Midtown Lunch

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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This just looks like a big bowl of goodness. Courtesy of Bionic Bites.

• A certain type of pho is worth heading to Xe Lua for if you’re a spice fiend. [Bionic Bites]
• There’s some sort of giant eatery/entertainment complex coming to BPC. Take that South St. Seaport! [Eater]
• Besides being dirt cheap, Wah Mei now has a seating area! [Lunch with Front Studio]
• Looks like the love of Asian-fusion falafel has spread. [Fork in the Road]
• There’s a lamb sandwich at Financier?! [Serious Eats NY]

I was kind of amazed to discover that the Wall St. Burger Shoppe has never been reviewed on this site. Sure, if you want a full lunch there you’re either going to approach the ML price wall or go over it. I for one would much rather do this than eat a crappy fast food burger (Five Guys excepted from this category, of course), and sometimes you just don’t want to eat in a bar for your burger fix. They also have some crazy burgers for $7 or more on their own. But if you get their “junior deal” or one of their daily specials you can get out of there for $10 or less and not feel ripped off.

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After both Express BBQ in Tribeca and the Picnick Smoked mobile unit left us the lone remaining seller of barbequed meats (at least that I’m aware of) was Texas Rotisserie & Grill. I ate there as one of my first lunches for this site but got the rotisserie chicken and a chicken sandwich. But they also sell “Texas platters” of BBQ beef, pork or chicken and also beef brisket. I was intrigued by the brisket (and also really wanted the cheap fried chicken meal, which has nothing to do with BBQ) but instead I got the BBQ pulled pork platter ($9). This restaurant seemed to be on the same level as Dallas BBQ, but I figured I had to at least try their “real pit smoked BBQ” advertised on the front of the menu. For research, of course.

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As you may have heard yesterday, there’s been an effort by the building management at 140 Broadway to get the carts parked on Liberty St. to move. They include a smoothie cart that’s been there forever, and new additions like the 99% Vegetarian Food cart, A-Pou’s Taste and Biryani House. The Street Vendor Project was out yesterday along with some of the cart operators trying to get support by petition or having people write or call the building management to voice their opinions. When I stopped by the table they had set up there was already a stack of the signed petitions sitting there and a bunch of people filling them out. SVP intern Dana said that an infuriated office worker from the 140 Broadway building came down and got a petition to photocopy and circulate around.

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