Midtown Lunch

I don’t get up to Soho too often for lunch, so I was surprised to see a sign on the popular Rheon Cafe on Spring St. (nr. Thompson) late last week saying it was closing due to the economy. I know several profiled lunch’ers had recommended the vaguely Japanese bakery and cafe before I went up there and had a duck sandwich that was pretty good. Looks like those frequent lunch’ers weren’t enough to pay the Soho rent. Click through to see the closure notice taped in the window.

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When you turn onto the block of Warren St. off of Broadway it’s pretty desolate and doesn’t look like the kind of place you would find anything good to eat. There aren’t even any street meat carts or hot dog vendors nearby, but you will be able to get your pen repaired at the Fountain Pen Hospital! Located on this weird block is Brick NYC, a newish pizza and Italian restaurant and wine bar that opened last year. It didn’t look like the kind of place that would have decent lunch specials, but after lunch’er James asked if I’d eaten there I took a look and discovered that most of the menu was $10 or less for lunch. And you don’t even have to bring someone along to share a pizza with.

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The handful of vendors on Liberty St. at Broadway that were ticketed last week and asked to leave by the management of 140 Broadway are still selling food. About 250 petition letters from concerned lunch’ers were collected in three days last week, according to the Street Vendor Project which has been helping the affected carts that include A-Pou’s Taste, Biryani House and 99% Vegetarian Food. The letters are being sent to building management this week, and the vendors hadn’t been bothered by the police again as of late Monday.

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 Kate who doesn’t frequent a lot of generic delis, but imports sandwiches from Brooklyn. And she likes a certain bacon jalapeno slice.

Name: Kate

Occupation: Hedge fund assistant

Where you work: Wall St.

Age: 24

Favorite Kinds of Food: Italian/Mediterranean, Spanish tapas, cured meats –jamon, prosciutto, cheese, nachos, crispy rice with spicy tuna, homemade BBQ

Least Favorite Foods: Vegetarian, cereal, bad deli sandwiches

Favorite Lunches Downtown: Spicy basil with chicken from Lemongrass Grill on William (at Maiden Lane); Sophie’s (Multiple Locations) spicy grilled chicken with yellow rice and salad; Adrienne’s Pizza Bar on Stone St. (nr. Hanover Sq.) for prosciutto pizza; Turkey burgers from Café Hanover on Hanover Sq. (at Pearl) and bison cheesesteak wraps from Energy Kitchen on Nassau (btw. John & Fulton) when I’m being healthy; The Grotto on New St. (btw. Beaver & Exchange Pl.) for its bacon jalapeno slice (see below); Mark Joseph’s Steakhouse on Water (btw. Peck Slip & Dover); Heroes from Defonte’s- but I’m not sure these count since we have them brought in from Brooklyn – totally worth it though!

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