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 Eric who has a weekly date with Xi’an Famous Foods, but otherwise eats in the Financial District.

Name: Eric “Stack” Quinlan

Occupation: Financial software guy

Where you work: Fulton and Broadway

Age: 37

Favorite kinds of food: Pasta, soup, stew, burritos, Thai noodles/curries, bulgogi, sushi, Chinese, goulash, sandwiches (bahn mi!).

Least favorite foods: Icelandic fermented shark, bread and butter pickles, whole raw tomatoes,  some olives, most lunch time pasta places, save for Capri Caffe and Café Duke (in Midtown).  I don’t mind Subway sandwiches or chain burger places, but I am ethically opposed to the notion that you should go there if you work in the city – go to a local deli, and get some local flavor.

Favorite lunches downtown: Xi’an Famous Foods (Multiple Locations) is good for the cumin lamb noodles.  The “Numero Uno” house combo at Toasties on John St. (btw. Nassau & Broadway) – though a great hangover cure, I can’t do this one often.  Toloache Taqueria on Maiden Lane (btw. William & Gold) for the taco and burrito specials.  Steamed dumplings from a place on Henry St. (it just says “Dumpling” on the awning). (Ed. note – It seems to be called “Chinese Food,” and is btw. Catherine & Market).

The “go-to” lunch place you and your co-workers eat at too often: Xi’an Famous Foods – every Wednesday, rain, snow or shine.

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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 Patricia who lunches in the Financial District but would rather be in the East Village.

Name: Patricia Tirona

Occupation: Corporate gift sales

Where you work: Wall St. between William and Gold

Age: 38

Favorite kinds of food: Nothing beats Japanese  food for me – sushi, sashimi, udon, soba, yakitori – biggest variety within one cuisine by far.  2nd favorite is Thai – shrimp dumplings, drunken noodles, any dish with Thai basil.  Vietnamese – pho, classic sandwiches, grilled pork on vermicelli, mint/lettuce-wrapped spring rolls.  Love Mexican food – stewed beef tacos, enchiladas, tamales, anything with cheese and anything spicy.  Tapas is great for the variety and the smaller portions which means I can try several dishes every time I go.

Least favorite foods: Despite being Filipino, I rarely if ever eat it or get cravings for it.  For the most part I find it too heavy and am not a fan of the spices.  I can’t stand coleslaw, chicken salad, or anything with excessive mayo.

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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 Shira who is afraid of a condiment and is making the best of working in the FiDi rather than Midtown West.

Name: Shira K.

Occupation: Music publicist

Where you work: Wall & William

Age: 23

Favorite kinds of food: Malaysian, Vietnamese, South Indian, Korean, Greek, Italian, ramen, anything with butternut squash & sage, parmesan cheese, any sort of carmelized roast veggie, lobster rolls, boeuf bourguignon

Least favorite foods: I am known for not just hating, but FEARING ketchup.

Favorite lunches downtown: I used to work in Midtown West and sorely miss Carnegie John’s cart, Meze Grill, Mooncake Foods, Bapcha cart, Katsuhama, Sapporo, Biryani Cart, Tri Tip Grill, etc.  Though the Greek Street Meat cart on Wall St. (at Broad) has almost made up for my Carnegie John’s cravings, and Pita Press on Cedar (btw. William & Pearl) is similar to Meze Grill.  Downtown, I like the curry chicken at the Banh Mi cart on Hanover Sq. (at Pearl), the braised beef at Dig Inn (formerly The Pump Energy Foods) on Pearl (at Pine) when I feel like being healthy, Bennie’s Thai Cafe on Fulton (at Gold), Adrienne’s Pizza Bar on Stone (nr. Hanover Sq.) and Financier Patisserie’s (Multiple Locations) chicken pistou soup.  This one cart (the Turkish coffee cart) on the corner of Wall & Pearl has hands down the best coffee I’ve ever had from a cart (super flavorful, heady, almost cinnamon-y) and I head there whenever I start fading in the afternoon.

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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 Dave who was a late bloomer in the falafel cart department.

Name: Dave L.

Name: Jodie

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 Dash who likes a hearty lunch void of raw fish and needs more Mexican food suggestions.

Name: Dash Henley

Occupation: Office manager and assistant to the president

Where you work: Water St. between Beekman and Peck Slip

Age: 24

Favorite kinds of food: Comfort food, Indian, Mexican

Least favorite food: Sushi

Favorite lunches downtown: It’s often hard for me to get away during the work day so I like to get something quick or something that my coworkers and I can bring back to the office.  Cafe Water on Water (at Pine) has good prices, decent variety at the buffet, and they’re really quick at ringing you up.  Diwan-E-Khaas at (Multiple Locations) is great Indian food.  It’s a little bit out of Midtown Lunch price range, but for just over $10 you can get an entree, two sides, and an order of naan. 

The “go-to” lunch place you and your co-workers eat at too often: Table Tales on Water (btw. Peck Slip & Beekman) is a guilty pleasure for us.  It can be outside the ML price range if you get too much, but the buttermilk chicken sandwich with homemade potato chips is amazing. 

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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 Kino who fuels his running with a whole lot of lunching.

Name: Kino aka “Notorious P.I.G.”

Occupation: Consultant during the week, marathoner/ultramarathoner on the weekend.

Where you work: Broadway & Wall

Age: Dirty 30 + 2

Favorite kinds of food: Anything ethnic & adventurous.

Least favorite foods: Japanese natto (fermented beans) and factory farm fast food.

Favorite lunches downtown: Ise Japanese Restaurant on Pine (btw. William & Pearl) for its secret pre-noon specials (menu is in Japanese, which I can decipher); Zaitzeff on Nassau (at John) for their 1/2 pound Kobe beef burger, medium rare, with an add-on of white cheddar cheese, grilled mushrooms, & grilled jalapeno; Potbelly’s Italian on whole wheat plus meatball, double meat.  I’m a sucker for Nicky’s Vietnamese Sandwiches‘ pork banh mi. Also, Shake Shack on Murray (btw. West & N. End Ave.), Luke’s Lobster on S. William (at Broad), Crisp on Fulton St. (btw. Dutch & William), and Bon Chon on John (btw. Cliff & Pearl). Hopefully their upcoming KorTako place doesn’t disappoint.

The “go-to” lunch place you and your co-workers eat at too often: All of the above.

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