Midtown Lunch

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 Phillip who unfortunately works in the World Financial Center, but fortunately that area is getting more respectable lunch options.

Name: Phillip

Occupation: Marketing manager

Where you work: World Financial Center

Age: 25

Favorite Kinds of Food: Chinese, Indian, Vietnamese, anything with a dipping sauce.

Least Favorite Foods: Shredded coconut, any kind of meat served with bones in it.

Favorite Lunches Downtown: Sophie’s Cuban (Multiple Locations) seems to be the go-to place for when I venture out of the WFC, but I also like The Bigger Place on Warren St. (at W. Broadway) for fresh Mexican.  Ho Yip on Liberty (btw. Greenwich & Trinity Pl.) is also a great option – I usually stick to the pay-by-the-pound buffet, but think they do an exceptional job on variety and quality for such a place.  I also like Mangez Avec Moi on W. Broadway (btw. Murray & Warren) and Nicky’s Vietnamese Sandwiches on Nassau (btw. Fulton & Ann) for banh mi cravings.

The “go-to” lunch place you and your co-workers eat at too often: We have a company cafeteria that unfortunately becomes the default location for any lunch, even though the offerings are exceptionally mediocre.  The 2(!) Devon & Blakely locations in the WFC are convenient for grab-and-go lunches and I love their pasta primavera and channa salads – plus we never have to set foot outside to get to either one.

Places downtown you discovered thanks to Midtown Lunch: I would love to try the Nixtamalito kiosk at 1 Centre St. and will mark it down for a summer Friday when it’s not 110% humidity.  Ditto for all the awesome food trucks/carts in the area.  I’m also fascinated by how detailed the buffet reviews are (offerings, spatial advice, etc).

Dream job location, purely for lunch purposes, and why: I’d have to say if I could work from home in Prospect Heights it would be pretty great.  We have good food from all types of cuisines, including City Sub – the best sandwich place in NYC!  Maybe when Brooklyn Lunch launches someday!

Anything you’d like to ask the downtown Midtown Lunch readers?: I’d love any recommendations for places west of the West Side Highway and/or closer to the WFC.

Well, as you may have seen, you’re very close to the only downtown location of Shake Shack. The burritos are good at Sabor de Mexico on Trinity Pl. (at Thames), and the rest of the food looks promising. And if you’re up for Indian the $10 stuff -your-own-take-out-container option at Salaam Bombay on Greenwich (btw. Duane & Reade) is a steal. Who else has suggestions for Phillip? And as always, if you would like to be next week’s Profiled Lunch’er (or know somebody you’d like to nominate), email us at downtown@midtownlunch.com.