Midtown Lunch

Swedish Meatballs from the AQ Cafe
Posted to the Midtown Lunch Flickr Photo Group by lazysundae

MIDTOWN LINKS

• There used to be a horse-meat burger & sandwich cart on Lex & 53rd! [NY Post]
• It’s official.  The Sullivan St. Bakery Sandwiches are worth the walk to 10th Ave. [Chowhound via Eater]
• I Should have eaten giant cheese for lunch on Weds!  [Serious Eats]
• Have a weekend Midtown Lunch at the 9th Ave. International Food Festival [HK.BZ]
• Ed Levine 3 stars Insiemme… I can feel the momentum building [Ed Levine Eats]

I can’t believe I’m doing this… but for those of you who are lunch-challenged, here’s three new Generic Delis that have recently popped up in Midtown:

1. Wholesome Wraps (on 39th btw. 7+8th) – I was hoping for something cool, but it’s just a generic deli, with pre-packaged wraps.

2. Simply Food (3rd Ave. btw. 46+47th) –  Great name.  Riveting.  Why not just name yourself “All we have here is just food”.  One note of interest… their British Pub Sandwich thingy.  I like meat.

3. Toasties (48th btw. Mad+5th) – I think this place used to be called Fraiche, but I’m not positive.  It’s a chain that people Downtown may be familiar with… 

An ode to the Rafiqi Cart, the most amazing looking sandwich, and beans- after the jump… Read more »

It’s the day before Cinco de Mayo, which means you can take your chances that Kristy will be at Blockheads today… or you can check out one of my two favorite taco places in Midtown.  If you are on the East side, Pampano Taqueria is the way to go.  But if your on the westside, take advantage of the nice weather and make the trek to Tehuitzingo on 10th Ave. btw. 47+48th.  You won’t be disappointed!

MIDTOWN LINKS

• Sorry Morgan Stanley.  No Hawaiian Tropic Zone for you! [NY Post]
• A great piece about the economics of Street Carts [Daily News via Serious Eats]
• TONY likes the same taco places I do! [TONY]
• Yolato is coming to Grand Central!!! [Gawker]
• Ever wonder how lunch at Le Bernardin would seem to 15 year olds? [NY Times]
• I tell David Chang where to stick his Momofuku III [Eater]
• Hey… that Jazzfest food looks familiar! [Serious Eats]
• Go Go Curry set to open on Saturday [TONY]

Next week… an amazing Filipino place that will blow your mind!  Plus, more on the openings of Go Go Curry & Kushi Q.  Have a good weekend!

I’m never going to eat again.  There are four reasons for this.

1. Two full days of eating at Jazzfest.  You can see the live photo-blogged pictures of the Crabmeat Po’boy, Daquiri & Gospel, Crawfish Monica, Patton’s Catering Combo, Cafe Au Lait, & Crawfish Bread.  And that was just from Friday.  On Saturday, there was the beignets from Cafe du Monde (seen above), Soft Shelled Crawfish Po-Boy, a fried shrimp po-boy, shrimp bread, and two mango freezes.
2. An out of this world dinner at Cochon, the new’ish restaurant from Donald Link, of Herbsaint fame.  This place is the real deal, and should win the James Beard award for Best New Restaurant (even though I love NYC Nominees A Voce & Momofuku Ssam Bar).  I only wish the lighting had been better so I could have taken pictures of the food.  Highlights include: spicy pork ribs with watermelon pickle, wood fired oysters, fried gator with chili garlic aioli, smoked ham hocks with grits and brown gravy, and of course, the signature Louisiana Cochon (roast pork).
3. Two dozen raw oysters (half at Felix’s in the French Quarter on Friday night, and half at Acme Oyster House in the airport right before I boarded my plane home).
4. And finally, lunch at Panda Express in the Houston Airport during my layover. It’s been awhile since I enjoyed their orange chicken and delcious noodles, so I was pretty excited.  Have I mentioned we need a Panda Express in Midtown? 

Needless to say it was an amazing weekend… oh, and I saw a little music too.  It also means, I didn’t post any Midtown Links at the end of last week.  So, while I recover- here’s some Midtown stuff for you to enjoy from last week:

MIDTOWN LINKS

• The first look at Insiemme, the new Midtown restaurant from Marco Canora of Hearth [Off the Broiler]
• For something a little cheaper, he also hits up the Times Square Yoshinoya [Off the Broiler]
• Camera in the Kitchen at Lanmarc Time Warner Center [Gothamist]
• An expensive lunch at the Modern Bar Room [Wandering Eater]
• Saying goodbye to a co-worker.  Where should you take them to lunch? [Chowhound]
• Somebody on Chowhound discovers the Jamaican Dutchy food cart [Chowhound]

Photo courtesy of Roboppy aka The Girl Who Ate Everything

Wagyu Beef Sliders, available today as a special at Bouchon Bakery in the Time Warner Center (Columbus Circle, 57th & 8th).  Not sure how much the special is, but the last time it was offered, the damage was $15.  It’s Friday, so you have permission to splurge- but get there early, because my guess is they’re going to run out.  Tip came courtesy of A Hamburger Today.

MIDTOWN LINKS:

• I’ve alway wondered what the “whiting sandwich” looked like at the Kim’s Aunt Kitchen Cart [A Wandering Eater]
• Midtown Breakfast [Chowhound]
• I’ve always wanted to do this… Fast Food Ads vs. Fast Food Reality [WVSR via Serious Eats]
• A lovely (albeit) empty lunchtime at Landmarc [Wandering Eater]
• More on the Midtown Mechanical Bull [Eater]
• Best Chaat in New York includes a few Midtown spots [Gridskipper]

Next week is going to be huge!!!  And it involves New Orleans food… more on this later.  Have a good weekend!

• The people behind Hearth in the East Village are opening a Midtown restaurant [Eater]
• Midtown getting a mechanical bull [Eater]
• Chikubu, home of the Friday Ramen special, is closed [Eater]
• Port Authority Eats you should already know about… [NYMag via Eater]

A new sign goes up on 40th btw. 7+8th (next to Popeyes)
Photo posted to the Midtown Lunch Flickr Photo Group by joshbousel

MIDTOWN LINKS

• Found out about this place a week too late (Matzoh brie, and the best Matzoh ball soup in Midtown…) [Eating in Translation]
• $6 Indian Buffet!  Why couldn’t this place be 10 blocks farther north [VV]
• Burger Joint conundrum.  To fry or not to fry.  [Chowhound]
• Best soups in Midtown… [Chowhound]
• Interested in Izakayas?  There’s four in Midtown… [NYDN]

Next week, I’ll examine a choice that every one of us (who are willing to venture far for good eats) has had to make… deciding between a crappy lunch with your co-workers, or eating at a far off good place alone.  Have a good weekend!

GOOD FRIDAY

Fried Chicken from Popeyes (40th btw. 7+8th)
Posted to the Midtown Lunch Flickr Photo Group by joshbousel

BETTER FRIDAY

Fried Chicken & Waffle from Ressie May’s (8th ave. btw. 39+40th)
Posted to the Midtown Lunch Flickr Photo Group by yehwan

MIDTOWN LINKS

• A few lucky people get Wagyu beef sliders from Bouchon Bakery [Serious Eats]
• English is Italian becomes Wild Salmon [NY Times]
• Gigantic Karoke Lounge opens in Times Square [Spotlight Live]
• If your company paid for you to eat at the Four Seasons, then you probably already know this… [NY Times]
• Another blog catches on to the mediocre Bulgogi Cart outside my building [Plate of the Day]

 
Taco Cart on 50th St btw. 6+7th, A view from above.
Posted to the Midtown Lunch Flickr Photo Group, Coutesy of Coco Guillotine

MIDTOWN LINKS

• Eat Sushi off a Naked Women’s body.  In Midtown.  [Urban Daddy]
• Most Disgusting Restaurant in NYC, as rated by the DOH.  In Midtown.  [NY Observer]
• Interview w/ Mary, the oldest counter girl at the Grand Central Oyster Bar [NY Mag]
• More about fried chicken in Koreatown [Project Me]
• More about new Italian/Japanese Natsumi [Restaurant Girl]

Next week…  a full write up of Sophie’s Cuban- plus the Midtown Lunch “guide” to lunch’ing during Passover!  Have a nice weekend…

Posted to the Midtown Lunch Flickr Photo Group by joshbousel 

Last Friday, I reported that the opening of the new Mandler’s Sausage Co. in Midtown (8th Ave. btw. 39+40th) was going to be dealyed a week.  I was asked to take it down, and various NY blogs were assured by their PR company that they would open this past Monday as planned.  Well, not only did they not open, they are not opening today or even Monday the 26th as I had originally reported.

Now, due to a problem with ConEd the opening date has been pushed back even farther.  They are targeting April 5th, but I will keep you updated in case anything changes (which I’m sure it will).  Why do I care so much?  What’s the fuss, you ask?  Sausages with Zucchini Fries.  What more could you want in life (for lunch)?  Sausage Watch 2007 is on! (Everytime I write about this place it comes out sounding weird…) 

Fancy assed boxed lunch, Inside Edition comes to Times Square, and a preview of next week’s posts- after the jump… Read more »