Midtown Lunch

Bad news on the Caribbean cart beat – it looks like R. Retha’s, aka the Jamaican Dutchy, is gone for good. The Jamaican cart was last seen back in April being towed away with a yellow Department of Health sticker affixed to it. When I walked by last week the spot at William & Beaver had been taken over by the New York Halal cart which seems like it might be OK, but doesn’t serve giant plates of jerk chicken. Looks like those of you who work this far down in the Financial District will have to make do with the Trinidad & Tobago cart at Whitehall & Water from now on.

The Nassau St. location of Ruben’s Empanadas between John & Fulton St. was not only closed, but completely gutted when I walked by yesterday. It’s not entirely surprising since it seems to be mostly empty even during prime lunch time. Never fear, though: As the sign says there’s another location on Fulton St. and one on Pearl just off Hanover Sq. to feed your empanada cravings.

The gates were down at Goodies on Fulton St. (at Gold) and I wasn’t exactly reassured by a sign in the window saying they would reopen soon. In a good news, bad news situation, Goodies has indeed bitten the dust, taking its menu of things you might expect to find in Chinatown and not the Financial District with it. Lunch’er Seaweed noted that signage had gone up for its replacement called Asian Wok. During a walk by today, it didn’t appear they were actually open, but a new menu was hanging in the window and as I feared it’s full of the usual Americanized Chinese suspects without any dim sum selections in sight. I guess it’s the only Chinese food option in that area if you don’t want to walk up to Yip’s on William St. This is one of the sadder closings in recent memory and I guess there will have to be more treks up to Chinatown now.

I was skeptical of the sign in the window of the Popeye’s on Fulton St. that said the store was closed to “make needed improvements to better serve you,” since no work seemed to be taking place inside the unpapered windows. When I walked by Friday there was a repossession by marshal’s sign on the door, and I’m pretty sure we’re now one fried chicken joint shorter. They closed for these alleged renovations after a shutter by the Department of Health for various violations, so maybe that had something to do with it.

Lunch’er Seaweed passed along the sad news that The Country Kebab on Fulton St. (at Gold), where I’d only recently discovered some vegetarian delights, is closing as of today due to a rent increase. When I stopped by on Thursday, their last day of business, there was indeed a lengthy letter taped to each window and the door explaining in great detail why they were closing. From the look of it, they’re just as angry about a likely rent hike and loss of lease as I’m sure many of you will be, but you’ll still be able to order for delivery.

Sad news on the soup front – it looks like the beloved Cafe Doppio on Beaver (at Broad) has shuttered instead of simply closing for a fix-up session. I know a lot of you liked this place for their huge selection of soups, but they were also next door to a Hale & Hearty and around the corner and across the street from a Cosi and Au Bon Pain. Round that out with the Pret A Manger further up Broad St. and that seems like a little too much soup and sandwich competition in one area for a mom-and-pop store to survive.

Sad news on the Caribbean chain restaurant front: The last location of Golden Krust below 14th St. has closed. When I walked past the former purveyor of meat patties and cheap lunches on Nassau St. (btw. John & Fulton), the sign above was hanging in the window informing us that the nearest remaining locations are either in midtown or near Union Square. You may remember the Tribeca location on Church St. quietly closed a year ago. Thankfully we still have non-chain sources of Caribbean food at Veronica’s Kitchen, R. Retha’s and the Trinidad & Tobago carts.