Midtown Lunch

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 »

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.

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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.

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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.

When I was a wee Lunch’er, my go-to order when eating out was chicken fingers accompanied by some sort of potato product. I would not say I was an aficionado, but did definitely favor the higher meat to breading ration than you find at somewhere like McDonald’s.

It occurred to me the other day that I had yet to check out the version at Dirty Bird To Go on Chambers St. (btw. W. Broadway & Greenwich). When I went on opening day, the fingers weren’t ready yet so I instead tried the delicious bone-in fried chicken. I had high hopes for these organic, fancy pant chicken fingers and they did not disappoint.

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The South Street Seaport has never been particularly hip, unless you consider clipper ships the hot new thing. There were some reliable lunch spots there though that have been sorely missed since hurricane Sandy decimated the area. A few places that were on higher ground have reopened, but the area is still largely a work in progress.

The other day I had some extra time on my hands and headed over. The lure was the 10 Smorgasburg vendors that have set up stands on Front St.through October, alongside a bar in a shipping container.  Read more »