Midtown Lunch

It’s tough working in the Financial District when all you want for lunch is some Thai food that doesn’t leave you broke or hungry two hours later. Sure, there might be some good places in Chinatown, but sometimes delivery or taking a subway lunch is not in the cards. The lunch menu at Bennie’s Thai Cafe on Fulton St. (at Gold) is promising and cheap at $5.95 to $7.95 for your choice of meaty entree and some rice. And it may come from a steam table somewhere in the back, but at least if it is you can pretend it was made fresh for you in two minutes. Read more »

If there’s one place in Soho that’s always on everyone’s list to check out, it’s Italian sandwich shop Alidoro on Sullivan St. (btw. Spring & Prince). I am not a big sandwich person and no one really told me just why this place was so awesome. Was it the bread, the ingredients, what?!? After seeing it listed in a Downtown Lunch’er profile and then another, (and finding out even Zach has eaten there) I took the train up there (and really I should probably take advantage of this before they make good on the talk of getting rid of unlimited-ride Metro cards). Bread, meat and cheese after the jump. Read more »

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 James who works in Tribeca and has found some good lunches in a pricey neighborhood, but would love to work a little farther north. And you probably won’t see him lined up for a BBQ chicken pizza with arugula.

Name: James Durazzo

Occupation: Budget analyst

Where you work: TriBeCa

Age: 28

Favorite Kinds of Food: Italian, Mexican, burgers

Least Favorite kinds of Food: Canned tuna fish, bologna, Kraft singles, cream cheese, salad bars in delis that have “canned everything” for toppings, pizza with obscure toppings

Favorite lunches Downtown: Farinella on Worth St. (btw. Broadway and Church) for the marinara slice as well as the Portalba calzone (sautéed escarole with black olives); South’s Bar on Church St. (btw. Franklin and 6th Ave.) for the sirloin burger with blue cheese as well as the nachos; The Bigger Place on Warren St. (at W. Broadway) for the chorizo tacos and a glass of cold refreshing horchata; Stuzzicheria on Church St. (btw. Walker and Lispenard) for pane panelle sliders and arancini; Majestic Pizza on Cortlandt St. (btw. Trinity Pl. and Broadway) for the grandma slice with fresh basil. Read more »

I don’t really know what voodoo I was expecting Chickpea to perform with its baked falafel to make me forget it wasn’t fried, but it didn’t happen. The chain is focused on healthy eating, and nothing there is fried. Don’t get me wrong, in the absence of Maoz way downtown, I’ll take Chickpea if I’m not in the mood to eat outside or at my desk. What can I say, I’m a sucker for falafel chains with fixin’s bars? Read more »

This pizza was had by wading through tourists. Courtesy of Always Hungry.

• The Feast of San Gennaro sounds like it’s delicious this year, and full of meat and bread products. [Always Hungry NY]
• The stationary Tacombi taco truck isn’t getting such great reviews for their $4 tacos. [Eater NY]
• In case you were wondering, there are good places to eat near the “Ground Zero Mosque” once you’re done protesting.  [Fork In the Road]
• Big Wing Wong makes a mean-looking roast duck noodle soup. [Lunch with Front Studio]
• Drool over the pictures of the out-of-boundish Francois Payard Bakery. Or I guess you could go there. [Grub St.]

Sounds like there was a little excitement at Canal & E. Broadway a little while ago, per Umamimart’s Twitter and their photo above:

Van just knocked over a street vendor’s cart! Corner of Canal/ East Bway in Chinatown. DRAMA!

But wait, there’s more!

Totally crazy! Thank god no one was inside. The van i think accidentally brushed it, knocked it over and just took off!…Of course everyone rallied to help get the cart back up tho. Love NYC!

That is crazy! I have no idea what cart it was, but hopefully no vendor or food (or, I guess, driver) was damaged in all of this. Anybody know what carts are usually at that corner?