Midtown Lunch

There was a time, not long ago, when Milant (on 39th btw. Lex+3rd) was considered the best sandwich place in Midtown.  Then the DOH hit, followed by a weird period where they were closed more than they were open. Since that time, I’ve only been back to Milant once- for a good lunch, which I enjoyed– but there is no question their reputation has been hurt.  On Friday I walked by Milant once again, to see what was cookin’, and found they had quietly entered the Midtown Lunch Sandwich Challenge.  Sort of…

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It’s looking more and more like the rolly wraps are gone for good from the Old Bridge Deli (on Lex btw. 40+41st.)  The machine that used to make the half burrito/half calzone concoctions has disappeared, and when I asked one of the workers about it he made it seem like they were gone for good. Clearly this was an idea far ahead of its time…

Related:
Rolly Wraps Are An Amazing Advancement in Midtown Deli Technology

My heart almost exploded on Friday afternoon as I walked towards a shuttered Cafe Cello (on 46th btw. 5+6th.)  It might be the first time in Midtown Lunch history where I was actually *hoping* to see a DOH sticker.  Dealing with the alternative scenario (the place shutting down entirely) would have been too much for me to handle.  After all, it’s the roast pork from Cafe Cello that I’ve been using for two years as the iconic image of ML.  The lunch of all midtown lunches.  Thankfully as I got closer, I saw the gate was only half closed- which usually means one thing…

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My kid with Kim from the Treats Truck

• Ed Koch eats at Global Kitchen! (The generic deli on 51st btw. 5+6th?) I wonder if he’s ever been to Yips. [Wonkette]
• A video of Mickey Rourke eating at Nello’s (?) in Midtown UES (close enough I guess) [Associated Content]
• You can stop holding your breath… here’s that review of Just Salad in Rock Center you were waiting for! [Blondie & Brownie]
• 99 Cent Pizza Showdown: 2 Bros Pizza might be opening behind the Port Authority [Grub Street]
• Need a fancy Japanese knife and a bottle of sake? The Japanese Culinary Center has opened on 3rd Ave. and 45th Street [TONY]
• Capital Grille and Streak Frites both have new locations opening in Midtown [Wined and Dined]
• Ming Tsai thinks that Wu Liang Ye has the best Szechuan food in the city [Restaurant Girl]
• Lunch’er Josh joins the incredibly short list of bloggers who really like Danku [NYC Foodie]
• No reason to be jealous of those who get to eat at the New York Times cafeteria [Eat Me Daily]
• Sophie’s green sauce does NOT have mayo in it [Serious Eats: New York]

If you like to eat, chances are you like to drink (read: a lot of you are freakin’ lushes), so I thought maybe it was time to introduce a happy hour column to the site. Every week, our Happy Hour Correspondent “Mamacita” will post about a different bar in Midtown that fits the Midtown Lunch mentality: unhealthy food, not lame (unless it’s lame in a cool way), and most importantly… cheap. This past week it was Mamacita’s birthday… so she decided to get down and dirty at Port 41.

I heard stories told about Port 41 but had avoided reviewing it, that is, until this week when I needed somewhere special to go for my birthday. This is not exactly the place ordinary people would consider celebrating their birthday, but I’m not an ordinary gal. So I gave myself a tetanus shot and ventured forth to celebrate.

Back when I wrote about Dave’s Tavern I stated that, “Dave’s inhabits the armpit that lies between the Lincoln Tunnel and Port Authority.” Commenter Wayne noted at that time that if “Dave’s is in the armpit then Port 41 is in the asscrack.” Truer words were never spoken. Anyone who has walked by or dared trod inside the seedy den that is Port 41 knows that it rife with filth and depravity. There are bikinied bartenders in their skivvies dealing out cheap beer to fat bikers, day laborers and tattooed hoodlums. In the mix are worn pool tables, a boxing game, and for some reason a taxidermy hippo’s head that beckons you to give in to the drunkenness.

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Wow… this was the line at Moshe’s Falafel at 1:45pm today (on 46th and 6th), which reopened along with a few more of your favorite Kosher spots, after being closed for the Passover holiday. The New York Times reported this morning that bagel places would be mobbed today… I guess that applies to falafel carts as well.

Not only is Kenny Lao, the co-owner of the Rickshaw Dumpling Truck, a Brown Grad (class of ’98, who knew!?!), he’ll be giving a lecture entitled “Dumplings to Dollars” as part of a series of events organized by the Brown University Club. It might only be open to NYU, Yale & Brown alumni (I’m not really sure), though judging by how incredibly intelligent Midtown Lunch’ers seem, I’m making the assumption that a lot of you went to those three schools. (Either that, or you’re smart enough to finagle your way in.)

The truck is parked next to the Treats Truck on 45th and 6th today.

I’ve seen a lot written about that fried chicken restaurant named after our President, but what about our beloved Kwik Meal owned street meat cart “Meal Obama” (on 37th & 7th)?  It seems to me this would be the perfect place for the Daily Show to visit, don’t you think?  And we already know that they are into the street meat.  Anybody know anybody who knows anybody who works on the Daily Show?  Forward this along.  If it worked on Usain Bolt, maybe it would work on Jon Stewart right?

Related:
Kwik Meal Names New Cart After (Irish?) President Obama
Hallo Berlin Mentioned on the Daily Show
Gold Medalist Usain Bolt Visits the Jamaican Dutchy Cart!