Midtown Lunch

Photo courtesy of Ultraclay

The Diner’s Journal blog reported yesterday that the Times Square Alliance is now accepting applications for concessions in the pedestrian plaza in Times Square. The 15 page invitation/application [PDF] that was sent out to various local businesses yesterday is pretty broad about what they will and will not accept (it doesn’t necessarily have to be food), but the important part for us was these words in section III: “Mobile carts or other light structures that can change position will be considered.”  How great would it be if some of our favorite food vendors had real spots, in Times Square, free from the cops or other brick and mortar businesses in the area?  And, quite frankly, what’s better than street food?  The tourists already have plenty of big box, big name, food options in Times Square… hopefully the folks at the Times Square Alliance will use this as an opportunity to give the hard working natives of Midtown something to get super excited about!

Applications are due by the end of May.  What would you guys like to see on the streets of Times Square?

Earlier this week we heard the new that Hello Pasta will launch its fast food pasta empire in Midtown this June, and was so distracted by the imminent arrival of “the Starbucks or Pinkberry of pasta” we neglected to mention Nooï, a French import and the OTHER fast food pasta chain that’s moving in this summer. Early reports place the soon-to-come Nooï at 41st and Lexington so, naturally, I went looking for it. With Pret a Manger dominating one corner and Cafe Metro, Barami clothing store, and Everyday Gourmet Deli swallowing the others, it was hard to tell where French pasta would fit in. The only vacant-looking spot was the recently shuttered Zaro’s Bakery location on 41st btw. Lex & Park, which looked pretty sad under scaffolding. We’ll keep our eyes peeled for the new place, but let us know if you find it first. In any case, prepare yourself for a fast food pasta face-off! (Yum?)

Do you wonder what the ML contributors do when they’re not eating lunch in Midtown? (They’re actually pretty easy to stalk!)

Danny returns from France, heads right for a delicious pastrami sandwich at Katz’s, and somehow manages to tie it in to a rant about illegal immigration? Blondie discovers some good eats at the Ft. Greene Flea, while Brownie kindly lets everyone know that Peter Pan is still selling chocolate filled St. Joseph’s day pastries. And Ultraclay gets curious about canned roland snails in Chinatown.

Speaking of celebrities and where they eat lunch in Midtown… looks like  Kyochon (on 5th Ave. btw. 32+33rd) has a new fan. Take that, haters!

Related:
The Really Early Word on Kyochon
Korean-Fried-Chicken-Palooza: Kyochon vs. Bon Chon vs. Mad For Chicken

With the opening of Pizza By Cer Te and news about Hello Pasta, the area by E 55th seems to be getting a whole lotta food action lately! Thanks to Lunch’er Apikoros18 for pointing out the kosher place Yummy Yummy (on Lex btw. 55+56th) that’ll soon arrive too! Looks pretty mysterious so far – just a storefront plastered with “Falafal bar, free salad bar, coffee bar, hummus, bourekas, soups”. No indication about how soon it’ll open, but as soon as we know- you’ll know.

Is that Geraldo?!

Today’s New York Post has a great article asking “celebrities” (some more than others) who work in Midtown where their go-to lunch spots are. There are some boringly obvious answers (Donald Trump eats at the Trump Grill, Dave Letterman eats at the Hello Deli, and the owner of the 2nd Ave Deli eats at… the 2nd Ave Deli) but there’s also some kind of great ones. For example, Brian Williams eats at Sacco- a pizza place on 9th Ave. that Slice, coincidentally enough, just posted about. And Geraldo Rivera eats at Midtown Lunch fave Margon (on 46th btw. 6+7th). “They make this incredible sandwich with shredded pork, lettuce, pickles — it literally has all the major food groups covered.” Hard to argue with that…

Pork Tamales from El Camioncito. Photo courtesy of Lunch’er “nomnomnyc”.

Once again, Lunch’er “nomnomnyc” comes through in the forums with intel on El Camioncito (on 31st and 7th Avenue), the Ecuadorian Truck that added tacos to its menu last month. They have now expanded the Mexican portion of the menu to include tamales filled with your choice of pork or chicken. His initial report isn’t stellar, noting that the pork is a bit dry, but it is a new addition. Given the limited Mexican options nearby, all we can do is hope that it improves over time.

Related:
El Camioncito Truck Slings Tacos in Midtown South

Last week Otarian, the much hyped “low carbon” fast food restaurant opened on Bleeker Street and their second location is set to open tomorrow on 8th and 56th. For Midtown Lunchers who prefer greenhouse emissions meat with their lunch this place is probably a pass, but for Sarah and the other ML vegetarians we’ve rounded up some pre-opening coverage.
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