A New Low: Lunch in Midtown is Worse Than Jersey

“I have been reading your blog for a few years while working in midtown. The reason for your blog is justifiable since the food is so average at best and the pricing is just hilarious. Now that I am working in Jersey and eating great food again from real italian delis, crazy authentic korean restaurants, thai, getting real bagels for breakfast, etc i am going to stop reading your blog as it serves no purpose for me anymore accept to feel bad that you still have to resort to eating stuff like the above sandwiches for $10. It’s kind of pathetic. Brown bag it dude. Not to mention the cockroaches and rats in all of those establishments. -rocky”

That… uh… makes me feel really shitty. Wait! You know what… I’m not going to let this “rocky” get me down. FUCK… YOU… GUY. Let’s get one thing straight: Midtown lunching is like a family. It’s perfectly ok to bad mouth it (or call it a food wasteland), if you’re related by blood (or lunchtime misery.) You, however, now work in Jersey… so keep your damn opinions (and your “real Italian delis” and “crazy authentic restaurants”) to yourself!

62 Comments

  • Dear ML,

    Even though I don’t live in/work in Midtown, I still love to read your blog. Thanks to you, I’ve discovered Cafe Zaiya and the 53rd and 6th Ave Halal cart (really). I recently moved from CA – Bay Area to be specific – which has AMAZING food). And I’ve got to say, you have gems here! That dude/tte is in Jersey is probably just secretly envious haha. Also, the world is full of pathological liars. While s/he’s entitled to his opinion, s/he didn’t need to be so rude about it. Yay for not letting this person get you down! Keep up the yummy work.

  • Hey Rocky – vermin in food establishments exists everywhere. Lucky for you NJ is the noxious fumes/chemical waste capital of the country. Go $lo@ yourself douche bag!

  • Rocky used to work on a cocks…pumping away all day he’s on the cock…ohhh yeahhhhh.

    I’d like to thank mama for the inspiration.

  • Pizza in NJ is way better than pizza in Midtown. Where can you even get a halfway decent slice of pizza? Three quarters of the places have a Ray’s in their name.

    Choosing a random place in NJ will probably yield a better slice than choosing a random place in Midtown.

  • just to chime in… i grew up and worked in the northern jersey area right over the GWB and i agree with rocky’s comments about the korean food and the bagels (not sure about thai though). the korean food is fantastic, very cheap, and is the biggest thing that i miss about working there. a large entree that tastes great with lots of ban-chan (small appetizers) can be had for as little as 5 or 6 bucks. im not sure what part of NJ this idiot is running his mouth off from (maybe jersey city), but with all this jersey bashing going on, I had to speak up and at least represent. you can find some great japanese (santoka ramen, east) and indian food (mantra) too, though I have to admit, chinese and thai foods are pretty weak up there. i dont know what rocky’s problem is, to be honest.

  • Just in case no one has said it— Bon Jovi sucks

  • Rocky,

    Take your mullet, your cheap-ass gold, A/C salt water taffey, load up your black Trans-Am with Best of Foghat 8-tracks and git da fuck outa here.

  • Isn’t Tiffany, of “I Think We’re Alone Now” fame from the JZ, too? Maybe she’ll be willing to be profiled as next Tuesday’s Midtown Lunch’er?

  • Thai food is awful in NJ. I have thai friends from Jersey who drive to Elmhurst, Jackson Heights, and Woodside for real thai food.

    Name one place that compares to Aburiya Kinnosuke, Soba Totto, Jean Georges for Lunch in NJ.

  • Oh man! Tiffany!! I love you Nancy! LOL

  • I’ve got several years of lunch experience in both places, and its true, the Italian Delis in Jersey have Midtown beat by a mile. But other than that- the selection, the convenience, the accesibility….its not even close.

  • Damn Zach, you look fierce in some of those snap shots! Like someone stole your lunch money!

  • I’m with you, Offbalance!

  • You guys hunt in packs.

    Im impressed.

  • Rocky, eat a d!@k. You live in Jersey. Might as well be dead.

  • I have about 10 food options that are within 50 yards of my office. And they cover most major types of cuisines, although the lack of a nearby Thai place to Rock Center kinda sucks.

    But I’m willing to go 20+ minutes to get lunch, the average time it takes to go somewhere to get a decent lunch in Jersey, that means I can hit up just about anything I want.

    Burger? Shakeshack it is.
    Pastrami sandwich? Carnegie Deli
    Pizza? Too many places to count that kick butt but I’ll go with Bleecker Street Pizza
    Chinese? Too many places to list

    And that doesn’t take into account Biryani Cart, Jamaica Dutchy, or Halal on 53rd.

    I got nothing against Jersey but Rocky is smoking crack.

  • HAS THE WORLD GONE TO HELL?!!
    Since when did JERSEY become the mecca for “real italian delis”, “crazy authentic korean restaurants”.
    ekG – “Bagels and pizza are both way better in NJ ”

    I’m from Jersey and this is straight up CRAZY TALK!
    ekG and Rocky, suck my armpit with your Olive Garden, TGIF suburban food authenticity.

    Zach, I for one will continue to enjoy eating at Halo Berlin, Burger Joint, Cafe Zaiya.

  • http://newyork.seriouseats.com/2009/03/in-videos-midtown-lunchs-zach-brooks-in-the-great-food-revolution-documentary-cbc.html

    “He looked at me and said, ‘Thank you, you are a very good man,'”

    …..and we all know what happened to Babu Bhatt.

  • is this argument even happening?…its friggin jersey. he probably has to drive to get lunch. keep ur italian delis….ill keep midtown for what it is.

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