PROFILE: Midtown Lunch’er “Susan”
Every Tuesday I turn the site over to a Midtown Lunch’er for their recommendations of places to eat Lunch in Midtown. Today it’s Susan, a “Vegetarian” who loves lobster rolls…
Name: Susan
Age: 39
Occupation: News Librarian
Where in Midtown do you Work?: 47th & 6th
Favorite Kind of Food: Pasta. Bread. Rice. Potatoes. (Are you detecting a theme here?) If my carbs come in the form of Indian or Mexican food, all the better.
Least Favorite Kind of Food: Brussels sprouts. John Waters didn’t call them little balls of hell for nothing.
Favorite Place to Eat Lunch in Midtown: At Minar, I get the vegetarian combo with saag paneer, aloo ghobi and navrattan curry, with rice AND naan. (A tip: sharing three separate dishes with two of your co-workers works out to be cheaper than getting the combo.) The masala dosa is great, too. I’m also a fan of the tofu pad kee mao at Pongsri. For low-rent Mexican, I like the burritos at Bagelfeller (go figure). My default: black bean burrito in a whole wheat tortilla with guac.
The “go-to” lunch place you and your co-workers eat at too often: Cafe Metro. It’s totally overpriced but it’s fast. I generally get the split pea soup and a caesar side salad, and feel like a chump for paying $7.50.
Place you discovered on MidtownLunch.com: Taki Sushi (try the tofu teriyaki!) and the fabulous Oms/b. Maybe we could get them to open a 47th Street branch.
Dream job location for lunch purposes only, and why?: As you can probably tell from my responses, I’m pretty much a vegetarian. But I’ve been known to, um, cheat, and my favorite guilty pleasure is the lobster roll at Pearl Oyster Bar on Cornelia Street. So I’d like to work near — or maybe even AT — Pearl Oyster Bar.
Anything you’d like to ask the Midtown Lunch readers?: Aside from the pricey Wu Liang Ye, is there any really GOOD Chinese food in the West 40s? Also, what’s your favorite place for rice and beans? I’ve tried Margon, Café Cello, Havana Central and Rice & Beans, but none have been magically delicious. And finally — are there any food carts that a non-carnivore could love? Thanks.
My suggestions for Susan (including the best brussel sprouts in NYC), PLUS how you can be next week’s Profiled: Midtown Lunch’er, after the jump… Read more »
I finally made it down to the brand new Popeyes 
Fried chicken is a whole different ball game. I don’t care what kind of prejudice you have against fast food places, I’m telling you, Popeyes is frickin good. If you want delicious fried chicken, you will be hard pressed to find some that tastes better than the spicy chicken at Popeyes. Sure, your extra money might buy you better side dishes, a fancier atmosphere and organic chickens that were treated very nicely before they were dipped in batter and fried up crispy… but in the end, when you are just talking about taste- Popeyes can hold its own with the best of them.
There seems to be a new trend emerging in Midtown. Korean food is taking over! It seems as if everywhere you go, someone is serving Korean food in an unlikely place. It is almost as if the Korean restaurant owners in Midtown have realized, “We don’t have have to serve Mexican food and Sushi! Our food is delicious, and people will eat it!” Sure, a lot of people still don’t know what Bulgogi is (it is Korean BBQ’d beef by the way), and Bi Bim Bap sounds like weird Jazz… but it doesn’t change the fact that if you like Asian food, you should not be afraid of Korean. It’s delicious, and this is a welcome trend. 
For me, the whole thing started with 
Pro Hot Bagel, a deli on 56th btw. 5+6th has been taken over by Korean & Japanese food. It started slow when a few months ago they added a small sushi bar to their mammoth list of sandwiches (and bagels). But recently they have gone all out, adding a Udon/Soba station, that also serves Bento Boxes, Bulgogi Boxes & Bi Bim Bap.
Every day I have to think about what defines a Midtown Lunch. There are definitely rules that I have set up for myself, but not all places fit exactly into the guidelines. I don’t usually eat at fast food chains, but my love of New Orleans gives me a soft spot for Popeyes. I almost never write about delis, but if there is one that is willing to stuff a burrito with fried plantains, then I’m there. All my lunches are under $10, but for good ramen, or an all you can eat buffet I’ve been known to go up to $12.
But that is just one end of the spectrum. The other end is the place that fits every rule. Weighing the positives and negatives isn’t necessary, because it is the perfect Midtown Lunch spot. El Rincon del Sabor is one of those places. Cheap. Check. Something different (it’s Ecuadorian food). Check. Authentic. Check. Homemade. Check. Not a chain (owned by real people). Check. Hidden (it’s on the fourth floor of a Diamond District building with a paper sign that you wouldn’t notice unless you were looking for it). Check. And best of all, it’s got history. 
El Rincon del Sabor has spent the past 12 years dishing out delicious Ecuadorian food on 46th St. btw. 5th & 6th. A few months ago, they moved to a new location (47th St. btw. 5th & 6th), but the food is still the same. There is a rotating menu of dishes every single day, and even though there is a printed menu a breakdown of the week, it doesn’t always match exactly. The best way to find out what’s being served is to give them a call. I went last Wednesday with 3 co-workers and we sampled four of the 10 or so dishes they had available.
Name: Andre
