Midtown Lunch

The only thing greater than my love of conveyor belt sushi, was my disappointment in Sakae Sushi (the kaiten place on 43rd btw. Lex+3rd that opened and closed last year.) And make no mistake about it, the disappointment had nothing to do with the conveyor belt.  The conveyor belt was awesome.  I think they closed because the food was expensive, and just not that good.  In other words, I’m convinced that conveyor belt sushi can work in Midtown… and apparently Yushi agrees with me.

The belt revealed(!) after the jump…

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I got this terrifying email re: Tehuitzingo, the Mexican bodega on 10th Ave. btw. 47+48th with the little taco window in the back:

“My husband went into Tehuitzingo Deli last week and spoke with the owner. The landlord has doubled his rent! He’s trying to hold on but I’m afraid the place may have to close soon.”

I went over the weekend to investigate for myself and found that it had been closed by the DOH over permit issues (white notice, not yellow.) This is a huge blow to New York City’s already fragile Mexican food situation, and while it is outside of the technical ML boundaries, traveling the extra distance had become customary for many of us who felt they made the best tacos in Manhattan. Tulcingo del Valle, one block south, is a good alternative (especially if you are looking for enchiladas, burritos, mole, and other dishes more commonly found at sit down Mexican restaurants.) But for tacos, nothing can replace the amazing little window in the back of Tehuitzingo.

Most places bounce back pretty quickly from these kind of DOH notices, but if the email above turns out to be true it will be a pretty sad day for all of us.

Close up is after the jump.

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Taken Today at the Quiznos on 50th btw. 2nd+3rd

• If you can read French, here is a great (?) review of Obika (or you can just enjoy the pretty pictures) [DelicatesseNY]
• In Midtown, the business lunch is thriving “despite the times” [AdAge via Eater]
• Sarah D. tries the spicy tuna bread thingy from the downtown branch of Cafe Zaiya [Fork in the Road]
• A pretty in depth look at the offerings of Blue Flowers, a generic deli on 47th [Don’t Bite Blue]
• The Rock Center Dunkin Donuts is now open 24/7 [Blondie & Brownie]
• Red Mango has just started an incentive program [Grub Street]
• A look at Izakaya Torys in Midtown East [Miss Menu]
• Spotlight Live in Times Square has closed [Zagat Buzz]
• BoConcept in Dumbo is having an art show featuring photos from our very own Downtown Lunch correspondent Daniel Krieger [DumboNYC]

Our Midtown Happy Hour correspondent Mamacita has the week off, but I couldn’t help but post this happy hour suggestion we got last week:

“Ok, so this is wierd. Applebees in Times Square has a bar on the ground floor. Way over on the side is a room with couches, those little tables, a flat panel TV or two and a big plate glass window onto the street. Kinda like a downtown lounge, only it’s in Applebees. And it seems full of midwestern looking tourists.

I was thinking: I wonder if it’s cool to hang out here? A lounge, in Applebees? Then I was thinking: It’s a little like midtown lunch lounge. Serviceable, convenient, and it might even be quite enjoyable if you catch it at the right time. The only downside is that the turnover may be small and it might get boring after two or three hours. And Times Square is slowing down a bit these days, so there might be less turnover than you might like in a bar this small. I have no idea of it’s a good candidate for a review. But I’m just throwing it out there.”

Just in time for St. Patty’s day, Food in Mouth brings the news that a branch of Lily O’Brien’s Chocolate Cafe has opened near Bryant Park (on 40th btw. 5+6th). I don’t know if the fact that this is an “Irish” chocolate company means anything (maybe everything is filled with liquor?), but Danny tried the hot chocolate and seemed pretty pleased. Apparently it goes pretty well with a cinnamon bun from Cafe Zaiya. 36 W 40th St. New York, NY 10018. 212-575-0631‎ [Food in Mouth]

Photo courtesy of Ultraclay

I took a little bit of heat for saying there was no good Vietnamese food in Manhattan (banh mi excluded, obviously), but that doesn’t mean I don’t keep trying to prove myself wrong. Next stop: Golden City (on 33rd btw. Mad+5th) which has a $6.50 pork chop special that Ultraclay calls the “star of the show”. I’m sure this isn’t the Vietnamese goldmine I’ve been searching for (after all it’s a Chinese/Vietnamese combo in Koreatown), but those pork chops are delicious looking enough to get me to check it out! Anybody else been? Post your comments below.

It’s the second Friday of Lent, so I’m sure a lot of you will be looking for some seafood options a little better than the fish filet from McDonalds… although at 2 for $3, it’s almost worth it. (Through April 12th according to Page 13 of today’s AMNY). Most of the recommendations from 2 years ago are still around, but there are a few new ones to be strongly considered… most notably, the new catfish sandwich from Certe (on 55th btw. 5+6th), and the fried catfish sandwich from out of bounds Baoguette (Lexington btw. 25+26th).  Anybody else have any Lent recommendations?  Put them in the comments…

Baoguette’s Catfish Photo Courtesy of Robyn Lee/Serious Eats: New York