Midtown Lunch

I’m probably late to the party in noticing this but the Pakistan Tea House was hit with a C grade from the Department of Health. The grade probably comes as a surprise to no one, and likely won’t stop any cabbies from eating there, but it was the first one I’ve seen downtown. I guess we should all be thankful they didn’t get shut down by the DOH like Win Won and then close for good.

The tasting event that allows you to eat sometimes expensive lunch items at ML prices in the World Financial Center is coming your way tomorrow. It’s from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. in the Winter Garden and allows you to try food from restaurants like Yushi and SouthWestNY for $5 or less. It also marks the return for the season of Ed’s Lobster Bar and Quality Burger kiosks and something called Harry’s BBQ outside by the marina. So bring your inner glutton to work tomorrow, or you can just save yourself for when Shake Shack opens next month.

In between the spam and invitations to things only loosely-related to food sometimes I do get worthwhile e-mails. I recently got one from a downtown lunch’er that opened my eyes to how much it must suck to keep kosher in the Financial District and try to find a good meal. The person was asking where to go for a kosher lunch in the bottom part of the FiDi. I was stumped because while there’s the Kosher Luncheonette (and Milk St. Cafe coming to Wall St.) there really aren’t many options at all (that I’m aware of), especially if you want to actually sit there and eat. Pita Express on Ann St. (btw. Nassau & Park Row) was one of the places I came across, and the mix of Israeli and Middle Eastern food sounded good. Plus all of their sandwiches are under $10, and so I figured I would find out if this place was any good.

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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 culinary school grad Alexandra who works on the edge of ML Downtown territory and supplements her SoHo lunches with occasional trips to the Village.

Name: Alexandra

Occupation: Account exec at a digital agency

Where you work: Border of SoHo & Greenwich Village

Age: 25

Favorite Kinds of Food: If it’s tasty, interesting, and cooked with love, it has my vote (I graduated from culinary school in December, so needless to say, I really like good food). Though if I could survive on freshly-baked bread and butter alone, I’d die a happy girl.

Least Favorite Foods: Any food masquerading as another food.  Tofurkey?  I think I’ll pass.  And celery. I really, really despise celery.

Favorite Lunches Downtown: Even though I usually just run out and bring lunch back to the office, I still try to make it an event.  Sort of a little culinary journey in the middle of a hectic day.  Highlights so far–Kelley & Ping on Greene St. (btw. Prince & W. Houston) for the duck noodle soup & mango sticky rice; Once Upon a Tart on Sullivan (nr. Prince) for the asparagus, pea, mint or pumpkin-black bean soups; ‘SNice on Sullivane (btw. Prince & W. Houston) for the curried cauliflower and chickpea wrap; Francois Payard Bakery on W. Houston (btw. Thompson & Sullivan) for the salade nicoise, Masala Times on Bleecker (btw. Sixth & MacDougal) for spicy brochettes & naan; Birdbath (Multiple Locations) for the occasional afternoon chocolate chip cookie. If I manage to leave work before Raffetto’s on W. Houston (nr. MacDougal) closes, I try to pick up some fresh pasta and make lunch for the next day.

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