Midtown Lunch

I try my best not to be too negative on this site, but that doesn’t mean you shouldn’t be able to vent. Every once in awhile I’ll share some of the more angry useful emails I get in a post called “Airing of Grievances”. (If the Eater Complaints Dept. would like royalties, I’ll be happy to pay up…)

This amazing email came into the old ML Inbox the other day about Cafe Cello, my favorite place for roast pork in Midtown (on 46th btw. 5+6th):

“I would never want to hurt a restaurant’s business by accusing them of something I’m not sure of, so I am alerting you rather than posting a comment. I love Café Cello‘s food-I work across the street and have eaten there many times-but I wonder about the meat that is not pork or chicken. All beef dishes I have had there have tasted very peculiar. The pieces are cut strangely, and the texture is weird for beef. In short, I don’t think their beef is from a cow.”

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Every Tuesday I turn over the site to a different Midtown Lunch’er for his or her recommendations for the best lunch in Midtown. Yesterday, the Vendy Awards announced the identity of this year’s “Citizen Judge” and she just happens to work part time in Midtown. Meet Mina, a “do-gooder” who loves street ceviche and credits her friends and family with introducing her to great food.

Name: Mina

Age: 32

Occupation: Occasional do-gooder

Where in Midtown do you Work?: Columbus Circle

Favorite Kind of Food: My palette owes everything to my friends’ and family’s culinary delights, and introductions to their favorites. So, here are some of my faves with some love to those peeps who’ve influenced my taste buds (bear with me!) Family: Mom’s sukiyaki and soups are divine – always the freshest and tastiest ingredients, and Dad made the best veal “it’s just not the same without sherry” marsala. Aunt Jo’s Italian Christmas feasts were an abundance of celebratory delights including a caponata I have yet to replicate, and stuffed shells all the way to colorfully sprinkled and deliciously sticky rosettes and bow ties (Italian fried dough).

Then there’s the college crew from Tufts House: They opened my
taste-buds up to the possibilities of burritos and horchata, deep dish pizza, the irresistible Indian lunch buffet (Star of India, way across Chicagoland), challah, and kielbasa. And, I just discovered that your first profiled person on here was Harry (another high school classmate). His Brooklyn Kitchen hosts an annual cupcake contest to support a local soup kitchen. I went for the first time this year and achieved a blissfully delirious sugar high tasting some of the hundred plus cupcake options – it was absolute cupcake heaven.

My uptown roomies made the most fabulous gourmet meals nearly every night you’d never believe they were budget. From Zita’s redonculous (her word not mine!) cheese stuffed burger, cakes and frosting, to Helen’s risotto and homemade yogurt, and Jenn M’s delicioso chicken and potatoes. It was any wonder I was able to get through the door ways! Celebrating friends’ ethnic heritage through food is definitely a theme. Yoshi introduced me to Sri Lankan – on Staten Island! And Anastasia’s tsatziki, is just the start of her Greek specialties. Yin Mei’s wedding in Malaysia was a food bonanza, and I came back a fan of curry laksa from the street stalls (burning mouth and all).

My new extended family in Queens carries its own: Food Nation was one of my first events here. It is an annual event Choi Wah started as a college student to bring a nation of people (now multiple nations) together over the enjoyment of an ingredient or type of food; this year it was Pasta Nation. Andrea, doesn’t exactly live in Queens, but she brings the taste of Zabar’s Chocolate Babka to us often, and I highly recommend it. My roomie Ai, has truly been my latest food ambassador through her culinary talents. She has received wedding proposals for her mac ‘n cheese, and I have tasted why! We go on food adventures nearly every week (this week’s special – kale chips!), and she introduced me to the local vendors in Corona. The ceviche I had down the street is my favorite (south east corner of Roosevelt and Warren St.)

Least Favorite Kind of Food: Hot spicy foods. There is a restaurant ironically called Spicy Mina in Queens, but I can only strive to reach such stature. (I assume she can eat as spicy as she can cook!). Unfortunately for me, I’m not capable of eating hot, spicy foods. So, there are no special requests for tabasco or more hot sauce from me, but I try to live vicariously through my friends – several of whom couldn’t have it spicier! And that leaves me wondering whether I’ll ever experience the delight of saying “can you pass the hot sauce?” Other than that, I tend to avoid super greasy, charred BBQ, and foods fried in old oil. Yick. But, don’t get me wrong, I do enjoy a good burger and fries now and again.

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Photo by Blondie and Brownie

One year ago this month, 30 Midtown Lunchers converged to eat 26 containers of street meat from 13 different Midtown carts.  Chicken and lamb over rice was consumed, scores were given, and in the end one cart claimed victory over the others in a completely blind taste taste.  The event was dubbed Street-Meat-Palooza, and the Famous Halal Guys on 53rd & 6th Ave. were declared the winner.

Now, one year later, the top 5 from last year will return and face a new set of challengers in Street Meat Palooza 2!  The tasting event is not open to the public (for logistical reasons), but there is a way for you to be one of the 30 lucky lunchers who gets to attend.

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You might have seen this news in the Midtown Lunch forums yesterday, but Wimbledon is being shown on a giant screen in Rock Center Plaza- and to celebrate they’re giving away free strawberries and cream every day this week. I was kind of skeptical at first (thinking maybe it was half a strawberry or some nonsense like that), but it’s the real deal.  Three big strawberries and a little cup of whipped cream (apparently it’s a Wimbledon tradition?) And it’s free.  Not bad!  (Obviously the whipped cream makes it.)  Get yours any day this week from Noon to 6pm in the Rock Center Plaza between 50th and 51st.

The Serious Eats offices are about 5 blocks outside the official Midtown Lunch’ing range, but it looks like on Friday Robyn Lee (their photographer extraordinaire and expert on all things manatee) found herself at two Midtown Lunch favorites: Go Go Curry, followed by a little dessert at Ying Du (both on 38th btw. 7+8th.)  Nice choices!

Related:
Make Your Own Bo Lo Bao/Pork Chop Sandwich at Ying Du
Go Go Curry Hits a Japanese Curry Grand Slam

Blondie and Brownie headed to opening day of the Southwest Porch in Bryant Park, and tried a few of the new sandwiches created by ‘wichcraft.  Like we reported last week, Friday is the only day they are serving food and drinks and it is really more of a great happy hour spot with “snacks” than anything resembling a Midtown lunch spot- but damn, that soft shelled crab sandwich looks good!

Related:
‘wichcraft Brings Pop Up Happy Hour to Bryant Park
If You Don’t Get An Amazing Soft Shelled Crab Sandwich from Certe I Want to Hear About It
Crabwatch: Are Soft Shelled Crabs Back at Cafe Duke?