Midtown Lunch

We got a tip from Luncher Proby about a new halal cart on 47th Street and 6th Avenue. He told us it was being run by the woman who used to work at Biryani Cart’s Sandwich Land  and that the kati rolls were bigger and just as good as the iconic ones over on 46th. I stopped by a couple of Fridays ago and discovered that the cart, called Bhabi Halal, has actually been at this location for about 6 months. The owner told me she is actually Meru’s relative and serves the same sort of food, but with her own twists.

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I know, I know. Just hear me out. Mexicue made a triumphant return to 45th and 6th ave the other day, and I hadn’t eaten there in so long that the menu structure had completely changed. Taking a page from Korilla‘s book with its assembly line structure, Mexicue now offers salad bowls in addition to rice bowls, burritos, tacos and sliders. And let me tell you, if all salads were like salads from Mexicue, I would totally eat salad more often than I do.

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It’s time for the 2012 Midtown Lunch Readers’ Poll. Your nominations are in, and between now and the end of the year we’ll be asking all of you to vote for the best Midtown Lunches in a whole range of categories. You can only vote once per category (so choose wisely), and official results will be posted after the new year.

2012 is in the past, and today is your last day to vote in all of our Readers’ Poll categories. But before we officially close up all the polls, we wanted to pay tribute to all of our favorite places that closed down this year in Midtown. This year we witnessed not one but two old school New York institutions close when Prime Burger and The Stage Deli both shut their doors. Yagura, a 41st street favorite, also bit the dust due to lease issues. And let’s not forget that it wasn’t so great a year for bagels in Midtown either. It seems the rent is, in fact, too damn high. So, which one made you the saddest?

• Beacon
• Bian Dang in Food Gallery 32
• Kabob & Grill
• Pearl’s Chinese
• Prime Burger
• Stage Deli
• Times Sq. Hot Bagels
• Vic’s Bagel Bar
• Yagura

Vote for the place you were saddest to see go, after the jump…

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Photo courtesy of Food in Mouth

• Get the torta skip the tacos at Salvation Taco [Food in Mouth]
• We could all learn a lot from this midtown luncher [Grub Street]
• A tour of the Plaza Food Hall [Business Insider]
• Whatever you do, don’t forget the chestnuts this holiday season! [The Agenda]
• The maple pecan danish at Macchiato Espresso Bar is amazing [CCG]
• Save the date for Choice Eats 2013! [VV]

It’s time for the 2012 Midtown Lunch Readers’ Poll. Your nominations are in, and between now and the end of the year we’ll be asking all of you to vote for the best Midtown Lunches in a whole range of categories. You can only vote once per category (so choose wisely), and official results will be posted after the new year.

The old staples like Rudy’s, Subway Inn, and Jimmy’s Corner will forever win the hearts of Midtown Lunch readers. However, deals can be found that are just as awesome elsewhere in Midtown. Notably, Vander Bar with its monster $5 wings, Galway Pub with its $4 craft beers, and The Junction with its many specials and fun atmosphere. We’ll mix the old with the new and see how the newbies fare. Vote for your favorite Midtown Happy Hour!

• Galway Pub
• Jimmy’s Corner
• The Junction
• Rudy’s
• Subway Inn
• Vander Bar

Vote for your favorite after the jump…

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Earlier this fall, Tuk Tuk Boy expanded East, opening not one, but two new carts on Park Avenue. Now, they’ve expanded West with Bankkok Thai Street Food on 43rd btw 5th and 6th, near Trini Paki Boys and STK Out. These guys have really cornered the market on Thai food carts in Midtown, launching four carts in just 13-months time. I stopped by to check out how the newbie stacks up to the mother ship on 50th street between 6th and 7th.

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It’s time for the 2012 Midtown Lunch Readers’ Poll. Your nominations are in, and between now and the end of the year we’ll be asking all of you to vote for the best Midtown Lunches in a whole range of categories. You can only vote once per category (so choose wisely), and official results will be posted after the new year.

Flatiron Lunch continues to host 6th Avenue Taco Truck from last year. The Doughnut Plant remains on the list nominated as a healthy lunch option. Flatiron Lunch pays homage to its most famous food neighborhood, Curry Hill, with a nomination of Bhatti. Another first-time nominee, Jaiya has been selected for bringing the spice with a side of Thai food. Even though it only graces us with its presence twice a year, Flatiron wouldn’t be complete without Mad. Sq. Eats. Now it is up to all of you to decide if Eataly and Hill Country Chicken will continue to dominate the top two spots, or will this duopoly finally be toppled? Here are the nominees for Best Flatiron Lunch…

• Bhatti 
• Doughnut Plant
• Eataly
• Hill Country Chicken
• Jaiya
• Mad. Sq. Eats
• 6th Ave. Mexican Cart

Vote for your favorite, after the jump…

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It’s time for the 2012 Midtown Lunch Readers’ Poll. Your nominations are in, and between now and the end of the year we’ll be asking all of you to vote for the best Midtown Lunches in a whole range of categories. You can only vote once per category (so choose wisely), and official results will be posted after the new year.

2012: yet another year we couldn’t shake the damn-near-trope phrase “in THIS economy…” Yes, we’re in a financial crisis. Yes, either by mentality or by unfortunate current individual circumstances, we’re out to stretch our money. Without tooting my own horn, the $1 slice of pizza has continued its perseverance as a decent lunch default. It’s not just 2 Bros anymore – we spent some time over the summer doing pizza science to find out where your $1 is best spent on a utility slice. Hell, it even got down to 75 cents for a brief period of time, although the price drop later showed us how they can get so low.

Turnover is the key ingredient but there’s still plenty of variation in the ‘za field for a buck. What do you think, folks? Here’s our nominees for the best $1 slice:

• 2 Bros
• 99¢ Fresh Pizza
• Joey Pepperoni
• NYC Fried Chicken
• Papa John’s
• Pizza King
• Roll & Go

Vote for your favorite after the jump…

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It’s time for the 2012 Midtown Lunch Readers’ Poll. Your nominations are in, and between now and the end of the year we’ll be asking all of you to vote for the best Midtown Lunches in a whole range of categories. You can only vote once per category (so choose wisely), and official results will be posted after the new year.

No longer do you have to rely on your local bodega or Starbucks for a coffee fix in Midtown. We have certified fancy, schmancy coffee all over the place – almost rivaling Williamsburg with their moustache twirling baristas. Will the west coast’s Coffee Bean and Tea Leaf dominate once again this year or could old time favorites like Culture (Dough doughnuts certainly help), Macchiato, or Zibetto steal your caffeine-laden hearts? Or what about the new guys like Blue Bottle, Ramini Espresso Bar, or Simon Sips? And of course, there are also Financier, Gregory’s, and JOE to consider. Everybody has their favorite, but only one will reign supreme. Here are the nominees for best coffee in Midtown…

• Blue Bottle
• Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf
• Culture Espresso Bar
• Financier Patisserie
• Gregory’s
• JOE the Art of Coffee
• Macchiato Espresso Bar
• Ramini Espresso Bar
• Simon Sips
• Zibetto Espresso Bar

Vote for your favorite after the jump…

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It’s time for the 2012 Midtown Lunch Readers’ Poll. Your nominations are in, and between now and the end of the year we’ll be asking all of you to vote for the best Midtown Lunches in a whole range of categories. You can only vote once per category (so choose wisely), and official results will be posted after the new year.

In years past, Certé has always claimed the people’s choice for best sandwich in Midtown. Their dedication to the sandwich craft (and monthly Midtown Lunch special) might give them the edge. But that was before Num Pang came on the scene with their unique and delicious Cambodian sandwiches. Also new to the Midtown scene is Chicago’s Potbelly with toasty sammies, but have they expanded too quickly and turned into the fancy man’s Subway?  Slightly out of bounds, but no less deserving are City Sandwich’s Portuguese masterpieces. And let’s not leave out Park Italian Gourmet’s classic meat and cheese-filled hoagies, or ‘wichcraft, the original Midtown sandwich splurge. Only one can be considered the best. Here are the nominees for Best Sandwiches in Midtown…

• Cer Te
• City Sandwich
• Num Pang
• Park Italian
• Potbelly Sandwich Shop
• ‘wichcraft

Vote for your favorite after the jump…

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