Midtown Lunch

I’m going to preface this post with the fact that no, I didn’t grow up in Austin, Texas, or anywhere in California, and therefore am not an expert by any means when it comes to “authentic” Mexican food or even Tex-Mex. I’ve eaten some delicious tacos in New York from both street vendors and brick and mortar places and mostly liked what I got. Also, I grew up eating bastardized Mexican food in the Midwest, where your plate automatically came with rice, shredded lettuce and refried beans, and flour tortillas are the default. When I stepped into The Bigger Place on Warren St. (at W. Broadway), the interior reminded me of those restaurants I grew up eating in. The place was packed at lunch, though, which is always a good sign. Read more »

If you remember, at the beginning of June the C&H Halal on the corner of W. Broadway and Chambers St. was in a public beef with Plein Sud, the fancy French restaurant on that same corner. To recap: Plein Sud wanted the cart to move because it was there 24 hours a day and creating garbage on the sidewalk. In response, those working at the cart covered one side of it with neon poster board calling the restaurant “gangsters” and saying they weren’t moving. Well, it’s more than a month later and both the restaurant and cart are still there. I decided to stop by not only to get an update on the situation but also to do a little multi-tasking and check out a chicken and lamb over rice combo. Is the food worth the fight? Find out after the jump. Read more »

The new chain Hello Pasta was given a resounding “meh” yesterday at its first location in Midtown in a battle of the build-your-own pasta chains, and according to its Web site, is opening in August on Maiden Lane. Should we get excited about $8 pasta in a Chinese take out box? No. Will people be lining up for it? Yes.

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, we have Amy who likes Thanksgiving dinner, but wouldn’t follow it up with a Cinnabon. She needs your help finding a Mexican standby downtown.

Name: Amy

Occupation: Accounts Manager

Where you work: Financial Square

Age: 32

Favorite Kinds of Food: Lamb shish kebab, lahmajoon (Armenian pizza), hummus, and Salad Oliveh are among my favorite Middle Eastern foods to eat.  I love Italian pasta dishes such as gnocchi with pesto and pasta Bolognese.  Although I enjoy sushi and usually order chirashi at a Japanese restaurant,  I would say my favorite Japanese dish is okonomiyaki from Otafuko on East 9th St. & 2nd Ave.  Korean barbecue and bibimbop are dishes I enjoy in K-Town.  Indian dishes such as saag paneer and chaat papri are also favorites of mine.   If I really had to do it, I think I could eat Thanksgiving dinner each night for a year straight.

Least Favorite Foods: Olives, sauerkraut, sausage made with fennel, raw tomatoes, and anything covered in cilantro.  I also do not like fast food and have a real aversion to any Cinnabon counter. Cinnabons look like big blobs of sticky calories  that would stick to me the rest of my life.  I have never tried one and never will since I learned they are also 813 calories a bun.  Gross! Read more »

It’s not often I have a lunch that makes me angry afterward because I usually don’t spend enough to feel like I’ve been ripped off. I mean, if I get some bad street meat, I’m angry, but I only spent $5 on it. When I shell out almost $10 and the food is crappy, I usually vow never to eat at that place again because there are too many delicious things to eat downtown to waste my stomach space. This was the case when I first tried 22 Thai Cuisine on Maiden Lane (btw. Nassau & Broadway). I went there two days after it opened, mostly because I was so excited to see if the Financial District would finally have some some good Thai food. Thai is one of my favorite genres of food overall and I’ve been fairly disappointed with the couple of places I’ve tried down here, which are either overpriced or generic. Find out what angered me, and what made me want to come back after the jump. Read more »