Midtown Lunch

Food carts are not welcome here either.

You know what sucks? Going to eat at a specific cart and finding that they are nowhere to be found. It’s doubly frustrating because, unlike many food trucks, most don’t use Twitter to update their location mostly because they work to stay in the same place every day.

Now that my little rant is over, you’d probably like to know where all of the carts that were parked on Nassau St. between Liberty and Cedar went. As of late last week all but the smoothie cart were booted from their new spots, after previously being forced to move from Liberty & Broadway when an inanimate object (aka, a Citi Bike rack) moved into their spots. The good news? Many of the carts have found new spots or are scouting locations. Read more »

There’s one thing you’re probably not going to find at one of the salad chains: Lettuce tossed with a dressing tasting strongly of fish sauce.

That’s what I like about Mooncake Foods (Multiple Locations) – that you can order something like a salad, and be surprised at the flavors you get, and likely for less than at a chain place.

It’s been hot out lately, and thus, I’ve had to rethink what I eat for lunch as slamming a giant burger or meaty sandwich doesn’t sound too awesome when it’s 90 degrees. Thus, the Asian salad comes into play as you can often get filled up, and for less than $10.  Read more »

We got a serious coffee shop in the Financial District when Blue Spoon opened on William St., but those of you in the bottom part of the neighborhood have mostly had to settle for the chain places.

Word is that Bluestone Lane Coffee will bring Australian-style caffeinated beverages and food to 30 Broad St. in August or early September after opening a first location in Midtown East. The company will carry a rotating variety of roasters and teas, along with snacks from Balthazar, Bondi Bikkies (Aussie style cookies) and Downtown Cookie Company, as well as something called the “signature house-made avocado smash.” Personally, I’m in favor of any coffee source that doesn’t end in “bucks.”

I’ve had nothing but hits with the sandwiches at French Cafe Gourmand on Maiden Lane (btw. Broadway & Nassau) and the other day when pressed for time I stopped by again to sample another of their creations that one of you Lunch’ers had recommended.

That would be for the Indian sandwich, aka, the French version of a chicken curry sandwich. It is delicious.

Read more »

Do you like fancy grilled cheese sandwiches? Too tired of waiting for Gorilla Cheese or Milk Truck to make their stops in the Financial District?

Dough Re Mi, which opened last week on Water St. (btw. Broad & Coenties Slip), will make your cheese and bread dreams come true. The only thing that may give you pause, as it sometimes does at the trucks devoted to grilled cheese, is that you can spend $10 on a single small sandwich.  Read more »

Halal carts also dabbling in Indian food have sprouted up all over the Financial District (OK, mostly in the northern part of the neighborhood), bringing us kati rolls and biryani alongside the usual lamb/chicken/falafel trinity.

I spotted a new entrant called Quality Biryani on Water St. at John last week and decided to stop by for lunch. A sign taped to the street side of the cart advertises that they have Bangladeshi food, likely vying for the business of cab drivers.

Read more »

It’s been awhile since something new has been added to the cart lineup at Broadway and Liberty St., or the newly relocated ones at Nassau & Liberty.

Yesterday, I spotted a new one next to Luckyim Thai, called Cocina Mexicana. They have the mostly standard lineup of tortas, burritos, tamales, quesadillas and guacamole and chips, ranging in price from $3 to $7 for the more substantial items. The menu is a bit shorter than a couple of the Mexican food trucks that park in the Financial District, but that’s to be expected as they have less space to work with.

You can expect a report soon, but if you’ve already checked out Cocina Mexicana, leave a comment about what you thought of the food.