Midtown Lunch

It was a bit surprising to see that Zigolini’s at Pearl St. & Coenties Slip was planning to add a Mexican component to its solid lineup of Italian-tinged lunch offerings. The place is called Guac Star, and it opened alongside the  sit down bar and restaurant and the takeaway deli portions of Zigolini’s that had been closed for seven months after being heavily damaged by water during hurricane Sandy.

We’ve all been to those generic delis that sell pizza alongside burritos and sushi, so I was a bit hesitant to try Mexican food made by a place with an Italian name. Thankfully, they don’t try fusion here, and I came away impressed with the burrito I tried, even though it ended up breaking the $10 barrier (oops).

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The lowest part of the Financial District is somewhat lacking in good Mexican food options on a daily basis, if you don’t count Chipotle. In a space that used to house Pita Grill, El Toro Mexican Grill has opened serving a wide variety of Mexican options and few American (or hybrid) items for those who have co-workers not really into burritos or tacos. You can get a quesadilla here, but you can also get a burger or rotisserie chicken, and you really have to try to spend more than $10.

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A tip of the hat to luncher Daniel who wrote in to tell us about a new Mexican option on New St. where Pita Grill used to be. El Toro Mexican Grill opened between The Grotto and Sophie’s Cuban, and has a varied menu (no, not like a generic deli).You can build your own burrito, tacos, bowl or salad, from a wide variety of proteins including tofu and chorizo, and then also have quesadillas, rotisserie chicken and burgers for those who may not be so much into lunch in a tortilla.

Have any of you eaten there?

El Toro Mexican Grill, 69 New St. (btw. Beaver & Exchange Pl.), (212) 363-3900, (212) 363-3901

Ever since Toloache Taqueria opened on Maiden Lane (btw. William & Gold), we’ve been treated to a slightly fancier take on Mexican food than is found at Chipotle or other options in the Financial District like Sabor de Mexico or the taco trucks that have started parking down here. I’ve sampled the tacos and burritos, which until a recent price break overshot the $10 mark, but the tortas have always beckoned. As I discovered, at $8 they’re probably the best gut-filling bargain to be found there.  Read more »

Sabor de Mexico seems intent on quietly taking over the downtown area, although not quite as fast as its close relative Chipotle. I had checked out the first location on Trinity Place (at Thames) when it first opened and was called Caliente Mexican Grill, and on that and subsequent visits found it was dependable if partly Americanized Mexican food. Their strong point is meats, which I’d tried in the form of tacos and a burrito, but they also serve them in a torta and the more desk friendly burrito bowl. I decided to try the latter when a craving for carbs and meat hit.

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Throughout the past couple of months while office workers trickled back into the Financial District after the hurricane, and others took extended holiday vacations, Tacos Morelos continued parking in its regular spot at the corner of Wall & Pearl streets. Their tacos got a thumbs up from me, but I was curious about their sandwiches and headed over for a torta.

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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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