Midtown Lunch

As is customary here on Midtown Lunch, every Tuesday we’ll profile a different lunch’er and get their recommendations for places to eat in Downtown NYC. This week, we have Shira who is afraid of a condiment and is making the best of working in the FiDi rather than Midtown West.

Name: Shira K.

Occupation: Music publicist

Where you work: Wall & William

Age: 23

Favorite kinds of food: Malaysian, Vietnamese, South Indian, Korean, Greek, Italian, ramen, anything with butternut squash & sage, parmesan cheese, any sort of carmelized roast veggie, lobster rolls, boeuf bourguignon

Least favorite foods: I am known for not just hating, but FEARING ketchup.

Favorite lunches downtown: I used to work in Midtown West and sorely miss Carnegie John’s cart, Meze Grill, Mooncake Foods, Bapcha cart, Katsuhama, Sapporo, Biryani Cart, Tri Tip Grill, etc.  Though the Greek Street Meat cart on Wall St. (at Broad) has almost made up for my Carnegie John’s cravings, and Pita Press on Cedar (btw. William & Pearl) is similar to Meze Grill.  Downtown, I like the curry chicken at the Banh Mi cart on Hanover Sq. (at Pearl), the braised beef at Dig Inn (formerly The Pump Energy Foods) on Pearl (at Pine) when I feel like being healthy, Bennie’s Thai Cafe on Fulton (at Gold), Adrienne’s Pizza Bar on Stone (nr. Hanover Sq.) and Financier Patisserie’s (Multiple Locations) chicken pistou soup.  This one cart (the Turkish coffee cart) on the corner of Wall & Pearl has hands down the best coffee I’ve ever had from a cart (super flavorful, heady, almost cinnamon-y) and I head there whenever I start fading in the afternoon.

The “go-to” lunch place you and your co-workers eat at too often: The buffet at Zeytuna on Maiden Lane (at William), Hale & Hearty (Multiple Locations), Potbelly Sandwich Shop on Maiden Lane (nr. Gold), (i.e., boring!).

Places downtown you discovered thanks to Midtown Lunch: Downtown? Greek Street Meat cart, Bombay’s steam table on Pearl (btw. Broad & Coenties Slip), Veronica’s Kitchen cart on Front (at Pine), Sandwich House on Ann (btw. Nassau & Park Row).  Gotta give a shout-out to the Twitter Tracker as well… it’s hooked me up with the Korilla BBQ truck, Souvlaki GR truck, and more.

Dream job location, purely for lunch purposes, and why: Gotta go with Elmhurst, thanks to the cheap-as-shit (not to mention delicious) Malaysian, Korean, Indonesian, Thai, Nepalese, Indian-Chinese fusion (this spot Talk of the Town is ridiculous!), and Mexican. It’s by far one of my favorite eating neighborhoods in NYC.

Anything you’d like to ask the Midtown Lunch: Downtown readers? Any Szechuan spots where I can fulfill my dan dan noodle craving?  Also, any recs as to where to get a turkey sandwich with real roasted turkey instead of the slimy Boars Head stuff?  Thanks y’all!

I’m fairly certain you’d have to hit Chinatown for a dan dan noodle fix, unless someone else knows of a secret source closer to the Financial District. As for a real roast turkey sandwich, I would think there are a bunch of options. I’m pretty certain Toasties on John (btw. Nassau & Broadway) has real roasted turkey since they have a Thanksgiving sandwich permanently on the menu. I think Lenny’s also may be able to help you out. And as always, if you would like to be next week’s Profiled Lunch’er (or know somebody you’d like to nominate), email us at downtown@midtownlunch.com.