Midtown Lunch

Two months from today, a bizarre and amazing event will be happening for the second straight year.  The Vendy Awards!  That’s right.  An award ceremony that singles out the best street vendors in New York City.  Last year our good friends Rolf & Wolfgang from the Hallo Berlin Cart beat out the halal cart on 53rd and 6th to take first prize.  This year should be even bigger- and we’re hoping that Midtown can take home the top prize again!

You can nominate your favorite cart for the Vendy Awards by going to http://www.streetvendor.org.  The Street Vendor Project is a non-profit that helps to protect street vendors’ legal rights, and educate vendors on how to start and maintain their businesses legally.

You can complain all you want about the food in Midtown, but if you like food carts, Midtown is a pretty sweet place to work and eat.  We’ve got some of the best (including two of the three finalists in last year’s Vendy awards!).  Check out some of the carts we’ve reviewed, plus some we’re planning on hitting up soon- after the jump….

Here are some of the carts you’ve read about on Midtown Lunch

• Daisy May’s BBQ.  BBQ (Multiple Locations) link 
• Hallo Berlin Cart. German Sausage (54th & 5th) link 
• Indian Fast Food.  Indian Food. (53rd & Park) link  
• Kwik Meal.  Falafel & More.  (45th St. on 6th, 5th & Madison) link
• Moshe’s Falafel.  Falafel.  (46th & 6th) link
• Taco Cart (w/ Sombrero).  Tacos. (50th btw. 6+7th) link 

Here are some of the great carts we’ve heard about that we planning on hitting up soon:

• Jiannetto’s Pizza Truck(51st & Park and 47th btw. Park+Madison)  Supposed to have great pizza… but the one on 51st wasn’t there yesterday- so I’m not sure what the deal is (but it’s supposed to be great).
• Crepe Cart.  (53rd btw. 5+6th).  In front of the Donnell Library.
• Teriyaki Cart.  (50th btw. 6+7).  This one is new, and next to the taco cart with the Sombrero.
• Chicken & Rice Cart. (43rd & 6th).  Supposedly on the SE corner- but there is alot of construction going on around there.
• Rafiqi’s Halal Carts.  (47th & Madison, 52nd & Park or 32nd & Park).

Unfortunately the Halal Cart on 53rd and 6th, which is widely considered the best Halal in the city, is only open after 7pm…  so it sadly does not qualify for a site dedicated to Midtown Lunch.  If there’s a place you love that isn’t on this list, comment on this post, or email me. Then, go to the Street Vendor Project and nominate your favorite cart!  Sure it will mean longer lines for you… but don’t be selfish!  Share that knowledge with the good working people of Midtown… I do it everyday.

Helpful Links:

• Street Vendor Project.  Nominate your favorite cart, buy tickets to the Vendy Awards or just donate to the cause.
• Street Grub.  A new site dedicated to food carts in NYC.  Vote for your favorites (in all areas… not just Midtown).  It’s pretty new, so there aren’t a ton of listings…. but you can help that by listing and voting on the places you know about!