Midtown Lunch

One of the last carts left standing at Liberty and Nassau streets is the Cocina Mexicana cart. The menu has stayed the same since they materialized in the Financial District back in June, except they seemed to have done away with the signs on the front offering daily specials like enchiladas. Maybe there was lack of interest, or lack of customers for those, but it’s a shame because not they offer the same few items as seemingly every other Mexican spot in the neighborhood: burritos, tacos, quesadillas and tortas. I stopped by to try the sandwich, lured in by the picture of one with bistec in it on the front of the cart.   Read more »

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 »

When you walk into the Imperial Coffee House, you feel like you’re stepping into a Norman Rockwell painting, but then the men behind the counter start their schtick and you’re back in NYC. This is perhaps the least fancy place to eat lunch in Tribeca, and the prices are also some of the cheapest downtown with the menu topping out at $8. This is the place to go for a no-frills meal of greasy food.  Read more »

Not all street meat carts serve a seafood option, and even if they do it’s usually an afterthought and not offered every day. One of the best versions in the Financial District can be found at the $5.50 Lunch Truck on Ann St., with a spicy Eritrean spin on white fish. Among the meat-heavy menu at the Halal Gyro Express cart there is the option of “fish over rice” and that is where the description ends. Everything else I’ve had at this cart featuring Afghan food has been good so I had faith in the seafood.  Read more »

When The Hummus & Pita Co. opened its second NYC location downtown I wondered what their crowning glory would be. I had an enjoyable chicken shawarma sandwich where the meat was almost outshined by the vegetables stuffed in alongside. Based on the strength of that meal, I decided to stop into the shop on Chambers St. (btw. Broadway & Church) for round 2. Once again, I was seduced by a spinning cylinder of meat.  Read more »

Do not go to Shorty’s if you are on a diet. I mean, if you are trying to watch your girlish figure, a cheese steak is probably not at the top of your list of things to eat for lunch. The shop on Pearl St. (btw. Coenties Slip & Broad) has salads and some “lighter” hoagies on the menu, but for me the danger lies in knowing that Shorty’s has some really great fries to go along with your meat, cheese and bread gut-bomb. Did I mention these fries involve romano cheese?

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I can’t really think of many places where you can get a juice smoothie with a side of chicken nuggets and fries (that’s not McDonald’s). Sammi’s Nutrition House truck fills that void, allowing you to add nutrients to your body with fruit juice, and then get your recommended daily allowance of sodium with a plate of street meat. I noticed that since the truck first appeared in the Financial District they had added some other specialties to the menu including chicken tikka and biryani and was curious what they were serving up.

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