Midtown Lunch

Aw yeah, it’s cold out. It’s almost universally easier to bundle up and stay warm when it’s cold than to stay cool when it’s hot. Layers, balaclavas, $95 heated touchscreen-compatible loss-proof gloves (pick any two aspects) and the single best food this side of phaal curry to warm you up from the inside out: soup. We did some good stuff with pizza science, but with a few of ML’s top soup specialists (and we want your suggestions to add to that list!) it’s time to break soup down and find the best in Midtown.

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A dedicated Midtown Luncher alerted us yesterday of a yellow sign on one of the Macchiato Espresso Bar locations (44th Btw. Lex and 3rd) where the chocolate chip cookies are delicious and the egg salad sandwich is worth trying. By the time we were able to investigate, it seemed as if nothing was amiss other than a “Grade Pending” sign on the door. As of this writing, however, the DOH website still indicates it is closed. If you’re interested to know why, keep reading.

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Upon exploring the drama surrounding a possible Vic’s Bagel Bar closure, we noticed its former neighbor, Euro Diner on 3rd Ave. & 36th street, was also closed. No love lost between Euro Diner and Midtown Lunch — we barely even got around to writing up an aside for the place. Upon honing in, we gathered from one of the construction workers that Euro Diner is becoming a bar. But spying on some of the people sitting inside, it looked like they were working on more of a bistro-style menu. This leaves the team wondering what it will become, and if this new potential bar will engulf the space that Vic’s formerly occupied.

Every Tuesday we turn over the site to a different Midtown Lunch’er for his or her recommendations for the best lunch in Midtown. This week it’s Thomas, an attorney looking for some cheap wings.

Name: Thomas

Age: 26

Occupation: Attorney/Editor

Where in Midtown do you work? 47th & 3rd

Favorite Kind of Food: Fried Chicken/Mashed Potatoes

Least Favorite Kind of Food: Bananas with any brown on the peel (disgusting)

Favorite Place(s) to Eat Lunch in Midtown: Gourmet 53 (53rd/3rd)- chicken cobb salad, pita chips, fruit cup and a cookie for $7.05

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A couple of weeks ago we found out the sad news that Times Square would be losing its bagel haven only bagel spot, Times Square Hot Bagels. I’ve been out of the country for the past couple of weeks but returned to Midtown to see that the inevitable occurred in my absence. Times Square Hot Bagels has closed. This is so very sad, as there aren’t any other bagel-specific shops in the area. See the note posted on the door from the manager after the jump.
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It looks like Jamaican Dutchy isn’t the only street food vendor making a triumphant return to Midtown today… Souvlaki GR is parked on 46th btw. 5+6th today. Apparently their normal FiDi spot is still overrun with emergency vehicles from the storm.  Also on the ML Twitter Tracker…Comme Ci Comme Ca is on 36th & Bway, the Mac Truck is on 47th btw. Park+Mad, Valducci’s is on 52nd & Park, Rickshaw is on 52nd & Lex, Chinese Mirch is on 48th & 3rd, Big D’s is on 49th btw. 6+7th, Seoul Food is on 47th nr Vanderbilt, Domo Taco is on 47th & Park, Frites N Meats is on 50th btw. 6+7th, Bob & Jo is on 46th btw. 5+6th, Coolhaus is on 53rd & Park, Phil’s Steak is on 55th & Bway, and Mexicue is delivering through Seamless.

I noticed a tweet yesterday from the Jamaican Dutchy saying they’d be at 51st and Seventh Avenue this morning. You may remember this was the original spot for the cart, but when O’Neil upgraded to a truck he was forced to find a different location on the east side. The cart itself has had a difficult time since then. First, it was re-incarnated as R. Retha’s Food downtown, then it was shut down by the DOH, and more recently put on the market.

The tweet yesterday mentions a “food card,” which I imagine is a typo for food cart. Perhaps the cart couldn’t sell and it’s back in action again. We have not been able to confirm specifics with O’Neil yet but the tweet sounds very promising that maybe we can get a taste of the good old days once again… if anybody hits it up today, report back in the comments.

City 75’s Touchdown. Photo courtesy of SENY

• City 75’s Touchdown is one of the best turkey sandwiches in NYC [SENY]
• Say goodbye to the 75 year old Stage Deli [NYT]
• Midtown fast food workers strike for better wages [NYT]
• Even Chris Hardwick & Co had something to say about the Guy Fieri review! [Nerdist]
• Buy a food truck calendar to support the Street Vendor Project [NYSF]
• Midtown sports 3 of NYC’s oldest cocktail bars [Eater]