PROFILE: Midtown Lunch’er “Kathy”

Every Tuesday I turn over the site to a different Midtown Lunch’er for his or her recommendations for the best lunch in Midtown. This week it’s Kathy, a Data Analyst who wants an answer to the age old question:  are any Midtown Restaurant Week lunches worth it?

Name: Kathy

Age: 26

Occupation: Data Analyst at an Ad Agency

Where in Midtown do you Work?: Madison in the 40s

Favorite Kind of Food: This is a toss-up among Mexican, Viet, and Thai. I love sour, bright, fresh citrus-y, and spicy flavors and I think these ethnic cuisines do it best.

Least Favorite Kind of Food: Generic Italian, like meatball parm sandwiches, lasagna, especially those really heavy alfredo cream sauces, and gnocchi. And though I wish I liked cheese, I really don’t (smells and tastes like feet mixed with butt–it’s true) which makes me dislike generic Italian even more.

Favorite Place(s) to Eat Lunch in Midtown: The Lunch Special #10-Braised crispy tofu with chili-spiced pork at Szechuan Gourmet (two locations), anything at Chipotle (multiple locations), the Green Sauce at Sophie’s Cuban (multiple locations), the beef croquettes at Cafe Zaiya (on 41st btw. Mad+5th), Chiyoda Sushi hodgepodge (on 41st btw. Mad+5th), Wendy’s chili, and Tiffin Wallah $6 Lunch Buffet (Vegetarian on 28th btw. Lex+Park)

“Go-To” Lunch Place You and Your Coworkers Eat at Too Often? Too often in a good way = Szechuan Gourmet (delicious food, good portion for so cheap; we always leave there satisfied). Too often in a shameful way = Pret. There’s some sauce Pret uses on a number of their sandwiches including their falafel one that is pretty nasty and makes you have even nastier burps.

Place(s) you discovered thanks to Midtown Lunch? Ho Yip on 45th btw. 5+6th (thank you); Las Poblanitas on 38th btw. 8+9th (double thank you); Udon West (on 46th btw. 3rd+Lex), I love the huge ball of really thin deep fried onions they give you on the side that you break off and dunk with each bite of noodle and soup–sooo good.

If you could work anywhere (just because of the lunch) where would it be and why? Probably L.A. just for La Oaxaquena Taco Trucks and I’d make my own guac and pack and eat it with. Or I could do Vietnam for Pho (I wish there was good Pho in Midtown – please share if you guys know any; the one at Dishes is bad bad bad.)

Is there anything you’d like to ask the Midtown Lunch readers? Any restaurants in Midtown worth the $24 and change for Restaurant Week lunch?

Ah yes. The age old Restaurant Week question.  I did restaurant week lunch once at Hatsuhana (my wife paid, natch.)  It was really good, although with high quality sushi $24 only gets you so far.  Anybody have a good recommendation? Put it in the comments…

And as always if you’d like to be next week’s Profiled: Midtown Lunch’er (or know somebody you’d like to nominate), email me at zach@midtownlunch.com.

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