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 Cynthia who will eat spicy food, but shuns broccoli.

Name: Cynthia

Occupation: Lawyer & blogger at www.addicted2etsy.com

Where you work: John & Water

Age: 30

Favorite kinds of food: Love it all, but I do lean towards spicy.

Least favorite foods: Anything bland or dry and anything with broccoli. Still hate broccoli.

Favorite lunches downtown: Love food trucks like the Souvlaki GR truck that parks at Old Slip & Front. Pork souvlaki wrap all the way. Bian Dang (for the dumplings), No. 1 Banh Mi cart at Hanover Sq. & Pearl, what used to be the Jamaican Dutchy truck (aka, R. Retha’s cart) at William & Beaver, even the, in my opinion, slightly overpriced Frying Dutchmen truck. Also,  Bennie’s Thai Cafe on Fulton (at Gold) for pad kee mao/spicy noodles, and BonChon Chicken on John (btw. Cliff & Pearl).  Lately, I’ve been surprisingly enjoying the soups and sandwiches from Earl’s Court on John (at Gold). When I’m not starving, I treat myself to sweet potato fries from Goodburger on Maiden Lane (at Pearl).

The “go-to” lunch place you and your co-workers eat at too often: Zeytuna on Maiden Lane (at William). Why do we go there? I always spend more than I should, and I very rarely enjoy my meal.

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If you aren’t one of the people standing in line this very minute for (or eating food from) Kimchi Taco, Taim Mobile or Gorilla Cheese at the new WFC Food Truck Lot, you may be in the minority. When I stopped by a while ago the lines were huge for those three trucks, and non-existent for Van Leeuwen Ice Cream if you need something cold and sweet right now. A note on the location, too, you have to take a left at N. End Ave. off of Vesey and you’ll see the trucks parked at the far end, complete with ridiculous lines of people.

I don’t know when you can tell if the NYC truck scene has reached saturation of a certain kind of food, but I feel the BBQ meats in taco and slider form is almost there. A couple of weeks ago, Mike ‘N’ Willie’s truck entered the fray, following in the footsteps of Mexicue and Korilla BBQ. I know that nearly all of us love a good taco or BBQ stuffed in a bun, but how are we to know which truck to spend our hard earned money at? I headed over to Mike N Willie’s when they parked in the FiDi the other day to check out their abbreviated menu.

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This is not a breakfast burrito, but Calexico’s got ‘em! Courtesy of Lunch Studio.

• Sandwich counter Pane Panelle is taking over its parent restaurant. [Grub St.]
• Potbelly at Broadway & Chambers is “coming soonish.” [Tribeca Citizen]
• The Calexico cart is back, with breakfast burritos!?! [Lunch Studio]
• An $8 turkey grilled cheese that needs more turkey. [Blondie & Brownie]
• There’s a $9 roti at Miss Lily’s cheaper offshoot. Eesh [Serious Eats NY]

I’ve got to say I’m a little jealous of some of the new food options in Battery Park City, and now we all have more reason since the World Financial Center’s getting a food truck court. As we’ve all noticed, food trucks have been getting hassled in Midtown, and also in Soho and the Financial District so this will give them a place to park without fear of getting ticketed or asked to leave in the middle of lunch service. Brookfield Office Properties teamed up with the NYC Food Truck Association to make this happen, along with the Battery Park City Authority. And the best part? Trucks will be there from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. on weekdays through 2013. See a list of those participating after the jump. UPDATE: The schedule for next week’s up!   Read more »