Midtown Lunch

The hunger for Vietnamese sandwiches knows no bounds (unless you make crappy ones), and with that comes a new branch of Nicky’s Vietnamese Sandwiches on Nassau St. (at Ann). They are already a sort of institution in Brooklyn and the East Village with cheap and tasty sandwiches. I was walking to get myself some street meat and then I spotted a grand opening sign in a mini-mall of sorts and Nicky’s became my new lunch destination. Read more »

With the weather turning cold and rainy I’ve had soup on my mind, as I’m a lover of pretty much anything that involves broth. Actually, I can only think of one soup I’ve ever eaten that I really didn’t like.  Specifically, I was looking for a good noodle soup and that’s a hard proposition in the FiDi so I headed up to Chinatown’s Xe Lua on Mulberry (between Canal & Baxter). Daniel had done a mini-tour of Vietnamese places back in the day and several people suggested the pho at Xe Lua in the comments of that post. Was it worth the trip or should I have just eaten some generic deli udon? Find out after the jump. Read more »

There was a huge amount of excitement last year when word came that a cart selling banh mi was coming to the Financial District. Longs lines ensued. Really long lines. Well, the No. 1 Banh Mi Cart is still down here, at Pearl St. and Hanover to be exact. Prices are up $1 since Daniel visited and the menu is different. There’s also a giant picture of summer rolls on the side for identification purposes. Read more »

A friend tipped me off to a new sandwich place called…Vietnamese Sandwiches that’s on Pearl St. (btw. Pine & Wall). Yes, that’s right, it’s actually called Vietnamese Sandwiches. It looks the shop just opened, and according to the menu you can get a free soda with your sandwich until July 31 for their grand opening. There are eight different sandwiches for $6 including the usual pork roll and pate model, BBQ pork, roast beef and Vietnamese meatball. There’s also an avocado shake there that’s calling my name. If anyone checks this place out, give your first impressions in the comments.

I was wandering down West Broadway one day when I walked past two seemingly nameless restaurants, each with the same black and white striped awning.  Then I saw the words “Vietnamese sandwiches” inside the smaller one and may have squealed a little. It turns out the larger place is a sit-down Southeast Asian restaurant Mangez Avec Moi, or “Eat With Me.” They had some tasty enough sounding lunch specials for $7.50, but my heart was after the restaurant’s “Express” take out sandwich shop next door.

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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!

After seemingly interminable construction, the downtown branch of Baoguette has finally opened on Maiden Lane between Broadway and Nassau. And boy am I glad to have them. I had actually never tried Baoguette before last week, and I have to say I’m impressed. Their sandwiches are big, affordable, and delicious. The Baoguette on Lex btw. 25+26th is already Zach-tested, Zach-approved, and though I will miss the Klatch coffee shop that it replaced, this branch is a very welcome addition to our lunchtime area.

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