Midtown Lunch

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 Joe, a Graphic Design guy who’s into Pho and looking some Banh Mi (what else is new?)…

Name: Joe

Age: 27

Occupation: Graphic Design Guy

Where in Midtown do you Work?: 37th & Broadway

Favorite Kind of Food: This is totally dependant upon my mood, as I’ll eat pretty much anything you put in front of me. I guess my top food choices lately have been BBQ & Middle Eastern. I like anything that has lots of flavor, or can make me sweat when I’m eating it.

Least Favorite Kind of Food: I hate the TGI Applebennigachili’s type restaurants. I had a job that required a lot of travel and inevitably the popular vote would land us at one of these sit down glorified McDonald’s. There’s always a better option than those types of places. I also have a texture issue, so things like jellyfish and most raw meats get the thumbs down from me.

Favorite Place to Eat Lunch in Midtown: One of my coworkers took me to Pho 32, on, well…32nd street, which was great. Sometimes you just need some pho. I also dig Arang (32nd btw. B’way+5th) if I have a little extra cash.

The “go-to” lunch place you and your co-workers eat at too often: There are two places. When I want something “healthy” I’ll usually go to Bryant Deli (6th Ave. btw. 37+38th) for a salad. They’ve got the same type of set up as a Metro or Pax for half the price. I hadn’t been there in a while, and the last time I went it seemed like it wasn’t quite as fresh as when I first found the place, and it was a buck more, but still totally reasonable, comparatively. The other is the Chicken and Rice cart on 36th & 6th ave. This conversely has gone from “okay” to one of the better chicken and rice carts in the immediate vicinity.

Place you discovered thanks to Midtown Lunch: Last week about half the production staff in my office went to Kati Roll (39th btw. 5+6th). I loved it, but most everyone else seemed to spend a half hour groaning, holding their stomachs and inevitably slipping into a food coma. A handful of us made the walk uptown to Kwik Meal (6th Ave. & 45th St.) the other day as I loved their sandwiches at the Vendys.  Their chicken and rice place was awesome, by the way.

If you could work anywhere (just because of the lunch) where would it be and why? I’d love to work from home in Astoria. There’s so many great, inexpensive options, and a short bike ride to Elmhurst and Jackson Heights. With an hour lunch in Astoria I think it’s possible to get pretty much anything my cold heart desires.

Anything you’d like to ask the Midtown Lunch readers? Where can I get a good Banh Mi in the Macy’s / K town area? I searched the site, and came up empty handed, and I have a hard timebelieving that there are no good (or at least passable) Banh Mi placesin K town.

Ah yes… the Banh Mi question again.  What ever happened to that Banh Mi cart some of you readers were going to start up?  Any progress on that?  In the meantime, I finally made it over to Saigon 48 the other day (on 48th btw. B’way+8th).  Not the best Vietnamese food I’ve ever had, but it was ok.  A photo of one of the dishes I tried, after the jump… Read more »

_{International Food House Restaurant & Buffet
Posted to the M.L. Flickr Photo Group by Seraphim1970} 

Last week I was on Sirius Satellite Radio’s Maxim Radio Channel giving my tips on how to beat the All You Can Eat Buffet.  Most of the info is already covered in the “Midtown Lunch Guide to Beating the All You Can Eat Chinese Food Buffet“, but now you can check it out in audio form! Notice how Stretch, the DJ, refers to me as “Champion of the Buffet” and “Buffet Expert”.  I think I could get used to that…

Part 1 – [mp3]http://www.midtownlunch.com/blog/wp-content/buffet1.mp3[/mp3]

Part 2 – [mp3]http://www.midtownlunch.com/blog/wp-content/buffet2.mp3[/mp3]

Unfortunately, when it comes to all you can eat Chinese Buffets, we’re pretty weak here in Midtown.  The only option I have found is the “Midtown Buffet” on 7th Ave. btw. 39+40th., which is the kind of buffet you eat at once every 6 months, to remind yourself why you only eat there once every 6 months.  Luckily there are other places to enjoy, for those of us obsessed with buffets.  My favorites, after the jump… Read more »

• I really like Toloache, but there is no excuse for Citysearch Shilling [Eater]
• Looking for great Italian coffee in Midtown?  Zibetto’s is your place. [NYCNosh]
• The Yogurt Parfait at Bread Market Cafe is not as big as it used to be [Plate of the Day]
• Debris falls from the building on 42nd & 6th Ave…. [Gothamist]
• … and ruins the day for two Street Food Vendors [NYTimes]
• Cutlets recommends The Carnegie Deli off the 7th Ave. Stop on the B Line [Grub St.] 
• Has the Jamaican Dutchy fixed their slowness issue!?! [Chowhound]

Even Saturday Night Live hates Tad’s Steaks.  Amazing.

Related: People Getting Punched Just Before Eating

***This Blimpie Location is Now Closed, but the Latin Food can now be found in the newsstand next door***

Latin food (and Korean food) seems to pop up in the strangest places in Midtown.  Delis (like Utopia Cafe on 56th btw. 5+6th), Pizza parlors like La Strada (on 56th btw. Lex+3rd), and I’ve even seen a lady selling homemade Latin food out of a grocery basket on 46th. btw. 5+6th.  But all of those pale in comparison to what I discovered the other day.  Latin food inside a Blimpie.

That’s right.  Blimpie.  The sub chain.  The place I would never step foot into in a million years… unless I saw a sign for Latin food.  Imagine my surprise when I saw such a sign while walking down 6th Ave. the other day.  Spanish Food.  Right there in neon.  For $5.50. How could I not?

Photos that prove I entered a Blimpie, what they had, and a +/-, after the jump… Read more »

It’s not a big surprise that Midtown food goes largely unnoticed by The Voice.  They are named after the OG hipster hood, and Midtown is the least cool part of New York City (if you choose to totally ignore the Upper East Side, which I do).  Their Best of NYC 2007 issue, which hit the stands yesterday, highlights a pretty large list of eats around the city, forgoing the boring “Best blah blah blah” entries, in favor of a much more eclectic listing method in which they pretend it’s the last night on earth and list the supposed last meal of various celebrities (alive and dead).  Some of the entries are pretty funny, but a few choices call into question whether or not they chose places because the food is good, or so they could exploit the place for a joke. 

Even if you expand the Midtown Lunch boundaries, we only got five recs- including one for Troy, a pretty mediocre Middle Eastern cheap eats place on 9th Ave., that I’m pretty convinced they used just so they could say it was Brad Pitt’s last meal.

We did, however, get what I thought was the funniest, and best overall entry.  Check it out after the jump… Read more »

It’s official.  The Five Guys on 55th btw. 5+6th has been completed and is planning on opening a week from tomorrow.  Here’s your first look at the interior… (you can see the giant bags of peanuts stacked up in the back, which they give out free for your meal.)

Mark in on your calendars… Thursday, October 25th.  I’ll be the fat guy in the corner, taking a picture of his double cheeseburger with sauteed mushrooms & onions (and bag of fries of course).

There are a lot of rules that govern foodstuffs in the workplace.  Birthdays must be celebrated with free cake, leftover meeting food must be put in the community kitchen, etc.  Another essential, but often forgotten, rule is when you go on vacation to far off lands, you must return with treats.   When I came back from the UK, my gift to the office came in the form of Cadbury Roses (a delicious sampler pack of amazing bite size chocolates, usually enjoyed around holiday time). 

This week, one of my bosses Cheryl returned from Argentina with a box of Alfajores…

Two little cakes/cookies, sealed together with dulce de leche.  Often they are covered with powdered sugar, but these (thankfully) were covered in chocolate.  Holy mackerel.  A photo of the innards, after the jump… Read more »

• Heartland Brewery is not only terrible for us eaters, they treat their employees like crap too [NY Mag] 
• The Pad Kee Mao at Yum Thai looks really good [Food in Mouth]
• Beacon Bar adds a new Kitchen counter where you can get a burger at lunchtime [Strong Buzz]
• Maribelle Chocolates is coming to Madison Ave., just outside of Midtown Lunch boundaries (and is probably worth walking the extra few blocks) [Serious Eats]
• District is empty, and for a good reason [Nosher]

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 Amanda, a UK expert for work, and a sandwich expert for fun.  (And yes, she is standing next to Austin Powers.)

Name: Amanda

Age: 31

Occupation: Writer/Content Editor for http://www.visitbritain.com/us  (Um… where were you two weeks ago when I was in England??? -zach)

Where in Midtown do you Work?: 45th & 5th Ave.

Favorite Kind of Food: Sandwiches, I am always on the lookout for the ultimate sandwich.

Least Favorite Kind of Food: Boring Italian or bland Mexican food.

Favorite Place to Eat Lunch in Midtown: A little bit outside of the boundaries maybe but tacos enchiladas at Tehuitzingo Deli on 10th Ave and 46th Street. Still haven’t found a taco that compares in NYC!  (I am a little confused by this one.  Tehuitzingo Deli has the best tacos in NYC, and is on 10th Ave. btw. 47+48th (not 46th).  And doesn’t have enchiladas.  Tulcingo del Valle has some amazing enchiladas and is on 10th Ave. btw. 46+47th.  Either way, both places are great!  -zach)

The “go-to” lunch place you and your co-workers eat at too often: Dishes is right across the street from our office. Mmm, $12 salads. The pastries are just so good!

Place you discovered thanks to Midtown Lunch: There are many… I am now the Treats Truck’s #1 fan, as well as a frequenter of the after 2PM Naples 45 slice special. I also patronize many carts, such as the Kwik Meal and the Hallo Berlin cart.

If you could work anywhere (just because of the lunch) where would it be and why? I wouldn’t want to live there, but for lunch? Los Angeles. I have to give them props for mindblowingly good and cheap vegetarian Indian tucked away in unassuming strip malls, Diddy Reese ice cream sandwiches, numerous restaurants specializing in Okonomiyaki (Japanese pancakes), and the tacos!!! Angelenos really have everything except great pizza and bagels.

Anything you’d like to ask the Midtown Lunch readers? I was biking past a Peruvian place this morning and I realized I don’t know much about Peruvian cuisine outside of ceviche. Does anyone have any favorite Peruvian places or is it not one of the city’s strong suits?

Another Lunch’er posed this same question a little over a month ago, and there just aren’t any Peruvian places in Midtown.  Which sucks, because I could really go for some Lomo Saltado (Peruvian dish of beef sauteed with tomatoes, onions and french fries).  What we do have, however- is some delicious ceviche!  My favorite, after the jump… Read more »