Midtown Lunch

There are a few things we Downtown Lunch’ers are still lacking in the food department, and for some reason the list is heavy on Southern food including fried chicken and barbeque. You can get fried chicken at several places, but good luck finding the trifecta of it being quick, costing less than $10, and actually being good. Popeye’s was the go-to place that hit all of those ideals, but the location on Fulton St. shuttered. Then there’s Bon Chon on John, but Korean fried chicken isn’t quite the same, and Cornerstone Grill on Greenwich St. in Tribeca is good, but kind of a hike for most of us and they don’t have seating. So what’s a fatty to do? Get thee to Dirty Bird To Go on Chambers St. (btw. W. Broadway & Greenwich). I’m not ashamed to say I ate a huge fried chicken dinner at my desk and got grease all over my keyboard because the chicken was so good I couldn’t put it down.

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After an unsuccessful sandwich experience last week I decided it was time to hunt down a more substantial sandwich for lunch that wouldn’t leave me hungry two hours later. Two things normally come to mind when I need a filling sandwich: A parm from some deli/pizza shop or a banh mi. Luckily we have several options for both of these sandwich types in the Financial District, but I’d remembered seeing that Jiannetto’s was parked at its spot on Front St. & Wall that day and decided that if they’d been regularly parking there for so long, maybe their parm sandwiches had some fans. Could a truck that primarily serves grandma slices turn out a good sandwich, or was it just a secondary item to diversify the menu?

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My normal way of approaching opening day at any fast food-type lunch spot is to make sure I have my phone with me for entertainment while standing in a long line, and to decide ahead of time what I’ll be ordering. I had both of these strategies in play on Wednesday when I headed over to GRK on Fulton St. (btw. William & Nassau), the latest spot for Greek fast food in the Financial District. We already have Pita Press and the Souvlaki GR Truck at our disposal, so what could GRK add to the mix? Delicious pork cooked on a spit, that’s what.

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I went to check out the new Dirty Bird To Go on Chambers St. when it was supposed to open on Monday, but alas, the windows were still papered up and it didn’t look close to serving fried chicken. (The opening has since been confirmed as indefinitely delayed). I surveyed my options nearby, and ended up at Birdbath Bakery on Church St. (at Thomas). I’d had an awesome chicken cilantro sandwich there soon after it opened and there were several other sandwiches that looked great, including a catfish variety, but then a turkey sandwich with potato chips and beer mustard caught my eye. I wasn’t entirely sure what beer mustard was, but it sounded promising.

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After a couple of delays the Greek restaurant GRK is opening today at 11 a.m. on Fulton St. (btw. William & Nassau). We’ve already walked you through the menu, but you can expect yeeros (aka various meats cooked on spits) and fresh and frozen Greek yogurt with sweet and savory topping options. Some of the prices top the $10 mark, but we’ll be on hand to try the food and give you a rundown tomorrow. Early adopters, leave us your thoughts in the comments.

With a broad menu that includes biryani and kati rolls along with some pretty amazing chicken over rice, it’s easy to skim over the rest of what the two Biryani House carts have to offer. The menu lists both fish and shrimp plates, although I was a little skeptical that they actually served these dishes since most people seem to stick to the Indian fare here. I decided to try my luck at the cart on Liberty St. (nr. Broadway), and lo and behold the tilapia over rice plate actually exists! But it is worth ordering over other things on the menu?

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There are no shortage of ice cream options in this city, but Soho’s going to get another one for a day next week. Jeni’s Splendid Ice Cream will be driving its Street Treats Truck from Ohio to take part in the Meatopia event, and will then make stops in Manhattan and Brooklyn, including in front of Dean & DeLuca at Broadway & Prince St. on Tuesday from 12:30 to 2:30 p.m. The best part is they’re giving out free samples of delicious-sounding flavors like sweet corn with black raspberries. Freeloaders, you know what to do.