s top vendors.”  We don’t want to give away all the secrets, but I think it goes without saying that many of our favorite Midtown Lunch vendors will be highlighted (and you might see the names of a few more ML contributors popping up to help with the project.)  As the project starts to come together we’ll be sure to fill you guys in before anybody else, but for now you can get a few more details about the book over on their blog, and make sure to congratulate them in the comments.

In light of the recent difficulties plaguing food trucks in New York City, we thought it might be useful to take a look back at the history of vending in NYC. Our man Brian Hoffman gives street food tours for Urban Oyster both in Midtown and the Financial District, so we asked him to pull from his extensive research on past and present vendor regulations to give us some perspective on the current scene.

Photo Courtesy of Detroit Publishing, Library of Congress, Circa 1900

Yesterday we linked to a Crain’s report that has revenue from some food trucks down a whopping 70%, a fact that undoubtedly has to do with food truck owners struggling with unclear laws, a barrage of parking tickets, and other difficulties that make operating their small businesses much more difficult than it should be. Yet this is nothing new, just the latest batch of regulations and restrictions street vendors have had to overcome for centuries.

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The law still stands that food trucks are not legally allowed to set up at parking meters to operate their business. And while petitions have been signed, videos have been circulated, and meetings have been held, we don’t see quite as many trucks as we used to. However, it seems as if the police have been bothering the trucks a little less frequently in the last few weeks. Have they finally found better things to do, or is it just lulling us back into a false sent of lunchtime security…

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If you’ve been by 52nd Street in the last few days, you may have noticed some signs taped up announcing a public hearing by the Vendor Task Force Committee. The meeting will address regulations regarding street vendors and it’s open to the public. So I urge all of you who have an interest in the future of food trucks and carts in the city to attend and show your support. It starts at 6:30pm tonight in the auditorium of the New York Blood Center, which is located at 310 East 67th Street (between 2nd and 1st Avenue).

If you need an afternoon chuckle, check out this article over at the New Yorker. Bob Mankoff, who’s drawn The New Yorker’s iconic cartoons for over 20 years, waxes poetic on street food and gives a nod to the Street Vendor Project. It’s always good to see an influential publication take notice of the cause, and if they can do it through humor, it’s certainly something to smile about.

Related:
Own A Print of the Elwood Smith Vendor Wars Cartoon from the New York Times