Midtown Lunch

When Nanoosh opened up a couple months ago, I wasn’t really sure what to think. With the bright colors and san serif font, it looked like all the other new chains popping up around town. Plus, with all that talk about being organic and healthy, it didn’t really call to me the way a various fried chicken spots have, but I still made my way back a couple times. Surprisingly, I found that I actually enjoyed it.

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It seems like we get days upon days of crappy economic news these days. I suppose this recession isn’t going anywhere fast. That’s why last week I was really excited to hear in the forums that the Gray’s Papaya on 8th ave and 37th started selling hot dogs for 50 cents. I walked by last week to check it out and had a hot dog because for 50 cents, how could I not? Hell, how could I not have two or three or four?

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The Bon Appetit Pop Up Cafe and Supper Club was fast becoming an “Autumn in Midtown” tradition, until they decided to move it to this year’s new center of the fashion week action in Lincoln Center. So not only will we not be able to score the random giveaways that used to happen in front of the Bryant Park Tents, they’ve also taken away our fancy prepared by famous chefs but only cost$10 lunches! Yesterday was opening day, so Brownie and I stopped by to see if the new location is worth trekking a few blocks out of bounds for.

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Roast pig over rice, from Hing Won (on 48th btw. 5+6th)

• Yvo discovers the joys of Hing Won [Feisty Foodie]
• There’s good news, and bad news about 4Food (but mostly bad) [Eater]
• The roast chicken at Eataly looks pretty amazing [Fork in the Road]
• Chickpea salad is the best thing at the Schnitzel & Things truck!? [Tasty Eating]
• There was a terrible fire on 39th and 3rd last night [Eater]
• The Pop Tarts Cafe doesn’t open until 11am!? [Consumerist via Eater]

If you like to eat, chances are you like to drink (read: a lot of you are freakin’ lushes), so every week our Happy Hour Correspondent “Mamacita” will post about a different bar in Midtown that fits the Midtown Lunch mentality: unhealthy food, not lame (unless it’s lame in a cool way), and most importantly… cheap.

The Australian (20 W. 38th st btw. 5/6th) was one of the first happy hours that ML reviewed and Zach gave a thumbs up to the meat pie offered on their $8 lunch specials. If you have been meaning to check them out then today would be the day. The Australian celebrates its 3rd year with a birthday bash tonight! To liven things up the theme of the party is Bogan. What’s a Bogan? As far as I can tell the closest American equivalent is the term White Trash. So yeah, dress up as some lower class Aussie and win a prize. They will have free Bronzed Aussie beer and Jacobs Creek Wine from 7pm for an hour. Australian’s happy hour is a beaut with $4 beers and a bar food menu that is ‘down under’ $6 dollars. Happy birthday Australian, good on ya, mate!

The Australian, 20 W. 38th St. (btw. 5/6th ave), (212)869-8601

Earlier this week, we received reports that Pro Hot Korean (on 56th btw. 5+6th) was offering a Korean taco special this week and next (9/7-9/17). At the risk of sounding like a broken record, I’ve professed my unabashed predisposition towards Korean tacos during my previous assessments of Café Duke and Bann Next Door. Not to be outdone, the demurely humble Pro Hot Korean joins in on the suddenly chic Korean taco trend with their version of galbi, bulgogi, and spicy chicken filled tacos.

At $4.99 for two, these appear to be priced at a bargain – but how does it compare to its predecessors? We take on the tacos and get a feeling for the fillings after the jump.

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Here’s a few extra bits and pieces for all the Flatiron Lunchers out there…

Italian mega-market, Eataly’s pizza may not be in ML price range, but it is now available to go. Last night Eataly tweeted that the Pizza and Pasta area now has a takeout entrance on 24th Street. Also in the twitterverse, Hill Country Chicken, which we mentioned back in July, is working the hype machine tweeting its mentions in The Times and Time Out New York. Still no official opening date, but when I called, the person on the phone said they expect to open around ‘mid-September.’ That sounds pretty soon to me.

And if Eataly wasn’t enough for you, a recent peek in the door indicates that futuristic fancy food court FoodParc (851 6th Ave) should be opening any day now. The chefs involved all tend to make food well outside of the Midtown Lunch price range, but there’s got to be something in there for us, right?  At the very least it will be open for “Carts in the Parc” the New York City Wine and Food Festival event with Andrew Zimmern, the Biryani Cart, Jamaican Dutchy, Schnitzel & Things and more.  (Tickets are still available here.)

Got any news about deliciousness coming to the area? Email us editor@midtownlunch.com

Thanks to Lunch’er Adam Prato for sending in this one… yesterday a new Dosa cart popped up on Broadway btw. 54+55th across from the Letterman show.  The cart’s menu has a few different kinds of dosa, as well as uttapan, falafel, samosas, and biriyani. Adam’s job is moving Downtown starting next week, so I guess this is kind of his parting gift to Midtown Lunchers.  Early adopters, let us know how it is in the comments.