Midtown Lunch

Some possible good news for all of you fans of Caribbean food: R. Retha’s Cart is reportedly back at its spot on Beaver St. at S. William. We got word from reader “Broadway luncher” yesterday that the cart, which was formerly the Jamaican Dutchy transplanted from Midtown – was spotted back in its old spot after an extended absence starting in the summer of 2012, and temporary replacement by a random street meat cart. I’d noticed the spot was completely empty a couple of weeks ago, so it’s good to hear R. Retha’s came back to claim it.

The second NYC location of the all organic, vegetarian restaurant named Terri has opened on Pearl St. (btw. Pine & Maiden Lane). You can get most of the details here and expect a review soon, just in time for swimsuit season!

Do you want to feel like you’re at the movies at lunch time? Well, there’s a truck called Brooklyn Popcorn that’s been regularly parking on Wall St. and in Soho on Prince St. selling different flavors of popcorn: Caramel, cheddar, butter, dill pickle, parmesan garlic, they have them all! Whether or not the kernels at this Brooklyn-based truck are hand-harvested and popped with artisanal air by men with beards is up in the air.

The lowest part of the Financial District is somewhat lacking in good Mexican food options on a daily basis, if you don’t count Chipotle. In a space that used to house Pita Grill, El Toro Mexican Grill has opened serving a wide variety of Mexican options and few American (or hybrid) items for those who have co-workers not really into burritos or tacos. You can get a quesadilla here, but you can also get a burger or rotisserie chicken, and you really have to try to spend more than $10.

Read more »

Have you gotten yours yet? Via B&B.

• It’s true: Denny’s is coming to the FiDi. [DNAinfo]
  
• Have you ordered this book from our ML contributors? [Blondie & Brownie]
• Dig Inn’s coming to Hudson Sq. [Tribeca Citizen]
• Where did Thai curry puffs come from? [FitR]

Bowling Green has a new cart to check out serving sandwiches and burgers. Lunch’er Daniel snapped a picture and wrote in to tell us that workers at the cart said they plan to park daily in front of the National Museum of the American Indian at 1 Bowling Green.

The menu offers falafel sandwiches or salads, a burger, grilled cheese and a few other items, Daniel reports. If any of you have eaten here, let us know your impressions in the comments!

Aroy Dee Thai Kitchen opened in a hurry, bringing us a mix of steam table thai and some made to order dishes. The restaurant took over the space on John St. formerly occupied by It’s A Pizza, and we’ve gotten a solid thumbs up for the food. The prices are pretty on par with other Thai spots in the Financial District that offer express options – Bennie’s Thai Cafe, Cafe Sage – but they don’t offer table service. Instead, you can sit at one of the counters along the walls or take your food to go. I opted for the latter and ordered up some pork panang curry ($8).

Read more »