Midtown Lunch

Taking a branding page from the 53rd & 6th Street Halal Guys, the Biryani Cart (on 46th & 6th) has gotten t-shirts of their own.  The question is… how long before the other vendors on the same block start wearing red shirts to confuse customers!  More carts should have shirts… and sell them to the public.  I’d totally buy a shirt from a cart.  You?

Related:
More Cart Shenanigans: Beware of the Yellow Sweaters

Found out via Eater today that Rudy’s, home of Midtown Lunch’s favorite free hot dog, might shut down. Our Happy Hour correspondent Mamacita waxed poetic about Rudy’s back in October, when things  were still ok.  But according to Living Liberally, things went downhill in December when the Department of Buildings shut down Rudy’s ultra popular backyard due to a fire escape issue.  Rudy’s tried to fix the problem, and obtained the proper permits, but a short time later the DOB intervened once again issuing a stop work order to conduct a “routine audit”.  Long story short, this pile of red tape has kept the incredibly popular Rudy’s backyard closed for almost 7 months now- putting the bar into a pretty bad place financially.  Living Liberally has put together a petition for the Department of Buildings that everybody should go sign now. The future of free hot dogs depends on it!  [Living Liberally via Eater]

Related:
Midtown Happy Hour: Cheap Beer and Free Porcine Pleasures at Rudy’s

You know how much I love the Asian sandwiches (I can’t get enough!) so there was no question I was going to travel the extra avenue outside the Midtown Lunch boundaries to check out Xie Xie– the newly opened sandwich shop from Angelo Sosa (formerly a chef at Jean Georges.)  You’ve already seen the menu, and heard the reports from the ML early adopters.  But the question still remains… for Midtown Lunch’ing purposes, are these freakin’ sandwiches worth the $8+ price tag.

In short, yes…. if you love Asian sandwiches as much as I do.  And provided that the chef makes one small change.

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Since their opening two weeks ago the Schnitzel & Things Truck has been moving around daily, with stops in Williamsburg, Dumbo, Downtown Manhattan, and Union Square, using twitter to let their 1000+ followers know where they are going to be.  Eventually they hope to make it to Midtown, and yesterday they got pretty close- parking in Madison Square Park.  As is usually the case for a new vendor parking in a new spot, things didn’t go so smoothly.  I checked in with the owner to find out exactly what happened.

“We got harassed by 4 different dudes as soon as we showed up.. But we weren’t having it man.. Whatever, it was the usual, you know the “I’ve been on this block for 15 years” routine:) and??? You want us to move because??? Take a walk.. They wouldn’t leave us alone, I called the cops on them for harassment:) then they brought their own cops, it was a freaking mess but funny, cuz they couldn’t do anything.. We reasoned with the cops and they didn’t do anything but leave and the guys were left in bewilderment ..

And then came the real threats…

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Remember back in May when Bobby Flay showed up at Schnipper’s Quality Kitchen (on 41st and 8th) for a sloppy joe throwdown?  Well the episode finally airs tonight at 9 PM EST on the Food Network, and to celebrate (or possibly redeem themselves?) Schnipper’s will be giving out free sloppy joe sliders during lunch time. Freeloaders, engage! [via Wined and Dined]

Related:
Bobby Flay Beats Schnipper’s in Sloppy Joe Throwdown
Schnipper’s May Have the Best Mac & Cheese in Midtown
Jamaican Dutchy to Help Bobby Flay Throwdown
Dessert Truck Bests Flay; Throwdown Blamed on the “Internet”

The ML Guide to Beating the All You Can Eat Buffet shouldn’t need an entry telling you not to eat on your way to the buffet (it’s just common sense), but there is a part of me that has a tremendous amount of respect for a guy who stops at Woorijip and Mandoo Bar on the way to the Ichi Umi sushi buffet (fmr. Todai.)  [Tasty Chomps]