Midtown Lunch

Last week, I found myself in a lunch conundrum. I hadn’t brought anything from home and I was bored of my old standby quick lunches. To further complicate matters, it was Friday during Lent, so no meats for me. Much hemming and hawing ensued until I heeded the siren call of the Midtown Lunch Twitter Tracker and hit up Jiannetto’s Pizza Truck (on 47th btw. Park+Mad) to check out their vodka slice.

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Now that Downtown has its very own section of the site, what are we going to post on Fridays at 10am? Answer… how about a new column devoted to those lunches just south of the ML boundaries. Please give a warm welcome to Jason Lam from the blog Me So Hungry. Every Friday at 10am he’ll post about lunches in Murray Hill south, Gramercy, Flatiron, and everything in between… or as we’ll call it from now on: Flatiron Lunch.

Where have all the lunch counters gone? Perhaps they aren’t designed for today’s hustle and bustle lunch environment. But sometimes you want to sit down (on a stool) and have some quick food prepared and delivered right in front of you. I first discovered A&A Coffee Shop about a year ago, when I got lost walking to a friend’s office. It struck me with its charm and seclusion from the heavy traffic around the corner. I wondered who else knew about this place and if the food was any good.
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The lunch menu from Ma Peche (aka Momofuku Midtown on 56th btw. 5+6th) was revealed yesterday,  and obviously we were a bit worried to not see the $10 lunch specials listed anywhere.  Well, got an official update and the $10 Midtown Lunch specials aren’t going anywhere! You’ll be able to order them online daily for pick up. As for the Milk Bar, there’s good news and bad news.  The bad news is, they won’t be serving pork buns.  The good news is, they will be serving cookies, pies, whole cakes (office party!), savory breads (green curry banana bread FTW) and salty pistachio and cereal milk soft serve. Yes, you read that right. Salty pistachio soft serve will be making its triumphant return to NYC next week… and it’s happening in Midtown. Take that East Village!

Ma Peche, 15 West 56th St. (btw. 5+6th)

Related:
Ma Peche Reveals Lunch Menu! (Cheap Bastards Mourn)

• How did this thread about eating on $20 a month turn into a Peter Luger meet up? [Miscellaneous]
• Can I get some extra cigarette ash with my chicken and rice? [Midtown Eating]
• A dinner is in the works to try some good jajangmyun this month [Midtown Connections]
• Best ways to enjoy matzoh for lunch [Eating in Other Areas of NYC]

When Ma Peche (aka Momofuku Midtown) soft opened with a $10 “Midtown Lunch” menu in the mezzanine of the Chambers Hotel last year, it was possibly the happiest day in Midtown Lunch’s entire life. Not only was Momofuku coming to Midtown (a dream come true), but they were offering lunch at a price that fell in the ML boundaries? (Shocking.) Of course we didn’t expect the actual restaurant menu to follow suit (Midtown hotel restaurant rents are freakin’ expensive, you know) and today Grub Street confirmed what we knew all along would be the case. According to GS Ma Peche might open for lunch as early as next week, and the menu [PDF] is so not a Midtown Lunch. (But damn does it look tasty!) The bun du riz and pork ribs have made the cut, but the banh mi are nowhere to be found.  But there is now photo confirmation of a Milk Bar, and talk of a “Balcony Bar” with a limited menu…. so we’re still holding out that the $10 Midtown Lunch menu will still be available in some form.  No official word yet, but as soon as we know you’ll know. [Milk Bar Photo courtesy of Grub Street]

Related:
Your First Look at Ma Peche’s “Midtown Lunch” Specials

I love tacos. The more interesting the fillings the better, from tender lengua to crunchy oreja, I’ll eat it. Yet working near the Empire State Building, the options are pathetic. Short of Chipotle, we’ve got nothing. So, when I read nonnomnyc’s post in the forums last week about a new Taco Truck near Penn Station, I knew I’d be making the trip in short order. Yesterday, I stopped by El Comioncito’s to give it a try. The truck, run by Ecuadorans, offers all varieties of street meat, but that’s not what I was there for. The Mexican menu is small and you might miss it at first. There are only four types of tacos available, but I’ll take what I can get.

See the tacos after the jump.
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Today I was going to tell you all about the banh mi that Yushi (on 47th btw. Park+Lex) has been serving on Thursdays, but they decided to move them to Wednesdays! No sense in teasing you with something you can’t have until next week. Still want to head to Yushi? Thursdays are still peking duck day. (And there is always the sake ramen.)

Related:
Today is Peking Duck Day at Yushi (and You May Be Surprised to Hear Where The Duck Comes From)