Midtown Lunch

This is what a winning fish taco looks like, courtesy of Fork In The Road

• Fish tacos from Nolita’s Pinche Taqueria and Baja Fresh went head-to-head, with Pinche coming out the winner thanks its taco’s heft and tastier fish. What, no throwdown with Taco Bell? [Fork In the Road]
• A protein-oriented chainlet for meatheads has opened its first NYC location in Tribeca. I’m sure it’s just as healthy as those jugs of bright pink protein drinks being consumed in the weight area of the gym. [Tribeca Citizen]
• Old school Chinese hole-in-the-wall Mee Sun Cafe has been shuttered by the DOH since the end of April. [Lost City]
• The Grand St. location of Two Boots is closing on May 9 after three years. Apparently, people on the Lower East Side don’t like their pizza with a Cajun twist. [The Lo Down]
• The po boys and other New Orleans fare at Cheeky Sandwiches pass muster. [Restaurant Girl] 

A sign of the apocalypse, courtesy of Eater

• Many, many cheap people took advantage of the $5 pre-opening deal at Chipotle. [Eater]
• The banh beo makes for a “wonderful mouthful” at Chinatown’s New Tu Do. [Fork in the Road]
• There is messy, spicy lamb gyro to be had on Spring Street. [Lunch with Front Studio]
• Craving fancified tacos? There are a couple of places downtown worth checking out. [MetromixNY]

Chairman Bao from Baohaus, courtesy of Bionic Bites

• It’s a a pork bun, not a pickled communist leader: the Chairman Bao from Baohaus [Bionic Bites]
• Then a quick jaunt to the LES to check out Mikey’s burgers. Try not to drool on your keyboard [Fork in the Road]
• Front Studio takes a trip to Carl’s Steaks. Me ‘n’ Carl go way back [Lunch with Front Studio]
• Josh Ozersky takes on the Lamb Face Salad, just like yours truly (to be fair, mine had less of the “good stuff”) [Ozersky.tv]
• Grub Street reports that we’re going to be getting a lot of stuff that we’ve all probably eaten before [Grub Street]

A taco and a tostada from Pinche Taqueria, courtesy of Lunch with Front Studio.

• The look of the food at Pinch Taqueria on Mott between Spring and Prince makes me wonder if NYC is such a bad place for Mexican food after all. [Lunch with Front Studio]
• Kathy at Serious Eats makes the Panino Greco from Grandaisy Bakery at West Broadway and Beach sound like the perfect summer sandwich. [Serious Eats]
• Elsewhere on the site, Ava gives us the rundown on where to find Thai ingredients. [Serious Eats]
• What’s the point of walking without eating along the way? There are still three dates for the Downtown Alliance’s culinary walking tours. [Downtown Alliance]
• Reality TV saves the Blarney Stone. [NYDN]
• Can they please also save Doyers Vietnamese? [Zagat Buzz]
• Expect some behavior fit for reality TV when the Water Taxi Beach at South Street Seaport reopens on April 30. [Grub Street]

• Eater reports that Swich is back up and running after a revamp of its style and menu [Eater]
• Lunch with Front Studio makes me jealous with their trip to Project Sandwich [Lunch with Front Studio]
• Do you know where your closest KFC is? Everybody’s gearing up for the new Double Down sandwich, including our own Midtown Lunchers [Midtown Lunch Boards]
• Lunch with Front Studio is at it again, this time with a Porchetta sandwich from Alidoro [Lunch with Front Studio]
• The Feed tells us where to indulge our inner (and outer) freeloader [The Feed]
• Fork in the Road points us in the direction of cheap Chinese street food [Fork in the Road]

Fried Bacon-wrapped Shrimp with Pringles and Mayonnaise at Golden Unicorn, courtesy of Blondie and Brownie.

• Blondie and Brownie go shrimp-crazy at Golden Unicorn. [Blondie and Brownie]
• Bionic Bites was there too, though she went slightly less shrimp-crazy. [Bionic Bites]
• Meanwhile, Lunch with Front Studio loaded up on eggplant and greens at Central Buffet. [Lunch with Front Studio]
• Plaintains and Kimchi offers their take on the downtown Korean trifecta of Seh Ja Meh, Soma by Nature, and Cafe Hanover. [Plaintains and Kimchi]
• If none of the real estate options I presented this morning appeal to enterprising restaurateurs, maybe this fancy schmancy Battery Park kiosk will. [Eater]
• You can now purchase tickets for Taste of Tribeca, provided you can withstand the disorienting visual assault of their website. [Taste of Tribeca]
• And as always, Locanda Verde’s got your sweet tooth covered, this time with a lemon-fennel muffin. [Serious Eats]

Blueberry Bacon Pizza, photo courtesy of Always Hungry NY

• A little bird at Always Hungry tells me that breakfast is the way to go at Pulino’s, and the small pies are under $10 [Always Hungry NY]
• Guss’s Pickles is no longer one of us. This is a sad day. [Grub Street]
• Great NY Noodletown gets shut down too [Fork in the Road]
• Tiny’s Giant Sandwich Shop is closed as well… no wait, it’s reopening… and that sandwich looks pretty good too [Serious Eats NY]
• With an oyster po’ boy like that, I wish I’d gone here for Fat Tuesday [Eating in Translation]
• If you’re feeling really lucky, Trattoria Cinque is giving away free lunches [Tribeca Citizen]