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 we head down to the Flatiron to find out where Rose, a magazine editor, likes to eat.

Name: Rose

Age: 34

Occupation: Magazine Editor

Where in Midtown do you work? 23rd & 6th

Favorite Kind of Food: Anything with noodles (pasta, ramen, kugel, you name it)

Least Favorite Kind of Food: Anything described as “pungent”

Favorite Place(s) to Eat Lunch in Midtown: Lately I’ve been digging San Rocco on 24th Street. Their prix fixe lunch is a great deal and everything I’ve ever eaten there has been terrific. I especially like their pasta primavera, which is different every time, and the homemade bread is a lovely touch. If I’m feeling cheap and outdoorsy, I’ll get ham and bread from Eataly and eat in Madison Square Park.

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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 get to see how the 1% live! Meet Jared, a lawyer who likes Num Pang but whose go-to lunches are a bit pricier than our average find.

Name: Jared

Age: 26

Occupation: Attorney

Where in Midtown do you work? 1350 Broadway, between 35th and 36th street

Favorite Kind of Food: Chinese

Least Favorite Kind of Food: Indian

Favorite Place(s) to Eat Lunch in Midtown: Skirt Steak Sandwich from Num Pang (on 41st btw. Lex+3rd) or Chicken Satays at Philippe (on 60th btw. Mad+Park)

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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 Mike, a web guy who’d rather be stuffing his gullet with seafood in Spain.

Name: Mike

Age: 32

Occupation: Senior Digital Producer

Where in Midtown do you work? Bravo / 30 Rock

Favorite Kind of Food: Anything rustic/ethnic, but if I had to boil it down specifically in terms of items or cultures: Indian / Southeast Asian / Spanish, and items would be smartly made grilled sandwiches (my sandwiches must have a crunch element), any seafood and spicy noodle-based soups (ramen, pho).

Least Favorite Kind of Food: American-style ham. Not the fancy La Quercia stuff, which I adore, but salt-bomb grossly pink spiral ham or cold-cut ham. I just gagged writing that. I also continue to have a lifelong hatred of pancakes — see crunch necessity above.

Favorite Place(s) to Eat Lunch in Midtown: Tina’s Cuban sandwich (on 56th btw. 5+6th), Menkui Tei (on 56th btw. 5+6th) in the winter (Menkui ramen always), and was recently pleasantly surprised by Steak N Shake (on B’way btw. 53+54th).

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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 Andrew, an intern who’s on the hunt for some Chicago style pizza.

Name: Andrew

Age: 21

Occupation: Intern

Where in Midtown do you work? Corner of 42nd & 3rd

Favorite Kind of Food: As a tightly budgeted college student, my favorite food has grown to be a quick slice of pizza (preferably with BBQ chicken).

Least Favorite Kind of Food: Gazpacho soup – cold soup is arguably the most outright travesty ever!

Favorite Place(s) to Eat Lunch in Midtown: By far, my favorite place to grab lunch in Midtown is Crisp (on 43rd & 3rd). The Crisp Mexican is incredible, and a side of French Fries make it the perfect combo. Plus, it’s right across the street from where I work. Second place goes to the Tri-Tip Grill in Grand Central. I got the Border Buck with extra Chipotle Sauce the first day I was in NYC (needless to say, I started off on the right foot). Goodburger is another place that rocks – get the Classic Burger with The Works.

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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 Sarina, a lover of all things pork (and Alex Trebek.)

Name:Sarina

Age: 32

Occupation: Marketing Technology Coordinator & Blogger at ihrtporkfat.com

Where in Midtown do you work? 37th and Broadway

Favorite Kind of Food: Anything with French or Asian influence. I also have an unhealthy obsession with anything beginning or ending with pork.

Least Favorite Kind of Food: Salads in general; you don’t make friends with salad.

Favorite Place(s) to Eat Lunch in Midtown: Danji (on 52nd btw. 8+9th) because Hooni is a rock star! Those bulgogi sliders are heavenly. Totto Ramen (on 52nd btw. 8+9th) for some chicken paitan ramen; Tacos y Quesadillas (on 53rd btw. B’way+7th) for some kick ass al pastor, tacos. Alan’s Deli for my regular….roasted turkey breast with mayo, lettuce on whole wheat, Shake Shack (duh), Qi – I love Pichet Ong & Num Pang – the pork belly sandwich is bombdiggity. For more high end, I love the Bar Room at The Modern, Ma Peche and db Bistro Moderne. For bistro fare, I love Benoit. I spotted Alex Trebek there once!

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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 Mark, a cheeseburger lover looking for fish tacos.

Name: Mark

Age: 35

Occupation: Media Director

Where in Midtown do you work? Channel V Media, 39th and 6th

Favorite Kind of Food: When forced, I will say the cheeseburger is my favorite food, but I’m currently having a steamy affair with fish tacos.

Least Favorite Kind of Food: Egg salad. The look, taste, consistency … everything about egg salad grosses me out.

Favorite Place(s) to Eat Lunch in Midtown: The Burger Joint at Le Parker Meridien, lamb on pita from Kwik Meal, creamy spinach slice from Little Italy Pizza (request a side of marinara sauce for dipping), Moo Shu pork from Szechuan Gourmet on 39th St.

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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 Cherice, a BBQ loving admin who wishes she lived in Raleigh.

Name:Cherice

Age: A lady never tells :)

Occupation: Assistant at a non-profit education organization

Where in Midtown do you work? West 30s/Herald Square

Favorite Kind of Food: Vietnamese, BBQ and Mexican

Least Favorite Kind of Food: Haven’t met any foods I’ve outright disliked

Favorite Place(s) to Eat Lunch in Midtown: The brisket pho at Pho32 (on 32nd btw. B’way+5th), Prosciutto pizza from Waldy’s, brown butter and candied bacon ice cream from Coolhaus

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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 Elisse, a college student/summer intern who doesn’t drink coffee (!?!) and is looking for some bagged lunch recommendations.

Name:Elisse

Age: 19

Occupation: Marketing intern, also blogging here about food and other aspects of life in NYC

Where in Midtown do you work? 5th Ave. near Bryant Park

Favorite Kind of Food: Indian, Thai, and Italian. Sometimes I get a stomachache after eating spicy Indian curries but I can’t stop myself because they taste so good!

Least Favorite Kind of Food: I don’t really like takeout Chinese food (I do like more traditional dishes that are less oily, like at dim sum restaurants) but in general I’m really open to everything. I don’t drink soda or coffee.

Favorite Place(s) to Eat Lunch in Midtown: I love the Chopped Chickpea sandwich at ‘Wichcraft, especially when I get to eat it outside in Bryant Park. I am also obsessed with Panera (on 5th btw. 39+40th), which recently opened a couple blocks from my office; for years I have always gotten the “you pick two” deal with the Mediterranean Veggie sandwich and Asian Sesame Chicken salad. I hope they never get rid of those two items. Also, I used to intern near Certe in the West 50s and I love their soft shell crab sandwich.

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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 Jeremiah, a pencil pusher who would rather starve to death than eat a generic Midtown salad.

Name: Jeremiah

Age: 32

Occupation: Pencil pusher

Where in Midtown do you work? Broadway between 39th and 40th

Favorite Kind of Food: The kind that speaks to every one of my senses, titillating not only my taste buds but my sense of space and time, past and present. I am also partial to all Asian foods (particularly Korean & Szechuan food), Jewish Deli (Ben’s Best in Rego Park), local yuppie food (Blue Hill & ABC Kitchen come to mind) and home cooked meals.

Least Favorite Kind of Food: Generic Midtown salad bar fare. There is nothing more uninspiring or unappetizing than the empty calorie garbage that passes for food in the salad bars of midtown. I’d rather go hungry than eat that sh_t.

Favorite Place(s) to Eat Lunch in Midtown: Szechuan Gourmet (39th between 5th & 6th). At dinner time the cumin lamb, whole braised bass in miso chile & Ma Po tofu get the job done in a most serious way. At lunch the L10, crispy braised tofu, offers a glimmer of light in the dark doldrums of the Midtown office day.

For coffee it is, hands down, all about Culture Espresso Bar (38th & 6th). Serious baristas pouring untouchable, delicious & inspired coffee concoctions. As you make your way past the soul-crushing & undignified feed troughs like Pret a Manger, Cafe Europa & Duke you might be shocked to find a coffee bar of this caliber on 38th St. Standing proud in the barren wasteland, it’s like the one white, gleaming tooth in a smile of cavities and rot. The food is great too, if not small in the portions.

Shake Shack (8th & 44th). I know, I know. Not a very interesting choice but on mornings where the sun is perhaps shining too brightly nothing beats skipping out at 11:00am and teaching that hangover some manners like a double shack burger and fries.

For special occasions it’s got to be Wu Liang Ye (48th between 5th and 6th). Honestly I am surprised that this place doesn’t get more love on midtownlunch.com as it is the best Szechuan food I’ve ever had. I would even say that it rivals anything that Flushing has to offer. The Szecuhan dumplings belong on anyone’s last meal list and the capsium chicken is truly an inspired dish that’ll inspire almost hallucinogenic sweats in even the most extreme heat seeker.

One go to spot that has sadly left us is the original Manganaro (NOT Hero Boy!!!) on 9th and 37th. Their italian combo was a thing of beauty and I was always delighted by conversations about Lon Chaney and Martin Scorsese with the two sisters who ran the place. A midtown staple that is sadly no longer with us. RIP Manganaro Groceria (1893-2012)

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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 Ericka, an Executive Assistant who hasn’t found a plate of halal food that she loves!?

Name: Ericka

Age: 37

Occupation: Executive Assistant

Where in Midtown do you work? 50th & 3rd (S&W smell always sways me to want a juicy steak)

Favorite Kind of Food: Thai (Little Thai Kitchen), Vietnamese (OBAO, any other recommendations?), a good empanada and a good lightly fried soft shell crab has been dear and near to me lately (Cer Te, Tenzan Spider Roll), Dumplings Soup (Mee Fun), Ess a Bagel (at least one every morning), looking for soup dumplings around here.

Least Favorite Kind of Food: Anything that’s bad :-(, it’s such a bummer when you go out to lunch after reading a delectable review or seeing a great pic and spending your whole lunch hour for something that was not worth the time, effort or hard earned money on. On that note, salad bars are dead ends, I’m sorry to the many fans, but I’ve yet to encounter a good “street meat” halal place, Taco Bell, ugh

Favorite Place(s) to Eat Lunch in Midtown: Little Thai Kitchen never fails, Sophie’s for the empanadas closest to what I grew up with, the Kati Roll guys on 46th & Park

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