Midtown Lunch

Did you eat your weight in chicken wings during the Super Bowl last weekend and have a craving for more? That may just be me, but if you don’t want to have to go into a bar like Mudville 9 to get your fix, you could head to the location of the Atomic Wings chain near City Hall which is a subterranean source of sauced chicken on Broadway (btw. Duane & Thomas). When I saw it listed in one of those “best wings of NYC” lists, I figured it was worth a visit. Read more »

When the Palenque truck debuted downtown back in March of 2012, I rushed over to eat what was perhaps my first Colombian arepa. That first experience was something of a shit show and reminded me of why it’s a good idea to wait a bit to check out a new truck. I somewhat enjoyed the arepa I got there, although it suffered a bit in transit, and when the truck was parked near my office last week I decided to give them a second chance. While my lunch was good, I question the value of the food I got for nearly $10.

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The Gyro House Truck on Cedar St. (at Broadway) has a somewhat limited menu and thus sometimes I forget about it in favor of kati rolls and Thai food from the carts across the street at Liberty Plaza. They do a mean chicken over rice, and tasty falafel, but I’d heard rumors that the lamb gyro from this truck wasn’t too shabby either (and was in fact championed by one of my predecessors). On a day when salty meat and rice sounded amazing, and it was above freezing outside, I headed over for a street meat lunch.

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Those of you working in Battery Park City or the farther reaches of Tribeca don’t have the best Indian food options unless you want to pay upwards of $10. Even then, you’re often limited to the usual chicken tikka or chana masala with rice or naan, whether it’s from an actual restaurant or one of the steam table outfits like Pakistan Tea House or Bangal Curry.

I’m not sure about you, but I’ve really gotten behind the Cafe Spice Dosateria at the Whole Foods on Greenwich (btw. Warren & Murray). Not only do they make whatever you order from scratch, but I feel like the quality is better than at some of the nearby places. And they have Indian pizza!

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It seems like just yesterday that a tip came that the old Backyard Chicken space at John St. & Pearl was turning into another Mooncake Foods which already exists downtown in Soho. Then just like that, the doors were open for business yesterday at lunch. And I’d have to say – especially with similar places like OBAO and nearby BonChon on John temporarily down for the count due to the hurricane and a fire respectively, this is a welcome addition to the lunch scene in the Financial District. Read more »

I’d have to say I’ve never paid more than $10 for an uncooked meal, but that’ exactly what I did last week at the new Magic Mix Juicery on Fulton St. (btw. Nassau & William).

It was curiosity (and something of a dare by a fellow Downtown Luncher) that led me to this vegan, kosher, raw spot that mostly traffics in juices that cost more than 90% of most solid lunches. However, there is a small case of raw food items available when you walk in, and I tried to bypass the ones that looked most like salads for something that resembled an actual meal. Despite being denied my dish of choice the first time I stopped in, on a return visit they had properly dehydrated the kelp and I walked out into the freezing cold with the raw food equivalent of spaghetti.

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One thing the city doesn’t have nearly enough of are carts selling fried foods. Yes, there are a few in Chinatown selling things like $1 chicken legs or fish balls on sticks, but that’s only useful if you work near Chinatown. What if you want a fried chicken fix but don’t want to trek to Popeye’s or pay the prices for the delicious, organic variety from Dirty Bird To Go? I introduce to you the Fried Chicken & More cart. Read more »