Midtown Lunch

Alidoro, the downtown sandwich shop that has a list of rules about what they will and will not serve you, is bringing its tasty Italian sandwiches to 39th St. btw. Madison & 5th, starting Thursday at 7 a.m. Word is that they won’t be quite as militant about the approach to sandwich making at this new outpost, and will be serving more than huge sandwiches. Find out what else you can expect, straight ahead.  Read more »

New signage at the old Satya space proclaims Va Presto -Something-  is moving in. Anyone want to buy a vowel? “Go Quickly _____” in Italian sounds like an ominous name for a space vacated so quickly by the previous tenant. A permit posted on their 8th Avenue door gives some clues. Apparently we’re getting a pasta bar with alcohol (yay!) being opened by the Scottos, a family with a group of expensive (boo!) Italian restaurants throughout Long Island. Sorry, this carless New Yorker can’t say she’s been to any.

But wait… there’s more.

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A few weeks ago we put out a call for new contributors… well today, we’d like to introduce you to one of our newest members of the team.  Give a warm welcome to Karen L! 

It’s been awhile since we’ve covered Aries Cafe (on 37th and 8th), but the stalwart Dominican/Puerto Rican joint keeps going strong… with a brand new name. Not sure when this happened, but there it was just outside the building’s service entrance, on a sandwich board sign with a photo of shrimp over rice:  Acuario Cafe. The promising scent of stewed meats is still there but a quick google translate says acquario = acquarium. Does that mean more seafood fare than before? Hard to know when there’s no menu posted!

Sure, Spanish speakers have no problem, but my Spanish vocabulary is near non-existent. I can’t really listen in on other people ordering, only crane my neck to see the choices. Fried pork chop and stews made from goat, oxtail, chicken are still there. The only non-legged option I hear is bacalao, cod stew. No shrimp in sight, except on the sign outside.

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After rolling out their truck earlier this year, Papaya King now also has a food cart. And it will park every day in Herald Square on Broadway and 35th Street. Right now that area is not suffering for food options (thanks to Broadway Bites), but it will be nice to get a good old fashioned New York that’s not vegan, topped with kimchi, or some other hipster variation. The cart will sell the usual dogs, fries, papaya drinks, and fried oreos. Follow their Twitter feed for the latest updates.

We recently got a tip from Lunch’er joer that there was an addition to the lunch options at the Crystal Pavilion. “What is the Crystal Pavilion?” this recently transplanted Midtown Lunch’er asked herself. Well, it is the subterranean food court within 805 3rd Ave. Go down the escalator, and then behind it, and you’ll find The Picnic Basket, which opened there a few months ago. The menu leans Mediterranean, but I was told the chimi chicken sandwich was the thing to try.  Read more »

Last week DNA Info reported that just about every Pie Face location has shut down in the entire city, including the four in Midtown. They sprouted up like hotcakes over the two years and have now shuttered just as fast with no explanation. There’s no clue on their website as to why they closed (or that they even are indeed closed). But no doubt they expanded too quickly and NY’ers were just not ready for a full-on Australian meat pie chain! The only one still open is just out of bounds on 36th and Ninth.

Believe it or not, it’s that time of year again. The Bryant Park Holiday Market starts again today, earlier than it ever has before. The identical kiosks have been set up and some familiar food vendors, like Mmm…Enfes, Strudels & Pies by Hans, and TopArepa, will be selling dishes alongside all the merchandise stalls with their brilliant gift ideas. There are also some new, exciting additions added to the line-up, like This Pie is Nuts (with crusts made entirely from nuts), The Lucky Sailor (Belgian frites), and Sushi Republic. Christmas came early this year. Literally!

A brand new location of a brand new chain opened on Sixth Avenue and West 38th recently (the 3rd of a planned 15 around the city.)  It’s called Hibachi Dumpling Express and it’s sleek and clean with Asian platters like teriyaki, tempura, fried rice and noodles, and of course, dumplings. Here, four pieces of fried potstickers will run you $1.99 (double what you pay in Chinatown), which isn’t too bad for the neighborhood. The full menu can be found here.

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It’s a little late this year, but Street Meat Palooza 7 is definitely happening.  We’ve got a slight major twist this year, but we still want your feedback.  Got a favorite plate of street meat that you think deserves to be in the canon, alongside previous winners like The Famous Halal Guys, Kwik Meal, Comme Ci Comme Ca, Trini Paki, and Uncle Gussy’s?  Just leave it in the comments below and we’ll consider it for this years palooza.  Oh, and the more votes a cart or truck gets, the more chance it will be chosen- so don’t let somebody else’s comment deter you for leaving your own.

Spotted this truck tucked behind the Mystiik Masaala cart on the northeast corner of 54th and Park – Craffles. I’d already eaten lunch, so I snapped a pic of the truck and its menu before heading on my merry way… picture of the menu after the jump

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