Midtown Lunch

The CBC aired a four part documentary called “The Great Food Revolution” last week, and a small part of it was dedicated to food blogging.  They asked me to take them to some of my favorite Midtown Lunch spots, so a few months ago a camera followed me to Margon, Minar, Cafe Zaiya, and the Biryani Cart.  I wasn’t going to be post the video (I am embarrassingly goofy looking *and* sounding) but I feel bad not letting the infamous Midtown Lunch Commenters see me discuss how scared they make me.  Plus all those who were disappointed that I didn’t look fatter in the VendrTV video, you’ll be happy to know I look much heftier in this one.

Video is after the jump…

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VendrTV, the new video podcast dedicated to uncovering the best street food in the world, has devoted their third episode to the famous chicken and lamb over rice guys on 53rd St. and 6th Ave. in Midtown. The episode is hosted by Daniel Delaney (with a little help from yours truly) and he visits the famous nighttime cart on the SW corner, their daytime sister cart which parks on the SE corner, and the imposter cart that parks on the SW corner during the day. The episode brings to life a series of posts from Midtown Lunch, and is vaguely reminiscent of that “report” on WCBS TV last November– except that it’s good.

I hesitate to post the video, which exposes me in all my dorkiness and perhaps shows me looking not quite as fat as you may think I am.  Just know this for the purposes of scale… I only look that way because the host of the show is 7’1″ and weighs 530 pounds. (Lord help me, I’m just not that attractive…)

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You know how much I love conveyor belt sushi, so even though this video was taken in Japan, and not Midtown, I had to post it.  “Watch the people’s reactions as a camera makes the rounds at a local [Kaiten] sushi restaurant in Tomakomai, Hokkaido, Japan.”  It’s over 7 minutes long, but it’s mesmerizing- and completely worth it.  (Especially when the camera makes it back to the kitchen.)  I like looking at the facial expressions, and how big each person’s stack of plates is.  Could you imagine what it would have been like if we had done this at (the now closed) Sakae Sushi (on 43rd btw. Lex+3rd)?  It would be pretty much the same, but without the people.

Check out the video after the jump…

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Brian Williams was on the Daily Show last night, and during his interview Jon Stewart casually referenced Hallo Berlin, the German Restaurant on 10th Ave. whose famous cart parks on 54th and 5th Ave. So random! They were also making fun of Twitter, so you guys should like this one.

The video is after the jump, and the mention is about 6 minutes into the clip…

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Hey! I know those two girls…

Vendr TV launched yesterday, a new website and video podcast that goes inside the world of street vendors. They plan on covering street food from all over the world… but naturally are beginning in New York City. For their first video, they spent the day in Midtown with Kim and the Treats Truck- and not surprisingly Blondie and Brownie were caught on video buying treats in the background. (In case you thought their “Taking on the Treats Truck One Treat at a Time” feature on their blog was a farce… this is the evidence that they are in fact always there.)

Did you make the video? Check it out after the jump…

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If yesterday’s post about my trip to the Todai Buffet with a bunch of competitive eaters wasn’t enough for you, there is video! Shot and edited by Beautiful Brian, he was nice enough to keep me out of the video (for the most part) so my embarassing performance would not be saved for posterity.

Check it out after the jump…   Read more »

I am embarrassed to admit it, but I wasted my time watching that Inside Edition “expose” on NYC Street Vendors last night. Was it gross? Yes. Did they catch 3 or 4 vendors picking their noses, and then handling food without gloves. Of course. Thankfully though none of the vendors covered were popular Midtown Lunch carts (although one I recognized as being on 48th St. & 7th Ave.) They were all non-descript hot dog and kebab vendors mostly frequented by tourists. And you know what I say? Screw the tourists. Maybe these dirty carts will thin their ranks out a bit- get them out of the way so I can walk home in peace after work.

In all seriousness though (I do hate tourists, but don’t wish dysentery on them), amazingly, after watching the 3 minute and 30 second report I felt more sorry for the vendors than anything. So what. 4 street vendors are kind of dirty. So is restaurant food. So is the subway. These guys aren’t criminals. And reports like this tend to do more harm than good. The majority of vendors work hard, follow the rules, keep clean carts, and don’t pick their feet while on the job. They shouldn’t be vilified because there are 3 that don’t. Hell, I’m picking my nose as I write this. And I might go eat something when I’m done (but not boogers. That’s gross.)

If you must watch the video, it’s after the jump…  Read more »

The Food Cart Song video I posted earlier in the week was fun, but this video that Sarah DiGregorio from Fork in the Road discovered this week about food vendors in Midtown is the real deal.  It aired on Al Jazeera earlier in the year, and actually delves into serious issues that effect the people who serve some of our favorite food in Midtown.  One of the issues, which rarely gets mentioned, is the “unwritten brotherhood” between vendors over who can park in which spots (especially in Midtown.)  In fact, one of hot dog vendors interviewed talked about how angry he was over the Steak Truck’s arrival on his corner back in August of last year. 

Here are some of the more interesting tidbits (but I would recommend watching the whole 12 minute video if you have the time:

• The hot dog vendor in front of MoMa paid $300,000 to occupy the spot for 3 years.
• Most vendors only make between $7000 and $14,000 a year
• Sean Basinski, the lawyer who runs the Street Vendor Project and Vendy Awards, used to sell burritos from a cart on Park Avenue
• Tony Dragonas took over his cart’s spot from his father 25 years ago
• In 1994, one street vendor went on a hunger strike for 3 days when then Mayor Giuliani turned his street into a “no food vendor parking” block

Watch the whole video here

Eater just posted a link to this amazing You Tube video for “The Food Cart Song” starring some well known (and not so well known) cart vendors in Midtown. Amyn from King Tut (on 50th & 6th), Muhammed from the famous cart on 53rd & 6th, and Andrea from the Jamaican Dutchy (on 51st & 7th) all make an appearance.  Oh, and they lip synch too.

Greatest… video… ever.