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 Eric who has a weekly date with Xi’an Famous Foods, but otherwise eats in the Financial District.

Name: Eric “Stack” Quinlan

Occupation: Financial software guy

Where you work: Fulton and Broadway

Age: 37

Favorite kinds of food: Pasta, soup, stew, burritos, Thai noodles/curries, bulgogi, sushi, Chinese, goulash, sandwiches (bahn mi!).

Least favorite foods: Icelandic fermented shark, bread and butter pickles, whole raw tomatoes,  some olives, most lunch time pasta places, save for Capri Caffe and Café Duke (in Midtown).  I don’t mind Subway sandwiches or chain burger places, but I am ethically opposed to the notion that you should go there if you work in the city – go to a local deli, and get some local flavor.

Favorite lunches downtown: Xi’an Famous Foods (Multiple Locations) is good for the cumin lamb noodles.  The “Numero Uno” house combo at Toasties on John St. (btw. Nassau & Broadway) – though a great hangover cure, I can’t do this one often.  Toloache Taqueria on Maiden Lane (btw. William & Gold) for the taco and burrito specials.  Steamed dumplings from a place on Henry St. (it just says “Dumpling” on the awning). (Ed. note – It seems to be called “Chinese Food,” and is btw. Catherine & Market).

The “go-to” lunch place you and your co-workers eat at too often: Xi’an Famous Foods – every Wednesday, rain, snow or shine.

Places downtown you discovered thanks to Midtown Lunch: Downtown? Nixtamalito kiosk at 1 Centre St., Baoguette on Nassau (btw. John & Fulton) and the original Bahn Mi Cart at Hanover Sq. & Pearl, Mustafa’s Halal Cart (aka Zak’s Halal) on Broadway (btw. Liberty & Cedar), and Backyard Chicken on Pearl (at John).  There are countless others from Midtown Lunch.

Dream job location, purely for lunch purposes, and why: Working from home (I like to cook).

Anything you’d like to ask the Midtown Lunch: Downtown readers? As a former Midtown Lunch’er – I need equivalent lunches. Where is there:  (1) Good pad see-ew/drunken noodles (like you’d get at Topaz Thai on 56th St.).  (2) A good made-to-order pasta bar (like you’d get at Café Duke).  (3) Quick, relatively inexpensive quality Indian (like Minar). (4) Ants on a tree – like that Szechuan place on 39th St.

I haven’t had either of the dishes you mentioned there, but you could try Bennie’s Thai Cafe at Fulton & Gold. The best made-to-order pasta I’ve had is from Zigolini’s at Hanover Sq. & Pearl. It’s not cheap, but they do cook it for you like you’re at an actual restaurant. The best Indian in my books is at Bombay’s down on Pearl nr. Hanover Sq. Who has other suggestions for Eric? 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.