Midtown Lunch

Yesterday, Midtown Lunch reported that a lunch’er organized banh mi competition had taken place that definitively placed us, Downtown, at the head of the Manhattan banh mi pack. We effectively swept the podium, taking first, second, and third place! Ok, so technically first place was given to Baoguette in Gramercy, but we totally have one of those too (at 9 Maiden Lane), so I count it in our favor. Taking second and third are our very own Chinatown legends Banh Mi Saigon (138 Mott St.) and Paris Bakery (213 Grand St.), respectively. Daniel Krieger did something a little similar to this back in the day, but not quite on the same level, so we certainly applaud the Banh Mi Seven (sound like political dissidents in Vietnam) for taking the initiative, pulling off this amazing competition, and being kind enough to share the results. Thank you!

Crowds definitely don’t always indicate good food, but in a neighborhood with a pizza place on every block, a line for a slice is a pretty good sign. So when I showed up at Underground Pizza on Hanover Square to follow up on Valerie’s suggestion and found a line that stretched out onto the sidewalk, I had a feeling I’d come to the right place.

There was no calamari slice or bacon-jalapeno slice waiting for me, but I really enjoyed the slices that I had. Underground Pizza serves up some great product at affordable prices, but the reason to go is the vodka slice, which is $3.45 of pure delicious and which you can drool over after the jump.

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Our friendly neighborhood Swich (83 Maiden Lane) reopened last week and before too much time went by, I wanted to make sure I got in there to see what the revamp was all about. After all, it really wasn’t open all that long before they shuttered up, announcing they’d be back shortly with a new sense of style and self-worth. Now with their fancy new awning, they’re back to show us what they’ve learned on their little spring break. Let’s see what they’ve got, shall we? Read more »

Yes, friends, it’s time for another chapter in my mythic journey to find Downtown’s epic street meat carts.  Chapters one and two have been fantastic experiences (the prologue as well!) but this is an expedition that will never end. This time I went deep into the Financial District to the corner of Beaver and Broadway, right across the street from Bowling Green.  The street meat cart I visited this time looks like just about any other on the street. The generic pictures that are plastered all over the sides of the cart give the impression that this is just another place to get chicken and rice, the same blah-dee-bah spicing that makes it taste vaguely Middle Eastern.  But let me assure you, it’s not. What you’ll find here is good, flavorful food. What you’ll find here is chicken that tastes like chicken.  What you’ll find are delicious, homemade sides like lamb meatballs and kidney beans, stuff that you likely won’t find anywhere else in the city.

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I had been meaning to meet my buddy Dan for lunch for ages by the time we finally sat down together a few days ago. We’ve worked not more than 5 minutes away from each other for about 2 years now and hadn’t managed to grab a bite to eat in that entire time. It was ludicrous. So after a series of texts, it was decided: he’d show me a couple of places in his neighborhood and I’d tell him if he was getting a raw deal by working in west of Broadway Downtown. Dan’s response was to bust out the big guns and take me to Portobello’s Pizza and Sicilian Kitchen. Read more »

I was surprisingly pleased with my first visit to Sushi! by Bento Nouveau. Despite the worryingly corporate and chain-y appearance, the food I had was very good and not at all a bad deal for the price.

I was happy with the udon, the sushi, and the dessert, so I went back for a hot entree. This time, I checked out the location on Broadway near Morris Street and got myself some Teriyaki Chicken. The verdict: very good. Photos to drool over after the jump.

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In his profile a couple weeks ago, Lunch’er Corey asked the community where he could find “a nice big bowl of rice cakes.” Monstermooch suggested Shanghai Cafe, so on the gorgeous Good Friday we had last week, I set out to follow up on the tip.

I’m happy to report that while Shanghai Cafe’s rice cakes come on a plate and not in a bowl, they’re definitely nice and it’s certainly a big plate. The soup dumplings are terrific as well, so I’d urge Corey and the rest of you to head down there yourselves as soon as you get the chance. Ogle the goodness that awaits you after the jump.

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