Archive for April 2010

Vodka Slice is the Way to Go at Underground Pizza

Crowds definitely don’t always indicate good food, but in a neighborhood with a pizza place on every block, a line for a slice is a pretty good sign. So when I showed up at Underground Pizza on Hanover Square to follow up on Valerie’s suggestion and found a line that stretched out onto the sidewalk, I had a feeling I’d come to the right place.

There was no calamari slice or bacon-jalapeno slice waiting for me, but I really enjoyed the slices that I had. Underground Pizza serves up some great product at affordable prices, but the reason to go is the vodka slice, which is $3.45 of pure delicious and which you can drool over after the jump.

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Swich 2.0: Still Tasty After the Reboot

Swich 020
Our friendly neighborhood Swich (83 Maiden Lane) reopened last week and before too much time went by, I wanted to make sure I got in there to see what the revamp was all about. After all, it really wasn’t open all that long before they shuttered up, announcing they’d be back shortly with a new sense of style and self-worth. Now with their fancy new awning, they’re back to show us what they’ve learned on their little spring break. Let’s see what they’ve got, shall we? Read more »

PROFILE: Lunch’er “Valerie”

As is customary here on Midtown Lunch, every Tuesday we’ll profile a different lunch’er and get their recommendations for places to eat in Downtown NYC. This week, Valerie picks out all the celery.

ValerieName: Valerie

Occupation: JP Morgan Operations/IT

Where you work: Financial District

Age: 25

Favorite Kind of Food: Pasta. Spicy foods. Olives.

Least Favorite Food: Celery and anything with raisins in it.

Favorite Lunches Downtown: Schnitzel & Things. The Burger Shoppe. Banh Mi Cart. The Country Café for a falafel sandwich. Adrienne’s. Hot Soup Cart.

The “go-to” lunch place you and your co-workers eat at too often: The Sandwich House for pasta or sandwiches. Underground Pizza. Good Burger. Chipotle. Water Street Deli. Sophie’s. Read more »

Lamb Meatballs Make the “Homemade Cart” a Downtown Treasure

Homemade Cart 002

Yes, friends, it’s time for another chapter in my mythic journey to find Downtown’s epic street meat carts.  Chapters one and two have been fantastic experiences (the prologue as well!) but this is an expedition that will never end. This time I went deep into the Financial District to the corner of Beaver and Broadway, right across the street from Bowling Green.  The street meat cart I visited this time looks like just about any other on the street. The generic pictures that are plastered all over the sides of the cart give the impression that this is just another place to get chicken and rice, the same blah-dee-bah spicing that makes it taste vaguely Middle Eastern.  But let me assure you, it’s not. What you’ll find here is good, flavorful food. What you’ll find here is chicken that tastes like chicken.  What you’ll find are delicious, homemade sides like lamb meatballs and kidney beans, stuff that you likely won’t find anywhere else in the city.

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Downtown Links (The “All of humankind has one thing in common…the sandwich” Edition)

Swich Reopen

  • Eater reports that Swich is back up and running after a revamp of its style and menu [Eater]
  • Lunch with Front Studio makes me jealous with their trip to Project Sandwich [Lunch with Front Studio]
  • Do you know where your closest KFC is? Everybody’s gearing up for the new Double Down sandwich, including our own Midtown Lunchers [Midtown Lunch Boards]
  • Lunch with Front Studio is at it again, this time with a Porchetta sandwich from Alidoro [Lunch with Front Studio]
  • The Feed tells us where to indulge our inner (and outer) freeloader [The Feed]
  • Fork in the Road points us in the direction of cheap Chinese street food [Fork in the Road]

Portobello’s Calamari Slice Throws a Knockout Punch

Portobello's 028
I had been meaning to meet my buddy Dan for lunch for ages by the time we finally sat down together a few days ago. We’ve worked not more than 5 minutes away from each other for about 2 years now and hadn’t managed to grab a bite to eat in that entire time. It was ludicrous. So after a series of texts, it was decided: he’d show me a couple of places in his neighborhood and I’d tell him if he was getting a raw deal by working in west of Broadway Downtown. Dan’s response was to bust out the big guns and take me to Portobello’s Pizza and Sicilian Kitchen. Read more »

Bento Nouveau, Part Deux: Teriyaki Chicken

I was surprisingly pleased with my first visit to Sushi! by Bento Nouveau. Despite the worryingly corporate and chain-y appearance, the food I had was very good and not at all a bad deal for the price.

I was happy with the udon, the sushi, and the dessert, so I went back for a hot entree. This time, I checked out the location on Broadway near Morris Street and got myself some Teriyaki Chicken. The verdict: very good. Photos to drool over after the jump.

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