Midtown Lunch

Vendy Awards to Honor 50 Heroic Food Vendors: This year, instead of honoring just one vendor who reported safety concerns on the street or stood up to bullying neighbors, the Vendy Awards will be honoring a group of 50 food trucks for their heroic acts last year. The NY Daily News reports that this year's heroic vendor award will go to members of the NYC Food Truck Association who donated food to the victims of Hurricane Sandy in the power outage days following the storm. A well deserved honor.  See you all at the event next month!

Free Pie Face Alert: From noon until midnight today Pie Face is trading your social currency for a meat pie. Show them some love by tagging them on Twitter or Instagram, or by posting on their Facebook wall, and show your post at any of the Midtown locations to receive a free mini BBQ pulled pork pie. With all of their locations situation nicely in Midtown, hopefully there's a Pie Face near you so you can take advantage of the deal!

$1 Bluestone Lane Coffee Tomorrow and Thursday: Speaking of coffee, Melbourne inspired Bluestone Lane coffee (in the Meredith Bldg on 3rd btw. 49+50th) is having their grand opening this week, and to celebrate they'll be offering all Midtown Lunchers $1 off any coffee drink on the menu coffee drinks on their menu for just $1 all day Wednesday, July 24th and Thursday, July 25th. Enjoy!

Get 50% off Eggs-Travaganza: We love it when one of our favorite carts, egg-centric Mexican or not, has a good deal going, but now's your chance to get in on a Vendy fave! Get out of your shell and snag an Eggs-Travaganza Cart Groupon, $10 for $20 worth of food. Sure, you gotta use it all in one visit, but get a friend to go in halfs and gorge yourself on steak 'n egg tacos for breakfast or Campechano tacos for lunch!

Rock Center Restaurant Days is Back: Thanks to Lunchers Adam & Phillip for tipping us off to this one... Through Thursday "a bunch of Rock Center restaurants are cooking on the plaza.  $10 steak sandwiches at Del Frisco's Grille and $1 scoops from Ben and Jerry's!  Lots of other great stuff too, most at or under $10 (except for a $15 lobster roll)."

E&E Grill House’s New Lunch Special: E&E Grill House (on 49th btw. B'way+8th) has always been good, but a little pricey, so we always appreciate their lunch specials.  The latest gets you a half pound burger topped with cheese, lettuce, tomato, onion, pickle and special sauce; served on a lightly toasted brioche bun, hand cut Idaho potato crisps, and an ice-cold soft drink for just $9.90. Do it.  Do it.

Tickets Are Still Available for The Vendy Awards: Here's a reminder: If you haven't done so yet, now is the time to purhcase your tickets to the Vendy Awards on September 7. Tickets are still available, but no doubt that will change very soon. Nominations will be announced in the near future, but you can bet on lots of amazing street food from all over the city. Get your tickets here.

Eat Free Ice Cream, Meet John Franco: Anyone missing their childhood Good Humor Ice Cream Truck should head to Bryant Park right now. We hear there's a GH truck there from now until 1pm with free treats and New York Mets Hall of Fame pitcher John Franco will be on hand. It's all a part of their "Share the Love" campaign. Freeloaders, engage.

Even Our Ice Cream is More Expensive: File this one under "Tell Us Something We Didn't Know" the NY Post "investigated" Mr. Softee prices in a few different neighborhoods and found that cones clocked in a couple of dollars higher in Midtown. Whether or not the reporters included the cost of sprinkles into their findings is not immediately known. [NY Post]

Free Ice Cream at La Maison du Chocolat: There will be a complimentary in-store ice cream tasting at fancy chocolatier La Maison du Chocolat (both at Rockefeller Center and the Plaza Food Hall) every day this week through Thursday. From 12pm - 6pm, they will be offering their classic chocolate ice cream and their strawberry sorbet. The 2 ounce petite scoops probably won't fully quench your ice cream craving, but free is free.