Archive for '46th btw 6+7th'

Margon’s Sandwich & Chicken Soup Special is Perfect For Fall

Margon Soup and Sandwich Combo

Fall is upon us. The days are getting shorter, the weather is getting nippier, and suddenly lunch time has gone from merely a break in the day, to a necessary means of warming and comforting ourselves. It seems that many Midtown lunchers agree that soups are the perfect cold weather comfort food, and I wholeheartedly concur. And what’s more comforting and familiar than a bowl of hearty chicken soup?

When it comes to chicken soup, Margon (on 46th btw. 6+7th) has a fine version, which can be paired with their famous Cuban sandwiches, for the ML friendly price of only $9. For this price, I’ve always considered this combination to be one of the best soup and sandwich combos in Midtown. Find out why after the jump.

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Utsav Has Their Own Takeaway Biriyani

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It’s been forever since I’ve been to Utsav, the fancy all you can eat Indian buffet on 46th Street btw. 6+7th. So when I was told by a friend over at Epicurious that they were now serving Biriyani for take out, I was pretty excited!  I’ve never tried their buffet (it’s too expensive!) but their take out food, which is available daily just inside the front door, is good (especially for those of you who prefer spending a little extra on slightly fancier Indian food.)

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45 Street is Not Truck Alley Every Day

Rickshaw Dumplings and Treats Truck...Sharing the Street
Photo by nycblondieandbrownie

As you knew from our post on Tuesday, Wednesday was a big day on 45th btw. 6+7th. The newly launched Rickshaw Dumpling Truck and the Treats Truck were parked next to each other in what Eater dubbed “Food Truck Row.”  There was even a halal cart and ice cream truck thrown in for good measure.  But don’t get too excited for a repeat.  While The Treats Truck is planning on being back in the spot today from 12:30 to 2:30 (they alternate with the Waffles and Dinges Truck), the Rickshaw Dumpling Truck is parking Downtown (on Pearl St. right next to the plaza for all of our Downtown Lunch readers.)

No word on whether they will try parking together again next Wednesday, but it isn’t completely smooth sailing.  The same ice cream truck guy that hassled Kim in the Treats Truck when she first started parking on the block, is now hassling Kenny in the Dumpling Truck.  Hopefully with the weather getting cold, the ice cream trucks will be leaving soon anyway…

Caribbean Spice Cart Distinguishes Itself With Coco Bread & Roti

Carribean Spice Cart

When the Caribbean Spice Cart popped up at the end of April on 46th Street btw. 6+7th it had a pretty tall order: to operate a cart selling Caribbean food just 5 blocks away from the Jamaican Dutchy– what I consider to be one of the best carts in Midtown. Sprung from the ashes of Caribbean Spice, a Hell’s Kitchen restaurant that had closed down at the beginning of the year, early reports from the cart were mixed. The first meal I had there was decent, but not great, and Danny from in Mouth reported that the oxtails were just mediocre. Now, with actual signage (when they first started it was just a cart with a piece of poster board) the cart is finally hitting their stride, and while it’s pretty clear they’re not going to unseat the Dutchy, there are two items on the menu that set them apart. Read more »

Bits & Pieces (the Plywood Edition)

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The rennovation of the 47th St. Japanese Convenience Store between Lexington & 3rd continues on, and I got this look inside.  It’s hard to make out exactly what is going to happen to this place, but as long as they keep all the bentos and fun stuff they used to serve (at fairly low prices) it should be good.  The store, which is owned by the upstairs restaurant Amakusa, has been closed since January.

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Major plywood just went up at the original Kati Roll location on 46th btw. 6+7th, covering not only Kati Roll but another location next door.  Still no word on what may be moving into the place… but from the last bit of info I got, it probably won’t be a Midtown Lunch.

Speaking of speculation, info about the Strawberry space in the McGraw Hill plus the Indian buffet on 37th St., after the jump…  Read more »

Airing of Grievances: John’s Shanghai & the Ambrosia Bi Bim Bap

I try my best not to be too negative on this site, but that doesn’t mean you shouldn’t be able to vent. Every once in awhile I’ll share some of the more angry useful emails I get in a post called “Airing of Grievances”. (If the Eater Complaints Dept. would like royalties, I’ll be happy to pay up…)  These are both a week or two old, so apologies to both places if they’ve managed to miraculously fix their issues since these emails were sent.  I’m guessing they haven’t.

John's Shanghai

Please warn fellow Midtown Lunchers [about John’s Shanghai on 46th btw. 6+7th).] Here’s the review I posted on MenuPages: “I’ve ordered here many many times before and have never been so disappointed. Sure, restaurants have their off days, but today’s food was a complete insult. I had 6 orders in total, none came close to mediocre. General Tso’s chicken was just a pile of red chicken, no broccoli on the side or anything. Chicken and Brocolli was sweet. Double Sauteed Pork was sweet rather than spicy, and pork slices were too thick. Thought that was bad, here’s the icing on the cake. Soy Sauce Chicken over rice, they had the nerve to give us re-cooked chicken. I’m Chinese, I know! It looks like leftover soy sauce chicken reheated in the steamer. The skin on the chicken had shrunken a bit and the color from the soy sauce had come off already. Why would you dare serve something like that to a customer?!!?!?!??!?!!! I will NEVER order from them again!” Thanks, Lily.

Wow… I don’t even know what to say to that.  Luckily, John’s Shanghai has never really been considered a Midtown Lunch, so I don’t even really need to waste any time trying to interpret that rant.  The email I got about Ambrosia was a little more upsetting.  Why the generic deli (that became a ML favorite by adding Korean food) might have me re-thinking my “Best Bi Bim Bap in Midtown” claim- after the jump…   Read more »

Shuttered Kati Roll & Le Croissant Cafe to Become…?

When places in Midtown close, I go through a wide range of emotions.  If it’s a place I like, it’s a bummer, if it’s a generic Midtown Deli, I don’t mind as much.  Either way, my feelings are quickly replaced with anticipation.  What’s moving in?  What’s next?  What are we gettin’?  Is Baja Fresh/In N Out/Panda Express finally going to answer my calls!?!  Unfortunately, there is pretty disappointing news on two empty lots in the Midtown Lunch’ing landscape…

Formerly Kati Roll

The space formerly occupied by Kati Roll on 46th btw. 6+7th (before they moved to 39th St.) is finally getting a tenant.  A “kitchen man” showed up yesterday, and it would appear as if the place is being gutted.  They were pretty hush hush about what was moving in, except to say it was a “reputable restaurant” with “American fare” switching spots from their current location in Midtown.  In other words… nothing new- and more importantly, definitely not a Midtown Lunch.

At least it’s food- sad news from the shuttered Le Croissant Shop, after the jump… Read more »

Caribbean Spice Returns in Cart Form to Take On The Jamaican Dutchy

It turns out the new cart that popped up Monday on 46th btw. 6+7th is from the owners of Caribbean Spice, the now shuttered Hell’s Kitchen restaurant that used to be on 44th btw. 9+10th Ave.  Their hand written signs may be scrawled on posterboard, but the menu is pretty straight forward.  Jerk chicken, stewed chicken, curry chicken or goat, and oxtails, served over rice and peas.  Sound familiar?  You can’t help but think these ladies must have been influenced in some way by the success of the Jamaican Dutchy on 51st & 7th.  Only a 6 or 7 minute walk away, you’ve got to admire the boldness of setting up shop so close to what I consider one of the best carts in Midtown. 

 

It’s not really fair to judge the food on day 4, but I just can’t resist the exitement of a new cart. Check out the plate of food I got yesterday, after the jump… Read more »

Bastard Child of the Cuban Sandwich Added to the Menu at Margon

Margon, the Cuban lunch “counter” on 46th btw. 6+7th has always transported me back to my hometown of Miami.  Readers’ Choice for Best Cuban 2008, you can always count on their delicious roast pork, roast chicken, their famous octopus salad, the fried chicken wing version of “chicharones” (a word also used to describe crispy fried pork skin), rice, beans, plantains and of course the cuban sandwich.  Their version is made with salami, a preparation favored by many Dominicans, as well as the Cubans who live in Tampa, who added it to the sandwich to appeal to the large Italian population they lived side by side with.

There was only one thing missing at Margon… until now.  The Media Noche, a very popular pressed sandwich with pretty much the same ingredients as a cuban (pork, ham, mustard, pickles and cheese) but instead of French style cuban bread, it’s pressed inside a slightly sweet egg bread.  Delicious!

For $4, I couldn’t resist, and picked one up the other day.  Check it out after the jump… Read more »

At Lunch Now: Chapati Roll Chef is Back with New Menu Items and Something for the East Side

 

I guess it’s an Indian food kind of day… first Indus Express and now this.  The “Chef” (on the right) of the Chapati Roll/Biriyani Cart (46th & 6th Ave.), has returned after two and a half months in Bangladesh, and as promised there’s some new stuff to talk about.  Let’s get the bad news out of the way first… two Kati Rolls/Chapati rolls are now $5 ($6 for lamb).  $4 was a ridiculously low price, so I don’t begrudge the cart a little price increase…

Now on to the good news… they’ve added a fifth kind of Chapati Roll to their menu- the vegetarian Aloo Gobi roll (curried potatoes and cauliflower).  I’ve been on a big cauliflower kick since having this sandwich 6 months ago, so I’m excited to try this.   They’ve also added the chicken tikka masala and biriyani to the permanent menu, items previously only available as specials on certain days.

On the seafood front, there is now a salmon dish (presumably to compete with the Kwik Meal Cart’s fish platter).  And even more items are in the works, including shami kebabs (made from ground up lamb or chicken), and chapli kebabs (made from ground up beef).

A shot of the menu, plus the big news for Chapati Roll lovers on the East side, after the jump… Read more »