Midtown Lunch

I’m a big fan of the falafel sandwiches at Nish Nush on Reade St. (at Church), but I hadn’t branched out to any of the platters yet. There are a few platter options including falafel, shakshuka and hummus either plain or with various toppings. I decided on one of the topped hummus options, and provided you get some extra pita, it was enough for more than one meal.

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• Drama at the Milk Truck stand! [Eater NY]
• Tribeca’s Khe-Yo will sell banh mi eventually. [Tribeca Citizen]
• A primer on good ice cream in the city. [SENY]
• Ooh…strawberry and lemon sorbet. [Eating in Translation]
• Chinatown might finally have good ramen. [Grub St.]

There are a couple of hip taco places in Soho, including Tacombi and La Esquina, both of which turn out some tasty meats and vegetables in corn tortillas. Sometimes you want a good deal though instead of paying $4 per taco and dealing with lines. On Tuesdays, Pinche Taqueria (Multiple Locations) has a deal where you get a free taco if you buy two which turns out to be a cheap and fairly filling lunch.

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After Friday, R. Retha’s cart at William & Beaver streets will no longer be slinging Jamaican food. Midtown contributor Brian brings word that the cart’s permit is expiring and they’re not renewing it. Friday is the last day the cart will be out, but Jillian who works at the cart said they will be doing deliveries. He couldn’t get information on how to go about ordering, but if you’re interested, maybe stop by between now and Friday and see how to go about doing that.

The area of the Financial District to the west of Broadway is sometimes lacking in diverse lunch options. To my surprise, I noticed the menu of Cafe de Novo on Greenwich St. (at Rector) had a Korean food section. There are other delis that serve Korean food, most notably Cafe Hanover, but this one is in an area frequented by tourists and construction workers from the World Trade Center. The fact that there was a Korean man working behind the counter gave me hope that this could be good.

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We got word yesterday from Lunch’er Robert that Jersey Mike’s Subs not only opened on Maiden Lane (at Gold), but has a deal that involved almost-free food:

Just wanted to let you guys know. That Jersey Mike’s on Maiden Lane opened today. They’re doing a promotion: for a $2 donation to Meals on Wheels you get a free regular or mini cold sub.

So, basically you’re getting a sandwich for $2 which is a deal you can’t beat, unless you like $1 pizza. If any of you have eaten here, let us know your first impressions in the comments!

Update: We heard from Jersey Mike’s that they distributed 23,000 vouchers for sandwiches in a promo that’s happening through Sunday, Aug. 4, and yes, you get a free regular sub with a minimum $2 donation to Citymeals-On-Wheels. They’re also open for breakfast, in case you’re into eating your first meal of the day at a sub shop.

Jersey Mike’s Subs, 80 Maiden Lane (at Gold), (646) 833-7560

 It’s been a long while since we checked in with Aroma Espresso Bar (Multiple Locations) after they opened their first downtown location in Tribeca. Last week we got word that they have some seasonal items on the menu, and they’ve added pasta. Among the dishes are a kale salad, a California chicken sandwich, and three pastas baked in the oven that include such ingredients as feta, olives, crushed walnuts, peas and turkey bacon bits. I guess this is the Mediterranean take on summer-friendly pasta.