Midtown Lunch

The string of Smorgasburg vendors setting up shop at the Whole Foods at Bowery and Houston St. continues with a place called Rice and Miso Everyday taking over the second-floor counter starting today through March 5. Rice and Miso follows Mighty Quinn’s and Milk Truck, and will be serving Japanese food like rice balls and bento boxes. Also of note: A Smorgasburg Snack Bar is also opening on the second floor with items like S’Mores pie, doughnuts and New Orleans-style iced coffee and slushes. Click through for a look at Rice and Miso’s menu. (Photo via Fork in the Road)

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Get your sweatpants ready because the new location of Go Go Curry on John St. has announced an opening date. You’ll be able to get Japanese curry in sizes ranging from reasonable to insane starting on Feb. 25, according to a press release. The newest location has been dubbed the “World Trade Center stadium” as it’s a couple of blocks away from that building site on John between Broadway & Nassau. I’m already anticipating a solid food coma.

When the Palenque truck debuted downtown back in March of 2012, I rushed over to eat what was perhaps my first Colombian arepa. That first experience was something of a shit show and reminded me of why it’s a good idea to wait a bit to check out a new truck. I somewhat enjoyed the arepa I got there, although it suffered a bit in transit, and when the truck was parked near my office last week I decided to give them a second chance. While my lunch was good, I question the value of the food I got for nearly $10.

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In case you’re in the mood for a sandwich involving french fries or an extreme amount of garlic, the new location of Baba Ghanouge is open on Fulton St. (btw. Broadway & Nassau), adding to the original on Church St. in Tribeca. The Financial District now has a bunch of solid options within a small area for falafel and meats cooked on a spit, including Crisp, Alfanoose and Pita Express. There’s always room for one more, and maybe if you sniff real hard you will be able to smell fried chicken from the previous inhabitant of Baba Ghanouge’s space.

Is that pizza or flatbread? Via FitR.

• Street vendors are about to get the shaft with fines. [Grub St.]
• Pearl St. Diner is down, but maybe not out. [EV Grieve]
• Shake Shack‘s added something new and non-burger. [ENY]
• Sietsema checks out American Flatbread. [FitR]
• Turns out No. 1 wings are found on Chambers. [SENY]

The Gyro House Truck on Cedar St. (at Broadway) has a somewhat limited menu and thus sometimes I forget about it in favor of kati rolls and Thai food from the carts across the street at Liberty Plaza. They do a mean chicken over rice, and tasty falafel, but I’d heard rumors that the lamb gyro from this truck wasn’t too shabby either (and was in fact championed by one of my predecessors). On a day when salty meat and rice sounded amazing, and it was above freezing outside, I headed over for a street meat lunch.

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Those of you working in Battery Park City or the farther reaches of Tribeca don’t have the best Indian food options unless you want to pay upwards of $10. Even then, you’re often limited to the usual chicken tikka or chana masala with rice or naan, whether it’s from an actual restaurant or one of the steam table outfits like Pakistan Tea House or Bangal Curry.

I’m not sure about you, but I’ve really gotten behind the Cafe Spice Dosateria at the Whole Foods on Greenwich (btw. Warren & Murray). Not only do they make whatever you order from scratch, but I feel like the quality is better than at some of the nearby places. And they have Indian pizza!

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