Midtown Lunch

New York Magazine has released their annual ‘Best Of’ issue, and while there isn’t much in the way of Midtown Lunch’ing honors, editor Robin Raisfeld chose Beacon as her favorite (bargain?) burger in New York City. I don’t see how it fits in the “Best Bargains: Cheap Food” category, but then again NYMag and Midtown Lunch have always had a different idea of what cheap means.

Related: Beacon’s Burger Bar Attempts to Gain Coveted Midtown Lunch Status

I try my best not to be too negative on this site, but that doesn’t mean you shouldn’t be able to vent. Every once in awhile I’ll share some of the more angry useful emails I get in a post called “Airing of Grievances”. (If the Eater Complaints Dept. would like royalties, I’ll be happy to pay up…)

I have a ‘not really a lunchtime’ complaint but think you might be the best suited to help since its about a Midtown Lunch favorite. You see, I live on 53rd Street (btw. 6+7th Ave.) Yes… against generally considered good judgment some people do actually live there. Well the complaint is about the Famous 53rd Street Halal Guys cart. More specifically about their evening customers. The food is really good and I can’t fault them for their popularity. But the night customers are…well… pigs. Every morning when I take my pup out for his walk we have to maneuver through discarded chicken bones, whole platters of rice, tubs of that super hot hot sauce and most recently shards of broken glass bottles (not to mention the occasional pile of vomit … don’t ask why i know its related to the Famous 53rd St cart).

But wait… there’s more.

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The winner of “Best Sweets” in the Midtown Lunch Readers’ Poll this past year used to spend a few days a week parked in Midtown, but now the famous yellow Waffle & Dinges truck is on its last legs. It will “remain stationary on 22nd and 7th during the week, with tow truck trips to Park Slope on the weekends.”  Midtown Waffle Fail! (Anybody know if that imposter waffle truck is still up near Blomingdales?) [Official Site via Eater]

Every Tuesday I 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 Liz, a great golfer (I’m guessing) who loves barbecue nachos. (Nice.)

Name: Liz

Age: 30

Occupation: Advertising Assistant/Freelance Writer

Where in Midtown do you Work?: 45th & Lex.

Favorite Kind of Food: Cheese, Burritos, Ice cream

Least Favorite Kind of Food: Sushi (sorry! I’ll turn in my New York City resident card now)

Favorite Place(s) to Eat Lunch in Midtown: The Roast Turkey Sandwich from ‘wichcraft makes me not afraid of turkey sandwiches anymore (too much bad deli turkey can make a person fear it), Pampano Taqueria (on 3rd Ave. btw. 49+51st) pescado, vegetarian or alambre burritos with tons of their tomatillo green salsa. Curried corn chowder from Dishes (Multiple Locations). If I’m really feeling sad and deserving, a mini chocolate cake from the Little Pie Co. in Grand Central. Virgils BBQ (on 44th btw. 6+7th) in Times Square – any kind of pulled meat from them, or their barbecue nachos will do. Chopped salad from Josie’s (on 3rd Ave. & 37th St.) Any burger or sub from Jackson Hole (3rd Ave. & 35th St.) because they’re smothered in melted cheese. Grilled cheese for breakfast for lunch at the Comfort Diner (45th & 3rd). Tomato Cheddar soup from Hale & Hearty contains addictive chemicals, I’m convinced. And it should be said that I am 100% devoted to Oren’s Coffee in Grand Central any time of day. Best coffee and nicest staff, hands down.

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The complaints are still rolling in about the Quiznos free sub promotion, and they’ve issued this official response:

The response to the Quiznos Millions Subs Giveaway has been nothing short of overwhelming. That’s great, right? Right… but given that we have had over a million consumers respond in only three days, there are a handful of people who have reported some problem redeeming their free sandwich. If you’re one of them, please let us know right away by emailing millionsubs@quiznos.com. We’re working hard to address every issue very quickly. 

They also sent me a personal email, asking if I’d be interested in a phone or e-mail interview with Quiznos’ CMO, Rebecca Steinfort.  According to the PR person “she’d love the opportunity to respond to you and your reader’s concerns regarding the Million Subs campaign.”  Oh yeah?  Are you sure you know what you’re getting into?  Alright… you heard them right.  Got something you’d like to say or ask the Quiznos CEO? Post it in the comments, and I’ll forward it along.

My one visit to Grand Sichuan International (on Lexington btw. 33+34th) was just for a bubble tea, and it was a complete failure. Danny from Food in Mouth actually ordered one of their lunch specials, and found it to be lacking in the heat department (despite being called gui zhou spicy chicken). “Like with any other restaurant experience, it’s all about tempering your expectations. If I had walked into a tiny hole-in-the-wall Chinese joint serving Americanized version of Chinese food, and this was the product? I would be absolutely delighted. But Grand Sichuan bills itself as a serious Sichuan restaurant and the heat was just ok. I’ve had the spicy hot pot at that exact same store and it was no joke. Their hot pot is serious business. As far as lunch specials though, go in expecting the same thing you get anywhere else.” You’ve been warned. [Food in Mouth]

You know how much I love conveyor belt sushi, so even though this video was taken in Japan, and not Midtown, I had to post it.  “Watch the people’s reactions as a camera makes the rounds at a local [Kaiten] sushi restaurant in Tomakomai, Hokkaido, Japan.”  It’s over 7 minutes long, but it’s mesmerizing- and completely worth it.  (Especially when the camera makes it back to the kitchen.)  I like looking at the facial expressions, and how big each person’s stack of plates is.  Could you imagine what it would have been like if we had done this at (the now closed) Sakae Sushi (on 43rd btw. Lex+3rd)?  It would be pretty much the same, but without the people.

Check out the video after the jump…

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Double Double w/ Cheese (and grilled onions)

I was in the Bay Area over the weekend, and was able to partake in five things that Midtown Lunch desperately needs! #1 is the most obvious… and has been mentioned a million times before: In N Out Burger!  Because everything is sourced fresh from the west coast, it’s unlikely that this will happen anytime soon- but there is no reason we shouldn’t be able to get the other four things!

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