Midtown Lunch

As is customary here on Midtown Lunch, every Tuesday we’ll profile a different lunch’er and get their recommendations for places to eat in Downtown NYC. This week, we have Yael who eats at Zeytuna out of convenience and is just trying to find a lunch spot that doesn’t require wearing a coat.

Name: Yael Maxwell

Occupation: Research projects manager at a health non-profit

Where you work: Trinity Building – 115 Broadway

Age: 23

Favorite Kinds of Food: Sushi, Italian, Mexican (especially a good mole), paninis, soups made with butternut squash or pumpkin, anything with coconut or avocado, burrata cheese, white chocolate, wine.

Least Favorite Foods: Unidentifiable pieces in udon soup, eggplant, white asparagus, buffet food that has been sitting out too long.

Favorite Lunches Downtown: Catfish sandwich from Baoguette on Maiden Lane (btw. Nassau & Broadway); Udon from Sushi by Bento Nouveau (Multiple Locations); Falafel from Alan’s Falafel on Broadway (btw. Cedar & Liberty); Bison cheesesteak from Energy Kitchen on Nassau (btw. John & Fulton); Burgers and fries at Zaitzeff on Nassau (at John). Read more »

As is customary here on Midtown Lunch, every Tuesday we’ll profile a different lunch’er and get their recommendations for places to eat in Downtown NYC. This week, we have Danielle who likes the bread + meat equation and still pines for certain midtown places despite being an official downtown lunch’er.

Name: Danielle

Occupation: Project manager

Where you work: Across the street from City Hall at Park Place

Age: 30

Favorite Kinds of Food: Indian subcontinental, Tex-Mex, Italian subs, street meats.  Meat wrapped in bread seems to be a theme here.

Least Favorite Foods: Salad, foods that are served cold, Thai, bad attempts at pizza.

Favorite Lunches Downtown: Any of the specials at Pakistan Tea House on Church (btw. Duane & Reade) ; Spicy grilled chicken meal or sandwiches from Sophie’s Cuban (Multiple Locations); Italian subs delivered from Acquedolci on Grand St. (at Mulberry).  Acquedolci is run by the same folks who owned Pane Pepe which we lost in 2008.  Try their semolina hero as the bread for your next sandwich.  I am loyal to the Halal cart at Broadway & Park Place where I get the lamb gyro with hot chickpeas.  Burritos at Chipotle.  Basic American soft subs from Toasties on John (btw. Broadway & Nassau) and tacos from The Bigger Place on Warren (at W. Broadway).  For a decadent breakfast at lunch it’s Kitchenette on Chambers (btw. Hudson & Greenwich). Read more »

As is customary here on Midtown Lunch, every Tuesday we’ll profile a different lunch’er and get their recommendations for places to eat in Downtown NYC. This week, we have Mel who is a recent transplant downtown but has wisely been using this site to make her lunches less painful. She needs your help locating a source of Latin food that may or may not exist.

Name: Mel B.

Occupation: Administrative assistant

Where you work: Trump Building – Wall St.

Age: 33

Favorite Kinds of Food: Mexican, sushi, Indian, Cuban/Puerto Rican/Dominican, street meat, anything spicy, non-odorous cheese, avocado, chocolate, designer frou-frou coffees.

Least Favorite Foods: Meatballs, animal organs, $15 salads, fast food Chinese, pre-made sushi/maki rolls, olives, fresh ginger.

Favorite Lunches Downtown: Indian at Zeytuna on Nassau (btw. John & Maiden Lane), sandwiches at Lane Cafe on Maiden (btw. William & Gold); Sushi from Haru on Wall St. Ct. (btw. Pine & Pearl) –  It’s out of ML price range but sooo (yes thats 3 o’s of yumminess) yummy; Street meat from the cart on William in front of the Chase Building across from Financier (Ed. note: It’s Pasha’s Cart btw. Pine & Liberty); Hummus plate from Chickpea on John (nr. William) – I’m so waiting for Crisp to open up on Fulton & William; Tilapia burrito from Terrace Fish & Chips (Multiple locations); Vietnamese sandwich & bubble tea from Nicky’s on Nassau (at Ann); Blackened salmon from Texas Rotisserie & Grill on Fulton (btw. William & Gold); Anything from Sophie’s (Multiple Locations); Burgers from Five Guys on Fulton (at Dutch); Slices from It’s a Pizza on John (btw. Broadway & Nassau) for their unique varieties; Whole pies from Adrienne’s on Stone St. (nr. Hanover Sq.) or Harry’s Italian on Gold (at Platt); McRib from McDonald’s; Cupcakes from Crumbs (I’m 33 –  I can have cupcakes for lunch if I want); Tomato cheddar soup from Hale & Hearty (Multiple Locations). Read more »

As is customary here on Midtown Lunch, every Tuesday we’ll profile a different lunch’er and get their recommendations for places to eat in Downtown NYC. This week, we have Jake who eats at his desk a lot but still manages to not eat salad or other boring lunches every day.

Name: Jake S.

Occupation: Trader

Where you work: 140 Broadway

Age: 23

Favorite Kinds of Food: I’m not a picky eater; I like most everything. I’m a sucker for soup and other foods that make me warm (especially in this weather). Pizza is my biggest weakness and it’s a daily struggle to turn away from the pizza shop at lunchtime. Other likes: Chicken liver, Israeli food, Mexican food, Jewish food, Indian food (especially Palak dishes), mozz. sticks.

Least Favorite Foods: Tuna (from a can), cucumbers.

Favorite Lunches Downtown: I’ve only been working down here since about mid-October, and my office orders in a lot, so I’ve been able to try a new place almost every day. Truth be told, I’m not loving anything so far, but I’ve been to only a handful of places more than once, making them, I guess, my de facto favorites: Chipotle (Multiple Locations), Sushi by Bento Nouveau (Multiple Locations)  for location convenience and an OK udon soup; Zigolini’s on Pearl (at Coenties Slip), Ruben’s Empanadas (Multiple Locations) – spent some time in Argentina and elsewhere in South America and their tuna empanada brings me back there..if only they were better!; Sale and Pepe on Wall St. (at Exchange Plaza), burgers at Zaitzeff on Nassau (at John) – amazing fries; Diwan E Khaas (Multiple Locations) –  it’s also very close, decent and cheap, but greasy Indian food. I am clearly shopping for new places, so some help would be appreciated lunch’ers! Read more »

As is customary here on Midtown Lunch, every Tuesday we’ll profile a different lunch’er and get their recommendations for places to eat in Downtown NYC. This week, we have John who is asking for your help in locating a long lost friend. And he has probably the most interesting answer to “favorite kinds of food” I’ve ever seen.

Name: John Frost

Occupation: City government

Where you work: 55 Water St.

Age: 37

Favorite Kinds of Food: I’ll eat pretty much anything in moderation. There was a guy on NPR a few weeks back lamenting the fact that there are no restaurants in New York that serve sparrows. I concur. There needs to be a place in town where I can order up a big plate of delicious roasted sparrows. Preferably near my office so I can eat sparrows for lunch. I like the idea of eating birds so small you can chew up the bones as if they were soft-shell crabs.

Least Favorite Foods: Things that are overly viscous or have a gummy texture. Most anything that would be served at a fancy Chinese banquet falls into this category: shark fin soup, geoduck, sea cucumber, bird’s nest soup, and on and on. Course after course of obscenely expensive, inedible bowls of snot with rubbery bits. Thankfully, they usually throw a couple of whole ducks or chickens on the table at some point… load up on those and the steamed bok choy. Read more »

As is customary here on Midtown Lunch, every Tuesday we’ll profile a different lunch’er and get their recommendations for places to eat in Downtown NYC. This week, we have Peter who has the unfortune of working in the World Financial Center where the options sound depressing. But he’s found a couple of Mexican places to soothe his wounds.

Name: Peter

Occupation: Business intelligence

Where you work: World Financial Center (i.e. culinary wasteland)

Age: 37

Favorite Kinds of Food: Mexican, Mexican and more Mexican

Least Favorite Foods: Pretty much anything that’s made in the World Financial Center (that includes you, PJ Clarke’s and your revamped burgers)

Favorite Lunches Downtown: Tajin on Greenwich (btw. Edgar & Rector) –  big fan of their tacos rancheros; Samantha’s on S. End Ave (nr. Rector Place) –  one of the very few places to grab a good sandwich. Get a meatball hero when it’s cold; Alan’s Falafel on Broadway (btw. Liberty & Cedar) – my preference over Sam’s; or Sophie’s Cuban (Multiple Locations) –  the green sauce is liquid crack.

The “go-to” lunch place you and your co-workers eat at too often: Devon & Blakely in the World Financial Center. There’s one right outside the elevator bank. It’s so convenient I just can’t help myself sometimes). Read more »

As is customary here on Midtown Lunch, every Tuesday we’ll profile a different lunch’er and get their recommendations for places to eat in Downtown NYC. This week, we have Adam who is a transplant from midtown but has made a good dent in downtown dining options. And he needs your help in finding some good drinking spots.

Name: Adam Prato

Occupation: IT manager in finance

Where you work: West Soho

Age: 37

Favorite Kinds of Food: No changes since my Midtown Lunch profile – Spicy food (Indian, Middle Eastern, Mexican, Szechuan), Mediterranan (Turkish, Greek, Moroccan), European (Italian, Spanish, Portugese, Scandinavian, Irish, Eastern European, etc.), North/South American (Barbecue, Steakhouses, Peruvian, Brazilian, Argentinian), etc, etc, etc…

Least Favorite Foods: Japanese, French

Favorite Lunches Downtown: Mooncake Foods on Watts (btw. Thompson & 6th Ave.) – beef shin or steak sandwich is the best bang for the buck from all the places I’ve tried; Alidoro on Sullivan (btw. Prince & Spring) – having grown up in Bensonhurst, this place really brings back memories for a real Italian hero; Grand Deli on Grand St. (btw. Thompson & W. Broadway) – it’s a generic deli, but they do a great job on their rotisserie chicken; Pinche Taqueria (Multiple Locations), Yatagan Kebab House on MacDougal (at Bleecker) – you’ll never eat the “lamb meatloaf” from a cart ever again if you go here for their real lamb doner kebab. Read more »