Midtown Lunch

Every Friday we go south of the ML boundaries in search of a delicious lunch. Sometimes it’s Murray Hill south or the Flatiron District, sometimes Gramercy and everything in between- but we just like to call it Flatiron Lunch.

Mira Sushi and Izakaya recently opened with some serious pedigree in the kitchen. I’m talking Nobu 57 and Telepan. Given the high-end Asian restaurants Hanjan and Sen that recently opened in the Flatiron area (which are all just or way out of ML budget) I was curious where Mira would fall.

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Not sure how we missed this one, but Midtown ramen veteran (and Mark Bittman’s favorite secret Midtown Japanese restaurant)  Men Kui Tei has shuttered (on 56th btw. 5+6th).  With Menchanko Tei a shell of its former self, this leaves Sapporo as the last of the old guard Midtown ramen spots.  Thanks to Lunch’er Benjamin for sending over this photo… it looks like it will be replaced by a Glaze Teriyaki.

UPDATE: Word in the comments is that Men Kui Tei has moved a few doors down to combine with ISE (kind of like how Menchanko Tei now shares a single space with Katsuhama on 55th?)  Full report coming soon…

If you were lucky enough to spot Xian’s FB page just a few minutes ago, it read:

The message appears to have actually self-destructed from their FB page, but our man Chris confirmed in person they’re now soft open for business at 24 West 45th Street!!  Check out the photos after the jump…

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As Brian reported last month, the Bongo Brothers are back in action, but now as the flashy Miami Food Machine Truck with a new menu consisting of sliders, tacos, and rice bowls. The Machine, decked out in a color scheme reminiscent of Miami Vice, has been making appearances in Midtown for the past few Mondays on Park Avenue between 49th and 50th Street.

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For the past few years, Southwest Porch (40th+6th) has been a good outdoor option on beautiful days: burgers, beer, and porch swings. But anyone who has passed by over the past few months has seen work being done. They were undergoing renovations and it’s finally done complete with a revamped menu. The porch swings are out, bratwurst is in.

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After the old Tawa Tandoor space had been vacant for upwards of almost a year, 9th and 34th is getting Indian chow once more. Patiala has sprung up seemingly out of nowhere to reclaim the space. With Cuisine of Pakistan just a few blocks away and under the radar, this means there’s a good set of South Asian options for us Midtown Southwest/Hell’s Kitchen types (all we need is decent Bengali food and a return of the Sri Lankan at Cafe Niagara!) The gentleman in the sea-foam green shirt said they plan to open next week – we’ll be checking them out for ML-compatible pricing and options. Get your Bollywood dancing shoes on and stay tuned!

Yes, Hyderabad. A city in south India, which is one of the main hubs for Biryani cuisine. It also happens to be the name of one of the newest Indian Halal carts in Midtown, located between Tuk Tuk Boy and Toast Monster on the corner of 50th and 6th on Tuesdays, Wednesdays, and Fridays.

As I stumbled upon this cart on a particular Wednesday, I was looking for a lighter lunch after giving into an 11am bagel, and couldn’t help but be stopped in my tracks by what followed Hyderabad in large type font: “Goat Kacchi Biryani.” Urban lunch adventure here I come!

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Got this report from Lunch’er Daniel yesterday morning about Variety Cafe…

I walked by Variety Cafe on West 48th St. between 5th and 6th Ave today and saw all of the employees waiting outside of the establishment. Apparently, they had recently been forced outside and an eviction notice was put up on the window (attached). No idea of whether or not this is temporary as the employees didn’t look too concerned over the closure. My coworkers and I were a little disheartened since they’ve got a solid hot food buffet and great salads.

Could this finally be the end for Variety Cafe!? They’ve had their DOH trouble in the past, but an eviction notice from the Marshall seems pretty serious.  Anybody walk by there this morning?   Were they back open?  Let us know in the comments…

UPDATE IN THE COMMENTS: They’re back open for business!

Voting has begun for Andrew Zimmern’s The Munchies over on Tablespoon.com, and even though it’s a national competition, quite a few Midtown favorites have been nominated.  We’ve known for awhile that AZ is a big Biryani Cart fan, so it’s no surprise to see them nominated in the Best Food Truck category.  But Salvation Taco is also nominated for Best Taco, Joe The Art of Coffee is up for Best Coffee, Momofuku Milk Bar is up for Best Bakery, Big Gay Ice Cream for Best Ice Cream, Shake Shack for Best Burger, and Brooklyn Brewery for Best Craft Brewery (they sponsored our 5th Birthday Party!)  And wouldn’t you know it, Zach’s podcast “Food is the New Rock” (where he talks to chefs about music and musicians about food) is nominated for Best Podcast… so as long as you’re over there, you might as well vote for that also.  You can vote once per day between now and April 30th.  Go Midtown!

Mexico Blvd hit the streets last year, and after Anna’s first look, I made a mental note that I needed to get myself a torta. Fast forward an entire year, and I realized I had totally failed at doing that. Luckily, they’ve parked in Midtown often lately, so I was able to remedy this wrong pretty easily. Better yet, I got to check out their lunch combos.

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