Archive for 'Soups'

Not In The Mood For A Sandwich? Try Potbelly’s Delicious Chili

In case you haven’t noticed, an annoying thing called the Polar Vortex has made walking outside to grab lunch an exercise in quickness and finding something warm to eat. The other day a craving for chili hit, and there aren’t too many places that regularly carry this specific dish. Then it dawned on me that Potbelly, of which there are four locations downtown, had chili on its menu every day and I had never tried it. While I may not flip my lid for their sandwiches, the chili is delicious.

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Seafood Laksa With A Side Of French Music At Aux Epices

The name of the restaurant Aux Epices on Baxter St. (btw. Canal & Hester) translates from French into “with spices” and that was an accurate description of the riot of flavors in my lunch there. It moved from Tribeca where it was called Franklin Station Cafe, and there isn’t much on the lunch menu that tops $10, but you have to remember that this is Chinatown/Little Italy and that price point is expected. You don’t feel like you’re eating in the neighborhood as you step inside and black and white photos paired with cute cafe tables and French music contrast with the mostly Malaysian and Asian dishes on the menu. It’s a nicer lunch experience than you might find in surrounding establishments, and the seafood dish I had was delicious.

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Taim’s Soup Makes A Great Start To Lunching In The New Year

It’s a new year, it’s freezing outside and you may have made a resolution to eat healthier lunches. Taim has your back with its daily soup, which you can find at the shop in Nolita on Spring St. (at Mulberry). The truck sometimes offers soup as well, although they don’t park downtown a lot these days.

The good news is that this lunch is so much more than the usual cup of soup with a stale roll or piece of bread alongside.  Read more »

Unconventional Ramen From Open Kitchen Makes Up For Weak First Visit

A first visit to Open Kitchen on William St. (at Beaver) did not go well. Not all of the stations were open, things seemed disorganized, and the employees didn’t seem to be on their game. Did I mention the food I got was not that great, but they do have good coffee? Luckily, this time the food was better and the operation seemed to be running more smoothly.  Read more »

Head To Alfanoose For Soup And Meat Pies When Cold Weather Hits

It’s soup weather and while there are several places to get your fix downtown, one of my favorites is at Alfanoose on Fulton St. (at Ryder’s Alley). Not only is their red lentil soup delicious, it’s also a steal and a complete meal if you pair it with one of their savory pies.

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Pho From The Banh Mi Cart Is Mostly Pluses With A Couple Of Minuses

Last week the Banh Mi Cart at Hanover Sq. and Pearl started serving beef noodle soup (aka, pho) which was a departure from their roster of sandwiches, spring rolls and drinks. This is kind of great news for the winter months when a heart soup may sound better than a sandwich, but could pho from a cart be any good? The answer is yes, but with some caveats.  Read more »

Zutto’s $10 Ramen Special Is Perfect For A Case Of The Mondays

Most of our ramen options downtown fall into two categories: More than $10, or from a deli. It’s a pretty sad situation, really, especially compared with most other parts of Manhattan. Long ago I saw an ad on another site advertising $10 ramen on Mondays at the Japanese spot Zutto on Hudson St. (btw. Jay & Harrison). That’s about the only time I’ve seen restaurant ramen offered at that price within the Downtown Lunch boundaries, so I had to check it out.  Read more »