Midtown Lunch

In case you missed this breaking news story the other day, it seems that newish pizza place Liberatos on Cedar St. has become the official food provider for all of those protestors messing up our commutes. The pizza place was chosen pretty randomly, but I am disappointed that there wasn’t a better decision made here. I mean, Liberatos is OK but Adrienne’s and Underground Pizza are so much better!  Although I guess when you’re spending your day sitting around and eating free pizza sent to you from some guy from another country, it all tastes pretty good.

As is customary here on Midtown Lunch: Downtown, every Tuesday we’ll profile a different lunch’er and get their recommendations for places to eat in Downtown NYC. This week, we have Vendy Awards Managing Director Helena, who is no doubt busy ahead of this Saturday’s gut-busting event on Governor’s Island. Want to know what she eats for lunch on a daily basis? Hint: She likes the street carts.

Name: Helena

Occupation: Managing Director of the Vendy Awards

Where you work: The Street Vendor Project, William (btw. Fulton & John)

Age: 31

Favorite kinds of food: This is like asking a mother who their favorite child is, but If I must, here it goes: Spicy, brothy, noodley soups, black beans and rice, breakfast tacos, raw fish, channa masala, roti canai, thin-skinned dumplings, peak-of-summer tomato sandwiches with butter and salt, pozole, miso soup, snow pea greens with garlic, and Greek-style grilled octopus.

Least favorite foods: Mayo and goat cheese–I know, I know, it’s a shonda.

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The finalists for the Vendy Cup at this Saturday’s 2011 Vendy Awards were announced this morning, and it turns out that two of the seven nominated are downtown lunches. Souvlaki GR, which has become a mainstay at Old Slip, and Sam’s Falafel, home of a gigantic and dirt cheap vegetarian platter, are both nominated for the award that will be handed out on Governor’s Island. Stop by for lunch today and congratulate them, and maybe get a little food while you’re there.

There was a mention over on Eater late last week that Baoguette, maker of a fine Vietnamese sandwich, is opening a new shop at 75 Nassau St. (btw. John & Fulton).  When I walked by the windows at that address were covered in black plastic, so it seems like something is indeed opening in the former dry cleaning shop. It’s unclear whether they would keep the store open on Maiden Lane (btw. Broadway & Nassau) but it wouldn’t really make sense to have two within such close proximity. I’m guessing that Nicky’s Vietnamese Sandwiches, which is located just a block away at Nassau & Ann streets, is not going to be pleased about this news.

Thanks to those of you who pleaded your case of being one of the four VIPs at tomorrow’s All-Clad food truck stop in Soho.You can find the truck in front of the Sur La Table store at Spring & Crosby from noon until 2 p.m. It’s one of a bunch of stops featuring different chefs doing cooking demonstrations, and at this one chef Marc Murphy will be making a porchetta sandwich with pickled onions and tomato rosemary jam (!) and giving out free samples (so you could possibly call it a light lunch if you really want to freeload). At least this food truck tie-in has a little more relevance than blue jeans or airlines.