Midtown Lunch

We take recommendations very seriously here. So when Lunch’er brownbaglunch commented on my write-up of Ruchi and recommended Bangal Curry on Church Street as a good Indian alternative, I was excited to try it as soon as I could get over there. I wasn’t disappointed.

Thank you, brownbaglunch. I haven’t had much chance yet to give Church Street the exploration it deserves, but I was happy to start with such a winner. The food at Bangal Curry is very good, and you get a ton of it for $5. I’m tempted to end this post right there because, really, what else does a Midtown Lunch’er need to see?

Mouthwatering photos, that’s what. You’ll find plenty of them after the jump.

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For those of you haven’t studied my bio extensively, I lived in Japan for a year teaching English.  It was a pretty good time, but I came down with a horrible affliction while I was there known as Curry Fever.   Symptoms include, but are not limited to, a strong craving for Japanese curry anytime one thinks of Japan.  While most people might immediately think of sushi, ramen, or soba when they think Japanese food, curry is what immediately springs to my mind.  (That and karaage.  Oh karaage, I miss you so!)  And to be completely honest, good Japanese curry is hard to come by in this town, and yes, I’ve been to GoGo Curry.  While they do a great job on their katsu, I’m not wild about the curry itself.   So when Lunch’er Miche endorsed the curry at Tokyo Kitchen (10 John Street, at Broadway) when Kevin wrote about it back in January, I had to investigate.  So investigate I did. Read more »

Every once in awhile, I get a craving to try some weird food. And by “weird,” I don’t mean “hey wow, man, when I mix my ketchup with mayonnaise, it tastes awesome” kind of weird. I’m talking rocky mountain oyster weird. I’m talking Spicy & Tingly Lamb Face Salad weird. And today, I’m talking Cow Foot Soup weird. Why do I enjoy this kind of thing? I don’t know. But I don’t think I’m the only one with this wonderful/horrific affliction, so that’s why I’m sharing this with you all today. The one thing I’ll promise you is that I won’t eat anything too disgusting. That is, unless it tastes really, really delicious. Enough of that, though. On with the story.

So I’d been going to Veronica’s Kitchen for a good long time now and it wasn’t until relatively recently (probably last spring) that I’d heard about a rival Caribbean food cart on Whitehall between Bridge and Pearl Streets.  Since then I’ve eaten here a number of times, though I’m still a loyal and frequent visitor of Veronica’s Kitchen.  I’m not here to tell you which one is the best one, only to share the goodness.  The dishes I’ve gotten have ranged from their rotis to their soups to their oxtail.  And it’s all been good, my friend.  There’s just something about Caribbean food that really tickles my fancy and I haven’t met one I don’t like. Not yet anyway.  To try an entice you to join the love, this time I decided to show you the jerk chicken and cow foot soup. Read more »

If there’s one place here in the Financial District that I can’t believe I haven’t been yet, it’s Cafe Hanover at 5 Hanover Square.   I have heard a LOT of buzz about this undercover Korean joint disguised as a generic deli and I always told myself “hey, you should go there next week.”  But things would come up, new places would come on my radar, and Cafe Hanover was being perpetually pushed back.  Well, my friends, “next week” has finally come and I’m happy to say I wasn’t disappointed. Read more »

I will start this review by confessing that I have never actually been to the beloved Pakistan Tea House. They may have the best Indian food on the downtown scene, but they’re a hike from my office, and I just haven’t made it up there yet.

What I do know is that I’ve got no use for Diwan-E-Khaas. I have to respectfully disagree with Daniel’s positive assessment of their food and say that nothing I’ve ever had there (and I’ve had a lot) has been very good, and some has been very bad. So I’m very happy to have a place like Ruchi around. Their food is neither awesome nor an amazing deal, but very good Indian food for under $10 is something this neighborhood needs. And Ruchi’s got that covered.

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I like exploring downtown to find promising places to eat, but I always prefer to follow a good lead. I was absolutely starving at 11:30AM on Friday, and so I followed Lunch’er Matt’s suggestion and my stomach’s desire for a hearty meal down to Kosher Luncheonette on the corner of Fulton Street and Cliff Street.

Matt recommended the falafel, so I got myself one of those, but as I was voracious – and so that I could give you guys a better sense of what Kosher Luncheonette has to offer – I also got a kasha knish and a bowl of tomato rice soup.

That morning I think I could have gnawed on a shoe and been happy, but even in that state I could recognize that Kosher Luncheonette’s food was not only far better than a shoe but was really good on its own right. My falafel was good, but the other food was even better, and I’ll be heading back to Kosher Luncheonette regularly for my lunchtime Jewish comfort food needs.

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Table Tales on Water Street near Peck Slip promises “carefully-crafted fine foods,” and really, who wants sloppily-prepared lowbrow grub?

Oh wait. I do. A lot of the time. But sometimes I do want something a little more finely-crafted, a little more highbrow. And while we’re at it, I want it in a nice and relaxing setting where I can leave the frustrations of the office behind and just eat in peace.

Table Tales offers me just that, while still allowing me to feed myself on my Lunch’er budget. As with Kiva Cafe, I think that some people may find this spot a bit too pricey for the grub, but you get more food here than at Kiva. And for me, amidst the hustle and bustle of downtown, the excellent food and charming vibe of Table Tales are worth it.

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