Midtown Lunch

It’s time for the 2nd Annual Midtown Lunch Readers’ Poll. Between now and the end of the year I’ll be asking all of you to decide on the best Midtown Lunches in a whole range of categories. You can only vote once per category (so choose wisely), and official results will be posted after the new year.

My quest for the best Chicken Parm sub in Midtown has been well documented, and yet a clear winner has never emerged… until now perhaps? Here are the nominees for Best Chicken Parm in Midtown:

• Bella Napoli (49th btw. 6+7th)
• Bella Vita (58th btw. 6+7th)
• Labeleca/La Bellezza (40th just west of 7th Ave; 49th btw. Lex+3rd) 
• Lazzara’s Pizza (38th btw. 7+8th)
• Mondello (37th btw. Mad+5th)
• Little Italy Pizza (45th btw. 5+6th)
• Park Italian (45th btw. 5+6th)
• Tuscany Catering (55th btw. 5+6th)

Read more »

It’s time for the 2nd Annual Midtown Lunch Readers’ Poll. Between now and the end of the year I’ll be asking all of you to decide on the best Midtown Lunches in a whole range of categories. You can only vote once per category (so choose wisely), and official results will be posted after the new year.

There was a time when asking for good Mexican food in Midtown would elicit a big laugh from anybody who knows anything about food. And while it hurts me to include a few of these options in a category called “Mexican Food”, I know they all have their fans- so I won’t discriminate. Also, I know a lot of you are happy to travel to Tehuitzingo for tacos, but 10th Ave. is just a little too far out of bounds… so I’m going to leave them off (and give the others a fighting chance of winning!)  So here they are- the nominees for Best Mexican Food in Midtown.

• Chipotle (Multiple Locations)
• El Rey Del Sabor (60th & 3rd Ave.)
• Pampano Taqueria (3rd Ave. btw. 49+50th)
• Qdoba (Multiple Locations)
• Sombrero Cart (on 50th btw. 6+7th)
• Tamale Lady in Front of the Mexican Embassy (39th btw. Mad+Park)

Read more »

It’s time for the 2nd Annual Midtown Lunch Readers’ Poll. Between now and the end of the year I’ll be asking all of you to decide on the best Midtown Lunches in a whole range of categories. You can only vote once per category (so choose wisely), and official results will be posted after the new year.

Midtown may not be the best food neighborhood in New York City, but if there is one thing we can stake a claim to it’s the best Japanese food in the city. The after work Japanese food/bar scene is second to none (Sake Bar Hagi, Yakitori Totto, Aburiya Kinnosuke), we have a bunch of great ramen joints (poll on that coming later), and most importantly for Midtown Lunch’ing purposes, there is the fast food. 41st btw. Mad+5th has long been home to 3 of the best options for Japanese fast food; add the rest into the mix and you realize there is no shortage of great, cheap Japanese food for lunch. Here are the nominees for best Japanese fast food in Midtown:

• Cafe Zaiya (41st btw. Mad+5th)
• Cafe Zest (47th btw. Lex+3rd)
• Chiyoda Sushi (41st btw. Mad+5th)
• Go Go Curry (38th btw. 7+8th)
• Shinbashi 49 (Formerly Naruto Sushi on 49th btw. Mad+5th)
• Sushi-Tei 47 (in front of Katsuhama on 47th btw. Mad+5th)
• Yagura (41st btw. Mad+5th)
• Yummy Sushi (Two Locations)

Vote for your favorite after the jump…

Read more »

It’s time for the 2nd Annual Midtown Lunch Readers’ Poll. Between now and the end of the year I’ll be asking all of you to decide on the best Midtown Lunches in a whole range of categories. You can only vote once per category (so choose wisely), and official results will be posted after the new year.

Earlier this year 20 Midtown Lunch’ers converged on Bryant Park to try street meat from 13 different carts in a massive Street Meat Palooza. A champion was crowned on that day, and whether or not you disagreed or agreed with the outcome, here is a chance for your voice to be heard. Here are the nominees for best Chicken/Lamb over rice cart in Midtown:

• Adham’s Halal (40th & Broadway)
• Famous 53rd Street Halal Guys (Multiple Locations)
• Kwik Meal (45th & 6th)
• Rafiqi’s (Multiple Locations)
• Trini Pak Boys (43rd & 6th)
• XPL (48th & Park)

Vote for your favorite after the jump…

Read more »

It’s time for the 2nd Annual Midtown Lunch Readers’ Poll. Between now and the end of the year I’ll be asking all of you to decide on the best Midtown Lunches in a whole range of categories. You can only vote once per category (so choose wisely), and official results will be posted after the new year.

2008 was a pretty sweet year in Midtown, with the already established Dessert Truck and Wafels and Dinges Truck joining the Treats Truck with regular stops in our lunching range. Couple that with the cupcake explosion of the past six months, and you were left with plenty of options to satisfy that afternoon sweet tooth. Here are the nominees for best Sweets in Midtown:

• Crumbs (Multiple Locations)
• Dessert Truck (52nd & Park Ave.)
• Fay Da Bakery (on 34th btw. 7+8th)
• Macaron Cafe (36th btw. B’way+7th)
• Magnolia Bakery (6th Ave. and 49th St.)
• Treats Truck (Multiple Locations)
• Wafels and Dinges Truck (Multiple Locations)

Vote for your favorite after the jump.

Read more »

It’s time for the 2nd Annual Midtown Lunch Readers’ Poll. Between now and the end of the year I’ll be asking all of you to decide on the best Midtown Lunches in a whole range of categories. You can only vote once per category (so choose wisely), and official results will be posted after the new year.

It was kind of a sad year for Latin food in Midtown. 2007 nominee La Strada shut down, along with the Sophie’s Cuban location on 41st Street. Plus, the International Buffet House went from all you can eat (for $9) to a pay by the pound situation (very, very sad.) But there is still no shortage of great Latin food in Midtown, as you can see from this incredibly long list of nominees for “Best Latin Food in Midtown”.

• Cafe Cello (on 46th btw. 5+6th)
• El Rincon Del Sabor (on 47th btw. 5+6th)
• El Sabroso (39th btw. 7+8th)
• International Food House (35th btw. 7+8th
• Margon (46th btw. 6+7th)
• Newsstand Latin Food (formerly inside the Blimpie on 6th Ave. btw. 38+39th)
• Sophie’s Cuban (Multiple Locations)
• Tina’s Restaurant (Multiple Locations)

 
Vote for your favorite, after the jump.

Read more »

It’s time for the 2nd Annual Midtown Lunch Readers’ Poll. Between now and the end of the year I’ll be asking all of you to decide on the best Midtown Lunches in a whole range of categories. You can only vote once per category (so choose wisely), and official results will be posted after the new year.

Oh yeah… the big daddy in my world. It’s no secret that I love cheap Chinese food, and as a result every one of these joints has a special place in my heart. And the nominees for the best Cheap Chinese fast food in Midtown are:

• Hing Won/Hop Won (48th btw. 5+6th & 45th btw. Lex+3rd)
• Lunch Box Buffet/Fay Da Bakery (on 34th btw. 7+8th)
• Sun Yip (formerly Ho Yip on 45th btw. 5+6th) 
• Ying Du (Formerly the 38th St. Restaurant btw. 7+8th)
• Yips (52nd btw. 5+6th)

Vote for your favorite, after the jump.

Read more »

It’s time for the 2nd Annual Midtown Lunch Readers’ Poll. Between now and the end of the year I’ll be asking all of you to decide on the best Midtown Lunches in a whole range of categories. You can only vote once per category (so choose wisely), and official results will be posted after the new year.

It was a big year for Indian food in Midtown. Indus Express opened on 48th btw. 5+6th, Khodiar Lunch Services (aka “Newsstand Indian”) expanded to include Taj Delhi Chat, and of course the Biryani Cart won the People’s Choice Vendy Award. They’re all nominated for best Indian Fast Food, along with a few old standbys.

• Biryani Cart (on 46th btw. 6+7th)
• Indus Express (48th btw. 5+6th)
• Joy Curry & Tandoor (46th btw. Lex+3rd)
• Kati Roll (39th btw. 5+6th)
• Khodiar Lunch Services/Taj Delhi Chat (6th Ave. btw. 38+39th)
• Maharaja (formerly Hurry Tasty & Curry on 45th btw. Lex+3rd)
• Minar (on 46th btw. 6+7th)

Vote for your favorite, after the jump.

Read more »

It’s time for the 2nd Annual Midtown Lunch Readers’ Poll. Between now and the end of the year I’ll be asking all of you to decide on the best Midtown Lunches in a whole range of categories. You can only vote once per category (so choose wisely), and official results will be posted after the new year.

In a lot of ways the falafel is what launched Midtown Lunch. Two and half years ago “Falafel Week” is what got Midtown Lunch noticed (and made fun of) by Gawker, and for that reason many of you are here. There is no shortage of good, authentic, and even strange falafel in Midtown- as evidenced by the list of nominees for Best Falafel in Midtown:

• Bread and Olive (45th btw. 5+6th)
• Crisp (3rd Ave. btw. 43+44th)
• Kosher Deluxe (46th btw. 5+6th)
• Kwik Meal (45th & 6th)
• Moshe’s Falafel (46th btw. 5+6th)
• Olympic Pita (38th btw. 5+6th)
• Pick a Pita (8th Ave. btw. 39+40th)
• Prince Deli (3rd Ave. btw. 43+44th)

Vote for your favorite, after the jump.

Read more »

It’s time for the 2nd Annual Midtown Lunch Readers’ Poll. Between now and the end of the year I’ll be asking all of you to decide on the best Midtown Lunches in a whole range of categories. You can only vote once per category (so choose wisely), and official results will be posted after the new year.

You know I love me some Korean food. It’s a little known fact that I set the southern boundaries of Midtown Lunch at 32nd Street (instead of 34th Street) just so I could include Koreatown in the places I write about. But, what’s great is now you don’t have to go all the way down to 32nd for Korean food… it’s all over Midtown (and oftentimes in the strangest of places.) Here are the nominees for Best Korean Fast Food:

• Ambrosia Deli (45th btw. 5+6th)
• The Bulgogi Cart (49th btw. 6+7th)
• Cafe Duke (51st btw. 6+7th)
• Han Ah Reum (32nd btw. B’way+5th)
• Pro Hot Korean (56th btw. 5+6th)
• Woorijip (32nd btw. 5+6th

Vote for your favorite, after the jump.

Read more »