Midtown Lunch

Sad news on the soup front – it looks like the beloved Cafe Doppio on Beaver (at Broad) has shuttered instead of simply closing for a fix-up session. I know a lot of you liked this place for their huge selection of soups, but they were also next door to a Hale & Hearty and around the corner and across the street from a Cosi and Au Bon Pain. Round that out with the Pret A Manger further up Broad St. and that seems like a little too much soup and sandwich competition in one area for a mom-and-pop store to survive.

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 Laura who you’re not likely to find at a street meat cart, but who heads to surrounding neighborhoods for noodles on Fridays.

Name: Laura

Title: Client services manager

Where you work: Varick & Vandam

Age: 27

Favorite kinds of food: Considering lunch is usually my biggest meal of the day, I’m always craving something more hearty than a simple salad — sandwiches, burgers, and any type of pasta are usually my go-to. Comfort food will always be king to me.

Least favorite foods: You’ll never catch me craving falafel or Indian food. Sorry, just not gonna happen.

Favorite lunches downtown: A hole-in-the-wall catering place off of W. Houston on Varick called Deb’s Catering, is always good for their creamy mac & cheese. My team’s been known to seek out new food places on Fridays and recent trips include the sushi conveyor belt at Taka Taka on W. Broadway (btw. Canal & Grand) and the BBQ pork & crispy vegetable wontons from Noodle Bar on Carmine St.

The “go-to” lunch place you and your co-workers eat at too often: Easily, it’s Alidoro on Sullivan (btw. Spring & Prince). These Italian sandwiches will literally change your life with their freshness and amazing flavor. My favorite is the Alyssa. Even though we try to justify turning one huge sandwich into two meals…it usually turns into “second lunch” a few hours later.

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I have pretty low standards for the Japanese food I review for this site. I know it’s chancy buying sushi lunch specials for less than $10, or buying maki rolls from a pharmacy chain. Yet, I do these things because sometimes I want rice and fish in a cheap format without street meat dumped over the top, or stepping into Terrace Fish & Chip. So when Sushi By Bento Nouveau shortened its name to Bento Sushi and got a fancy new look, I knew I had to check out its cheap offerings. Read more »

The chicken parm at Parm is the size of a hand. Courtesy of Feisty Foodie.

• Tickets for the Village Voice’s Choice Streets are now on sale. [FitR]
• Oxley’s Carvery is closed. Guess no one wanted English-style meat sandwiches. [Grub St.]
• I wonder if the Amish Market in Tribeca also has good sandwiches? [ML]
• The vegetarian sandwich at Potbelly sounds like a big old fail. [Tribeca Citizen]
• Francois Payard Bakery has a croissant that will haunt your dreams. [Feisty Foodie]
• Nha Trang should be on everyone’s jury duty lunch list. [Lunch Studio]
• If you have to order a slice at Sal’s, here’s some advice. [Serious Eats NY]