Midtown Lunch

In an article in the New York Times published on Sunday, they give us the inside scoop on how many restaurants and the people who work at them are faring after hurricane Sandy. The verdict? It’s maybe not quite as bad as after Sept. 11, but close. A lot of people who work in restaurants that are still closed or are losing business due to a lack of phone or Internet service have been laid off permanently or temporarily. Many businesses are surviving on a cash only system, which as we all know is not ideal when a lot of people only carry cards or order food on Seamless.

I know some of these inconveniences myself because my office has been effectively shuttered since the hurricane, which is why there haven’t been as many posts on the site as normal. I find out many food-related things just by walking around, and it’s hard to keep tabs on what’s happening downtown when you’re working from home in another borough.

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When I mentioned that L&L Hawaiian BBQ on Fulton St. (at Gold) had started serving Chinese food from a steam table, luncher rodalpho commented on his favorite item from the establishment:

I haven’t tried the buffet because I generally don’t leave my office for lunch, but I have sampled most of L&L’s menu. Skip the plate lunches, the sushi, and the Chinese food. L&L has one (and only one) truly great item on its menu– the BBQ beef sandwich. I strongly recommend it.

That sounded like a strong enough endorsement for me to go get myself a beef sandwich.

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Those of you who like your breakfast (or lunch) to be composed of carbs will be interested in knowing that Long Island Bagel Cafe on Fulton St. (btw. Nassau & William) has put up signage and looks somewhat close to opening. I’m going to say this is more exciting than the Au Bon Pain going in a couple of blocks away because the bagels and other baked goods can’t be as bad as what’s found at that chain, although I’m more pumped for Baba Ghanouge to open its doors.

Feel confident going meatless at a certain noodle shop. Via SENY.

• There’s a new source of British food downtown. [Tribeca Citizen]
• You can now get famous pastrami delivered. [FitR]
• Do not get BK’s chicken parm. [Food in Mouth]
• A flashy Mexican resto’s coming to BPC [Diner’s Journal]
• An update on Seaport food & drink post Sandy. [ENY]
• Downtown has some good vegetarian soups. [SENY]

There are several restaurants in the Financial District that fall outside the $10 price range at lunch, but sometimes I’m still curious about them. One of those places is Smorgas Chef on Stone St. just off of S. William St. The Swedish meatballs on the menu kept luring me in, but even the open-face lunch sandwich is $12 and the entree version costs even more. But what about the $10 appetizer of meatballs, mashed potatoes and lingonberry? Would it be enough to satisfy at lunch?

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The food truck situation in the Financial District has been in flux since many parking spots have been taken up by emergency vehicles and generators. That means many regulars, like the Tribeca Taco Truck which has regularly been rat Water & John, have been forced to find new locations in the neighborhood, or just park in Midtown for the time being. They returned on Tuesday after an absence and I happened to walk by as I was figuring out what to eat for lunch. I’ve already tried their tacos and a chorizo burrito when the truck used to park in Soho (they now have a cart on Broadway btw. Prince & Spring). It turns out they’ve upped the price on some of their burritos, but the $5 options are a great deal.

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