Midtown Lunch

Every Tuesday we turn over the site to a different Midtown Lunch’er for his or her recommendations for the best lunch in Midtown. This week it’s Liz, a dessert obsessed money person who loves eating outside.

Name: Liz

Age: 27

Occupation: “The Financial Services Sector”. It’s incredibly unrewarding for others to understand what I do for a living.

Where in Midtown do you Work?: Bryant Park

Favorite Kind of Food: Dessert; desserts posing as breakfast. I love that what’s ostensibly cake is a reasonable thing to eat at 7:30AM.

Least Favorite Kind of Food: “Salads” whose binding ingredient is mayonnaise. Come on.

Favorite Place(s) to Eat Lunch in Midtown: Anyone who doesn’t respond “Margon‘s Cuban sandwich” (on 46th btw. 6+7th) to this question is a heretic who must be regarded with suspicion. The Cravings Truck, naturally.

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Every Tuesday we turn over the site to a different Midtown Lunch’er for his or her recommendations for the best lunch in Midtown. This week it’s Brendan, an actor who doesn’t understand why there are no $1 dumpling spots in Midtown.

Name: Brendan

Age: 30

Occupation: Actor/Temp Worker

Where in Midtown do you Work?: Various-depends on the job. Could be anywhere in Midtown or downtown.

Favorite Kind of Food: Pizza and Chinese Food

Least Favorite Kind of Food: Salad

Favorite Place(s) to Eat Lunch in Midtown: Hing Won (on 48th btw. 5+6th) for Roast Pig over rice, Kwik Meal (on 45th and 6th) for Lamb over Rice, Papa Perrones (on 55th btw. Park+Mad) for the Rice Ball, Jianetto’s (on 47th btw Park+Mad) for the Rice Ball (so excited that there are two trucks in midtown where these are available especially since I don’t know of a single Pizza place that sells them), Little Morocco (on 39th and 7th) for Lamb over Rice, Schnitzel Truck for their delicious Pork Schnitzel platter, NYCCravings for their Fried Chicken, Little Italy for Pizza.

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Every Tuesday we turn over the site to a different Midtown Lunch’er for his or her recommendations for the best lunch in Midtown. This week we throw the Flatiron Lunchers a bone by profiling Amanda, a legal assistant who loves garbage plates but doesn’t eat bacon.

Name: Amanda

Age: 26

Occupation: Legal Assistant

Where in Midtown do you Work?: NY Life Building, 27th and Park ave

Favorite Kind of Food: Potatoes! Veggies! Anything with Curry or Garlic.

Least Favorite Kind of Food: There really isn’t anything I won’t eat, except bacon (blasphemy according to all these foodie blogs) and pickles (the smell gets me.)

Favorite Place(s) to Eat Lunch in Midtown: Eisenberg’s Tuna Melt with Egg Cream (on 22nd & 5th Ave.) La Posada’s Ground Beef Burrito (on 3rd btw. 26+27th.) It’s so big they automatically give you a fork and knife to attack it. Dosi Truck Kati Rolls on 27th and 5th (4 dollars!!). Rafiqi’s on 24th for their gyro with everything (only this cart! The guys are very nice and the veggies are cut up fresh for the salad). Mozzarelli’s (on 23rd btw. B’way+Park)-anything they have. Gluten Free options? I’m down! Chicken Deli on 28th-amazing breakfast options, but I LOVE their fresh sushi and chicken salad with raisins and walnuts. Curry in a Hurry (on Lex btw. 28+29th)-again almost everything they have. I go here if I want leftovers for dinner and lunch the next day as well.

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Every Tuesday we turn over the site to a different Midtown Lunch’er for his or her recommendations for the best lunch in Midtown. This week it’s Donny, a jack of all trades who wishes he was working in Tokyo.

Name: Donny

Age: 32

Occupation: Digital Video Coordinator/Freelance Photographer/Food Blogger

Where in Midtown do you Work?: 7th Ave or Penn Plaza & 32nd St

Favorite Kind of Food: Carbs! Noodles, rice, bread, pizza. More specific? Wonton noodles, pho, chicken and broccoli over rice, soup dumplings, burgers, fried chicken (any kind), pork belly, fried pork chop over rice, schnitzel, mac n cheese, dumplings/mandoo, sushi, fried chicken skin on a skewer, meatballs/lion’s head, rice and beans, hainam chicken rice, beef tongue taco, ramen, sandwiches from Cafe Zaiya, tater tots, french fries, duck confit, fish tacos, dim sum (especially chicken feet, shrimp dumplings, char siu baos, and turnip cakes), beef tendons, hanpan cheese (fish cakes stuffed with kraft singles wrapped in seaweed and coated with panko crumbs then deep fried), curry and…..kimchi fried rice.

Least Favorite Kind of Food: Eggplant and tofu, blah! Unless they’re deep fried and served with some tempura sauce. I think I hate the texture more than anything.

Favorite Place(s) to Eat Lunch in Midtown: It’s always a treat when Wednesday rolls in and the Schnitzel Truck parks near the Madison Square Park. When its nice out I would get a chicken schnitzel platter with potato and cucumber salad and eat it in the park. When I’m in the mood for sandwiches I walk over to No.7 Sub (on B’way btw. 28+29th). So far they have not disappointed me yet. For some REAL deal on lunch I go to Salt & Pepper (on 33rd btw. 5+6th). For $7 I get baked chicken with rice and lentils. That plate fills me up with deliciousness every time. Sometimes they charge me $6 sometimes $6.50, it’s weird! It’s so sad to think about it but the roast beef sandwich with fried onions at Cafe Express was SOOOO GOOD. Part of me died when I found out it was replaced by a Pret Manager. Pret Manager I will never forgive you!!!

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Every Tuesday we turn over the site to a different Midtown Lunch’er for his or her recommendations for the best lunch in Midtown. This week it’s Felicia, a logistics manager (wha?) who loves pizza but can’t stand chicken. (I think we might be able to get behind that…)

Name: Felicia

Age: 35

Occupation: Logistics Manager

Where in Midtown do you Work?: Garment Center

Favorite Kind of Food: Can you say cheese please, anything with cheese! I love pizza(I am a Brooklyn girl)

Least Favorite Kind of Food: Chicken, we had a disagreement years ago, so we broke up! Actually I got sick twice and never ate it again!

Favorite Place(s) to Eat Lunch in Midtown: My new obsession are all these great new trucks! My favorite is Mexicue. The short Rib tacos are the best! They usually park near Bryant park once a week. A few weeks back I ventured over to the Schnitzel & Things truck on 46th and let me tell you! I see what the buzz is about! As far as favorite pizza places go nothing will ever beat Brooklyn pizza in my eyes but for midtown here are my picks, it is all about the mood. If you want a thin crust with lots of yummy combo’s for toppings I suggest Lazzara’s (on 38th btw. 6+7th). If you are in the mood for a cheesy salty inexpensive slice the $1.00 pizza at 2 brother’s on 8th avenue is the way to go!

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Every Tuesday we turn over the site to a different Midtown Lunch’er for his or her recommendations for the best lunch in Midtown. This week it’s Joey, an east side web producer who will venture to Park Gourmet Italian just for their turkey sub.

Name: Joey

Age: 31

Occupation: Web Producer

Where in Midtown do you Work?: Turner Broadcasting / Murray Hill Office

Favorite Kind of Food: Seafood, Beer (it counts), and Burgers. Being from western NY I am always on the lookout for good chicken wings… And Garbage Plates!

Least Favorite Kind of Food: Salads, I like a good salad, but those are hard to come by. And I’m sick of french fries, they come with everything! I substitute whenever possible. (Unless they’re waffle fries or really tasty ones of course)

Favorite Place(s) to Eat Lunch in Midtown: I still venture out to Park Gourmet (on 45th btw. 5+6th) when I get the chance, best old school deli around – Turkey Sub with the works. Wharf Bar (on 39th and 3rd) – cajun chicken club or chicken fried chicken when its on special. Melange Gourmet (aka Milant, on 39th btw. Lex+3rd) – H5! It’s right outside the door from my office. I do enjoy El Ray de Sabor though there is not a cart near me so that’s always an adventure as well. And Scottys (my diner, keep out!) on 39th and Lex whenever I want breakfast for lunch.

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Every Tuesday we turn over the site to a different Midtown Lunch’er for his or her recommendations for the best lunch in Midtown. This week it’s Rob, a writer who wishes he worked at Epcot center!?

Name: Rob

Age: 23

Occupation: Writer

Where in Midtown do you Work?: The house that James Cameron built, by Roc Center.

Favorite Kind of Food: Total sucker for nachos. The faker the cheese the better. Recently been seeing waffle fry nachos all over the place where they trade the tortilla chips for waffle fries (and 10 years of your life). Nacho should be a verb, and I should have the inalienable right to nacho any dish.

Least Favorite Kind of Food: Vegetables masquerading as meat.

Favorite Place(s) to Eat Lunch in Midtown: I go hot-and-cold on the Biryani cart grizzle (on 46th & 6th). Margon (on 46th btw. 6+7th) Mon/Tues special never fails to impress. When it gets cold, the Kwik pasta cart (on 45th btw. 6+7th) is perfect. Park Italian deli (on 45th btw. 5+6th) is subway without the guilt. Popped my El Rey de Sabor cherry on Cinco de Mayo and life hasn’t been the same since.

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Every Tuesday we turn over the site to a different Midtown Lunch’er for his or her recommendations for the best lunch in Midtown. This week it’s Leslie, an office admin looking for some good side dishes.

Name: Leslie

Age: 25

Occupation: Office Admin

Where in Midtown do you Work?: 43rd and Lex

Favorite Kind of Food: I’m from Southern California originally so I’m a big fan of pretty much anything Mexican; lamb, avocado, roasted chicken w/ garlic, salami – actually pretty much any pork product, grilled eggplant, lots of cheeses, watermelon, chicken lo mein, falafel, all indian food, korean barbecue, arugula, and cheerios.

Least Favorite Kind of Food: Vegemite and kiwi

Favorite Place(s) to Eat Lunch in Midtown: Cafe Zaiya (on 41st btw. Mad+5th), Crisp (on 43rd and 3rd), Biryani Cart (on 46th and 6th) for the kathi rolls, Previti Pizza (on 41st btw. Lex+Park) for the spinach artichoke slice and the carmelized onion one, 48th and 3rd cart for chicken over rice and the eggplant, Kwik Gourmet (on 47th and Park) for lamb over rice, biryani from 44 Curry House (on 44th btw. Lex+3rd), Cafe Cello (on 46th btw. 5+6th) for the roast pork.

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Every Tuesday we turn over the site to a different Midtown Lunch’er for his or her recommendations for the best lunch in Midtown. This week we’re excited to profiled Nick, aka Lunch’er “Hightemp” who has tipped us off to a bunch of good stuff over the past few months.  We figured it’s time he got his moment in the spotlight…

Name: Nick

Age: 32

Occupation: Patent Attorney (and amateur mixologist)

Where in Midtown do you Work?: Across from Bloomingdale’s (so technically “out-of-bounds” in Midtown North)

Favorite Kind of Food: I love all kinds of food, but if I had to choose I would say French Bistro or good ol’ fashioned American (both Modern American and Comfort Food American)

Least Favorite Kind of Food: Frozen meals of any kind – but particularly ones that feature “shrimp”

Favorite Place(s) to Eat Lunch in Midtown: The Siciliano and the Wednesday Fresh Crab Sandwich at Macaron Cafe (on 59th btw. Park+Mad); Chicken Enchiladas (Half Green/Half Mole) at El Rey Del Sabor (on 60th and 3rd); Goodburger; BBQ Brisket sandwich at Daisy May’s (on 50th btw. 6+7th); Spicy Pork at Pro Hot Korean (on 56th btw. 5+6th); Jerk Chicken at Jamaican Dutchy (on 51st and 7th); General Tso’s Chicken at New Hong Wong (on 59th btw. 2+3rd); Eggplant Parmigiana and Italian Wedding Bakers at Pizza by Cer Te (on 56th btw. Park+Lex); Double Soul Food Mix from Hallo Berlin; for snacks – Sweet Potato Fries and a Shake Shot at BRGR (on 61st and 3rd); Ham & Cheese Scone at Alice’s Tea Cup (I know that one is waaaay out of bounds) and for dessert – Medium Smooth Plain Wild Thing (with Honey, Bananas and Cinnamon Toast Crunch) at Berrywild and anything from Miss Softee but particularly the “Fried Ice Cream” (which may or may not have been a request by a certain someone profiled here)

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Every Tuesday we turn over the site to a different Midtown Lunch’er for his or her recommendations for the best lunch in Midtown. This week it’s Tiffany, a Tax Accountant who loves bread but hates mediocre food.

Name: Tiffany

Age: 25

Occupation: Tax accountant

Where in Midtown do you Work?: Madison & 42nd

Favorite Kind of Food: At the risk of getting tarred and feathered here on ML, I confess that my tastes veer towards the vegetarian side with some seafood. But, in any case, it’s dangerous when I’m near… 1. food I grew up with (Taiwanese and Mexican) – shaved ice & fried tofu! guac! 2. really good, fresh bread of any kind 3. unusual (but delicious sounding) flavor combos – like an incredible miso almond cookie I had recently

Least Favorite Kind of Food: Mediocre food makes me sad.

Favorite Place(s) to Eat Lunch in Midtown: Soup from Devon & Blakely, pizza from Previti (on 41st btw. Lex+Park), falafel from Naya Express (on 3rd btw. 43+44th), halloumi sandwich from Macchiato Espresso Bar (on 44th btw. Lex+3rd)

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