Midtown Lunch

The moment I stepped into Parisi Bakery on Mott St. (btw. Kenmare & Spring), I knew whatever sandwich I decided to get, it was going to be good. The line was out the door when I got there, reminding me of equally tiny and popular Italian sandwich shop Alidoro. Also refreshing in this neighborhood of trendy cafes: The guys making sandwiches were middle-aged and definitely not wearing skinny jeans. Based on the sandwich I ordered, I can say the wait in the lunch-rush line is worth it.

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If you were at the Choice Eats food truck event last night, there was a new truck there from the owners of Chinese & Indian food mash-up Chinese Mirch which is a chain that has a location in Murray Hill. According to ML contributor Brian who was there (and snapped the above picture), they’re planning to park at Wall & Water but it’s best to check our Twitter Tracker post later this morning before heading out. Update: It looks like truck maintenance is keeping them off the road today, but they’ll be out tomorrow. Keep an eye on this site for location.

No word on what the truck’s full menu has yet, but Brian checked out some Tibetan momo with chili sauce. If any of you check it out today, feel free to leave impressions in the comments or send us your first impressions.

Chinese Mirch Truck, on Twitter

I wasn’t a huge fan of Dig Inn on Pine (at Pearl) when I ate lunch there after they morphed from The Pump, but I’m sure a fair amount of you eat there when you’re sick of street meat. The good news is that on Fridays you can get a $5 small build-your-own plate. That’s a dollar or two off the menu price, so at least you can spend roughly what you would at a cart and eat some vegetables at the same time.

I’d noticed paper went up in the windows of the small space on Maiden Lane between Nassau & Broadway that held a coffee shop and more recently, Baoguette, and yesterday a sign was up saying whatever was opening was hiring counter help and other staff. It turns out a place called French Cafe Gourmand is opening there, as I learned after cracking the door open to find a French guy sanding the floors. No clue what kind of food will be served, but I would be fine if they served good coffee since we’re severely lacking in non-Starbucks options in the Financial District. I’ll keep you posted on further developments or any clues as to the food that will be served.