Midtown Lunch

Ever since Baja Fresh suddenly shuttered on Lexington btw. 45th + 46th streets, there has been something of a void in quick Mexican food options, although there is Oaxaca to the north, and Tacos Grand Central to the south (and Chipotle, which I don’t count). Lo and behold, we have a location of Dos Toros coming to Midtown East! It’s the Cali-style Mexican food mini-chain that five years ago Zach said was worth taking a subway ride to the Union Square shop for. Well, now you’ll only have to endure a short walk, or order for delivery to partake in one of their carnitas burritos.

Dos Toros, 465 Lexington Ave. (btw. 45+46th)

If someone were to ask me where to find good tacos in Midtown East by Grand Central, I would likely give a halfhearted suggestion for the Oaxaca on 47th + Lex, or one of the many food trucks that parks on that block between Lex and Park, but then the well would run dry. That was why I had low expectations when we got a tip that a new Mexican spot called Tacos Grand Central had taken the place of Crisp Express in the small space on 43rd btw. Lex + 3rd. Would we finally have a go-to place for tacos and burritos?

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We got a tip recently from Luncher Stephen, who told us that folks at his office were split between two taco spots near the Mexican consulate on 39th St. (btw Park+Madison): the Tacos Juquilita truck and the El Jalapeno cart. We’ve covered the Juquilita truck before, and they make some pretty good tacos, so how does El Jalapeno stack up?

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It’s been a while since I’ve eaten lunch from a food truck and even longer since I’d had good Mexican food in Midtown, so it was good fortune when I learned that the Tacos Juquilita food truck, a Mexican food truck that had been parked in front of the Mexican embassy (39th btw. Park+Madison) for a short time a while back, had once again returned.

A couple years ago, when the truck first appeared, Donny T. reviewed Juquilita’s tacos and tamales. The tacos were found to be a bit wanting, but unfortunately Juquilita was kicked out of its embassy spot by the police before it got a chance to hit a stride, and moved to 28th St. at 6th Ave.

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Did you know that today (October 4th) is National Taco Day? [crickets] Neither did we, but you can bet that now that we’re aware of it, it will forever be a highlight on our calendar. In honor of the day that celebrates the taco, please find some of your humble Midtown Lunch contributors’ favorites right now. Not ever, and not in the history of the universe, just some tacos we’re digging at the moment that will hopefully inspire you to celebrate this national food holiday with us.

Rachel Goldner: beef taco at Blend Latin Fusion Truck

Blend truck’s $6 taco trio is a really great deal. My favorite option is the beef taco that Brian also enjoyed back in May, but you can mix and match your three with different proteins. These tacos are colorful, flavorful and with a nice portion of shredded meat in the double tortilla wraps. A little crema and hot sauce on top, and you’re good to go!

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Good news for Midtown West lunchers in search of reasonably authentic Mexican (well, more authentic than Blockheads at least). Late last year, we noticed that Leon Bakery, which served some pretty good tamales was in the midst of renovating. And a recent tweet by our buddy, Bionic Bites, confirms that the renovations has brought an expanded menu, including tacos, tortas, and sopes.

Following a similar formula as Tehuitzingo, Leon Bakery has a small grocery section up front dedicated to latin dry goods and a smaller selection of wet goods. Mexican pastries sit in covered cubby holes, and slices of cake wilt in a refrigerated display case. In the back, there’s full line-up hot food items available for take-out and delivery. And while the menu (link to photo) has questionably authentic items, swaying slightly towards Tex-Mex influences, there are still plenty of appealing dishes, all within the ML price range. Certainly something worth an exploratory visit.

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While we have some great food carts in Midtown, some may argue that the best street food in New York is along Roosevelt Avenue in Queens – especially when it comes to Indian, Latin American, and Mexican food. Last week Lunch’er David R wrote in with a tip about a new Mexican cart on 39th and Park that is serving the authentic stuff you usually only find out in Jackson Heights.

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Every Friday we go south of the ML boundaries in search of a delicious lunch. Sometimes it’s Murray Hill south or the Flatiron District, sometimes Gramercy and everything in between- but we just like to call it Flatiron Lunch.

Hey there lunchers, Sarah’s out of town this week, so I took a trip down to my old stomping grounds to see what’s new in the old Flatiron bounds. Sarah had mentioned a new truck, Comida Mexicana that she hadn’t checked out yet, so I decided to see what it’s all about.

When I came across it on 28th street, I realized it was just around the corner from the delicious options at both the no name cart on 6th Avenue and the hidden Korean/Mexican gem that is New York Bakery. I got excited. If this truck was nearly as tasty and I testing as those two places, I was in for a great meal.

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There is definitely no shortage of Mexican food in Midtown but good tasting authentic Mexican food is a bit harder to come by. Enter Mexico Blvd, a new food truck set to hit the streets in February, which according to their website plans to “bring to New York the food and culture of Mexico that we loved so much.  Apparently the owner of the truck has worked at Riverpark the Tom Collichio restaurant run by ‘wichcraft chef Sisha Ortuzar.  You can check our their menu and a gallery of photos on their website, plus follow them on twitter or the ML tracker for updates, and as soon as we know more we’ll let you know.

I recently walked by this nondescript cart on the corner of 55th + Lex and noticed that next to the display case full of muffins and bear claws, amidst the standard pictures of egg sandwiches and hot coffee were photographs of tortas, quesadillas, and tacos. A new Mexican cart? Sign me up!

The cart offers lunch options of chicken, steak, carnitas, and chorizo, and each of these meats are available in taco, quesadilla, burrito, or torta form. They also offer a “Mexican Hamburger” ($5), hot dog ($2), and several plate entrees including but not limited to Huevos Rancheros ($5). I settled on three tacos at $2.25 each, with one each of chorizo, steak, and carnitas.

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