Midtown Lunch

Hot Clay Oven, aka, the Indian Chipotle, is back in business on Maiden Lane (btw. Gold & Pearl) after being shuttered by hurricane Sandy. The reopening was announced in an e-mail blast that also specifies they will only be open for a few hours each day this week – likely due to the same reasons as nearby places like Yushi which have reopened but are operating on generators. You can stop in from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. to get a naan wrap or rice bowl and soon you’ll be able to get breakfast and grab and go items.
Also of note: They don’t have e-mail or phone service so you’ll have to physically go to Hot Clay Oven to get your lunch.

Hot Clay Oven, 101 Maiden Lane (btw. Gold & Pearl), (212) 269-2103

You sandwich fiends out there should be happy to know that the Potbelly Sandwich Shop on Maiden Lane (btw. Gold & Pearl) has reopened after being shuttered by hurricane Sandy. (As far as I know the location at 90 Broad St. is still closed).

Potbelly is one of the first in the string of chain lunch spots at the bottom of Maiden Lane to reopen, with Pret a Manger still closed, along with a Hale & Hearty location across the street. As we’ve noted, the Goodburger at Maiden & Pearl is turning into a location of P.J. Clarke’s spin off Clarke’s Standard, which just opened in Midtown.

And what about Hot Clay Oven? Read more »

It’s been a good three months since hurricane Sandy left the Financial District a mess of generators and shuttered restaurants and buildings. Some places have managed to reopen because of minimal damage, but with or without phone or Internet service (or in some cases, electricity, but we’ll get to that). Many that were completely obliterated by the flood waters still remain closed with papered up windows and vague notes in the window about reopening soon.

The lower part of Maiden Lane, or as I call it “chain row,” was especially hard hit, along with other low-lying spots along the bottom part of Pearl St. and at the South Street Seaport. Two affected lunch spots were Yushi on Pearl St. and Hot Clay Oven nearby on Maiden Lane. Both were shuttered after the hurricane, and only one has reopened. I reached out to both of them, and found out that opening the doors for business isn’t an instant cure all.

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A string of restaurants on the bottom part of Maiden Lane between Gold St. and Water St. remain closed after being flooded more than a month ago during the hurricane. When I walked down the strip yesterday, little had changed from a week ago except that Chipotle had reopened and was absolutely packed. There was work being done behind papered up windows at Potbelly, but otherwise, your favorite lunch spots remained dark with no signs of renovation.

Hot Clay Oven also remains shuttered due to massive flood damage, and a lack of power and gas, but there’s word about when they’ll reopen. You’ll also find some updates on other places that are now open or truck’s that have relocated, after the jump. Read more »

I haven’t been into Hot Clay Oven, the healthy Indian fast food place on Maiden Lane (btw. Gold & Pearl) but I noticed the other day that in addition to chai tea they also sell a bunch of soups. The offerings include an Indian chicken chili and sweet potato shorba and since it’s a block closer to my office than the nearest Hale & Hearty I might be trying this on a cold day when I’m feeling lazy.

It’s been a couple of months since Hot Clay Oven started serving its Indian-fusion version of Chipotle in the FiDi. You want a wrap made with naan? Or Indian meats on a salad? Or a fancy version of meat over rice from a cart? They have it all, plus mango lassi and booze. The only time I’ve eaten there was the first day of operation when they were giving out free food and the line was up the block. I wanted to check back in and see what the food was like when I had to pay money for it instead of freeloading.

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