Midtown Lunch

The winner of “Best Sweets” in the Midtown Lunch Readers’ Poll this past year used to spend a few days a week parked in Midtown, but now the famous yellow Waffle & Dinges truck is on its last legs. It will “remain stationary on 22nd and 7th during the week, with tow truck trips to Park Slope on the weekends.”  Midtown Waffle Fail! (Anybody know if that imposter waffle truck is still up near Blomingdales?) [Official Site via Eater]

A lot has gone on since we first posted the news that the Wafels & Dinges truck had added pulled pork as a waffle topping on their truck (which parks in Midtown during lunch a few days a week.) Serious Eats: New York weighed in first, and had good things say; and yesterday the truck sent out a press release saying the menu item was going to be added permanently to the menu. Blondie and Brownie like it too. But we did get one minor complaint from Lunch’er Jeff in the comments yesterday:

Ok, call us pioneers, a co-worker and I went for this today.. first ones there. Smart move cause even if the line was short, they make the waffles fresh, so a little bit of a wait for each order. Listen, I can go on and on with how fantastic this tasted.. the combination works!! It even folds into a taste-sensational sandwich as they instructed. Again, the BBQ sauce, the cool creamy slaw (still generic grade though), the soft meat, and the warm crusty waffle.. yum!! BUT I’m pissed!!

Read more »

5 vendors battled it out at the Fourth Annual Vendy Awards on Saturday night, and for the second year in a row, a Midtown cart was the crowd favorite, but failed to take home the Vendy Cup. Last year it was Kwik Meal… this year the Biryani Cart. Despite putting forward an amazing effort, and getting the most votes from the largest Vendy Award crowd ever, the Biryani Cart lost to the Soho based Calexico Cart- who were awarded the Vendy Cup by the tastebud-less distinguished judges. Kwik Meal was the judges’ pick for runner up.

I don’t want to say Meru and the Biryani Cart were robbed… but I kind of think the people’s choice award says it all. Don’t get me wrong, I love the Calexico Cart- and if they ever decide to move their burrito cart from 25th & Park into Midtown proper, I will be the first one in line for one of their awesome carne asada burritos. But man did I want the Biryani Cart to take the whole thing… and based on the plate of food they served- they really should have.

Food porn, dessert award and more, after the jump…  Read more »

Serious Eats:New York files the first official report of the new lunch offering from the Wafels and Dinges Truck we posted about yesterday. My favorite part of the post?  The truck thought that the reporters were from Midtown Lunch!  Sorry guys… 27th Street & Park Ave. was too far out of bounds for me today.  But from the looks of this monstrosity, I’ll be hitting that up on the first day the W&D truck is back in Midtown proper! Want to track the truck yourself?  Sign up for their Twitter.

This years Vendy Awards is shaping up to be the best ever.  For the first time ever, a second category has been added: dessert!  This morning, the four nominees were announced for best dessert truck, and 3 of the 4 finalists are Midtown Lunch favorites.  The Treats Truck, The Dessert Truck, and Wafels and Dinges all made the cut, with the Van Leeuwen Ice Cream Truck being the only choice that doesn’t spend at least one day parked in Midtown (what gives man?!?  Can’t we get a hipster ice cream day up in this piece?)  The award for best dessert will be voted on by the people rather than the judges, and the new additions mean that now an $80 ticket will get you food from 9 different vendors.  Like I said… best… vendys… ever.  If you haven’t gotten your tickets yet, you may want to get on this now since the event has sold out every year.  Plus, all the money goes to benefit the Street Vendor Project, so you can feel good about yourself while chowing down food from nine (that’s right, nine) different carts!

Related:
2008 Vendy Nominees Announced and Midtown Gets 2

Back in June we mentioned how long the line for the Treats Truck had become on Wednesdays– the one day a week it’s parked on 45th btw. 6+7th. The owner Kim herself has told me it’s her most popular spot, which may lead one to wonder- “Why don’t you park there more often?”  The people want it.  It would be good for business.  What’s stopping her?  Two words.  Mister.  Softee.  Last spring, when the weather started to warm up, and the Mister Softee truck returned to its regular spot on 45th & 6th, a “conversation” ensued.  Kim was told she couldn’t park on that block, but a “deal” was struck between the two vendors allowing the Treats Truck to park on 45th and 6th one day a week.

And that’s the way things were… until the Wafels and Dinges Truck arrived.   Read more »

This just into the Midtown Lunch Inbox: The “imposter waffle truck” is parked on “Lexington between 58th and 59th” right now “handing out bite sized free samples.”  This is the truck that will eventually be serving pomme frites (they don’t have them today) and different from the Wafels and Dinges Truck, which was planning on parking at 51st & Park today, but was forced to move to 23rd St. & 5th Ave. because there is a movie being filmed on Park Ave.  The Dessert Truck lucked out and got their normal space near Park & 52nd St.  The Treats Truck is closed this week, so conecakes fans are SOL.