Midtown Lunch

2010 Vendy Award Winner Freddy the King of Falafel has reigned over Astoria for years now, but he recently announced on Twitter that he would be constructing a second cart to bring to Manhattan. He posted an updated photo of the cart on Facebook last night, but is reluctant to reveal exactly where he plans on parking this new cart – not even to fellow Vendy Award winner Thomas DeGeest from Wafels & Dinges. If the King of Falafel won’t even tell the King of Waffles, we’re not particularly hopeful he’s going to tell us… so rather than sit back and wait for him to make the big announcement about where he’s going to end up we’ve decided to harass the shit out of bring the decision to him! If you want Freddie in Midtown as much as we do, head over to Facebook, and tell him so.

• Sign of the Apocalypse? Panera is coming to Midtown. [Midtown Eating]
• Looking for good deals on late lunches [Midtown Eating]
• Mexicue’s creamy corn is kind of disappointing [Midtown Eating]
• The first ML Happy Hour meetup of 2012 is coming together [Connections]

Earlier this week, we received a tip from Lunch’er “Nick” about activity in the former Tomatoes space next to Chipotle on 52nd btw. 3rd + Lex. I went by for a look, and there does indeed seem to be a Cafe Today going up in that location. According to their website, they are a Portland, Oregon-based chain serving a variety of soups, salads, sandwiches, etc. as well as offering corporate catering. Are there any Portlanders out there who can let us know if this is something to get excited about?

Steak ‘n Shake is finally open, and the line is out the door, although not quite as out the door as Shake Shack on their first day in Midtown Does that mean Steak N Shake wins or loses their first head to head competition with the Shack?  An employee outside claimed the wait is about 10 minutes to the front of the line, plus 10 minutes to get your food-  so it looks like an infographic to determine your wait time will be unnecessary for this super-hyped new Midtown burger destination.  Did you brave the madness?  Let us know what you think in the comments.

Steak ‘n Shake, 1695 Broadway btw 53+54, 212-247-6584

While checking out the new Apple store in Grand Central a few days back, I decided to get lunch at the food court downstairs. I’ve managed to mostly avoid the Grand Central Terminal Food Court, seeing as it’s mostly overpriced, mediocre foods catering to tourists and people on their way out of NYC but needing to grab a quick bite. But now that Tri Tip Grill is opening today (I can finally get a Toasty!) and Shake Shack is on the way, Grand Central might turn into a pretty exciting lunch spot. Of course lines at those two places are likely going to be pretty epic… so I figured it might be good to have a contingency plan.

After walking around for a bit, I settled on Chirping Chicken. The chicken on the rotisserie looked promising and I do love eating chicken. For $6.89 I got a quarter chicken and it came with a side plus pita bread- though when I got back to my office and opened the box I was shocked to see what I got for lunch.

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Last week, we got an email from reader Edward letting us know that the Morris Grilled Cheese Truck (which has been quietly roaming the streets for the last few months) made their first Midtown appearance on Thursday. They grew out of a stand at the New Amsterdam Market and are certainly not the only ones selling artisanal grilled cheese sandwiches from a fancy truck. I got to try two of their sandwiches this week and was impressed by their innovative menu. Ultimately, it’s still just cheese and fillings between bread, but so far I think these guys give you the most bang for your buck.

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

Barbecue beef . . . on a hot dog at Little Brother in Clinton Hill. Photo by Clay.

Brian’s search for the best beer bars in town took him to Chelsea Brewing Company, Donny roasted a pork shoulder, Rachel had a cupcake from Magnolia, Blondie found a Mac n cheese on a pizza, Brownie and Lawman were in Montreal and enjoyed Schwartz’s famous smoked meat sandwich and I took my Food/Work project into the kitchen of Little Brother, Brooklyn’s new BBQ spot.

Elsewhere in the ML universe… Out in LA, Zach checks out this brand new fast food neapolitan pizza joint opened by the owners of Umami Burger. In Philly, Jamie loves a Taiwanese meatball that may be best enjoyed with your eyes closed and Downtown, Andrea scouts out Prince Street Pizza in the old Ray’s Pizza space.

Imagine it’s “one of those days” at the office. You look up and it’s way past lunchtime, and suddenly you realize that sound you keep hearing is your own tummy grumbling. Now what? Now you can order Korilla delivery. Details are thin at this point, but according to this you can email them after lunchtime rush to order delivery. They did clarify that deliveries are available only in midtown and lower, and that orders should be placed an hour in advance.

Crisp on Wheels has also been tweeting lately about delivery in Midtown, usually around where their truck is parked. Could this be the new model for food trucks in 2012? Only time will tell …

With the wonderful lunch I ate at Joy Curry and Tandoor last week still fresh in my mind, I wanted to try 44 Curry House (on 44th btw. Lex+3rd) as well for a little compare contrast. I walk by this place every morning on my way to work and always notice during lunch time a good number of people eating there. Just like the lunch I got at Joy Curry and Tandoor, I went for the 2 veggie combo platter with rice and naan ($8.25). So, how did it compare?

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