Jiannetto's Pizza Truck (Front and Wall)

The pizza crust was surprisingly crisp and tasty, but there was too much of the watery tomato sauce. The topping was just a sprinkling of parmesan cheese and a few basil leaves, which didn't add much flavor but was a nice change from the gooey cheap mozzarella piled on at most slice counters in the city. We also got the Sicilian rice ball, expecting an order of three little balls like the ones at most Italian pork stores or delis (or like Bar Stuzzichini's rice balls, which are amazing, even though the restaurant looks like Mozzarelli's in the Green Hills Mall in Nashville, Tennessee...but I digress). This rice ball was huge, the size of my head, filled with meat, rice and frozen peas (they weren't frozen still, but there was a taste of freezer burn), topped with tons of tomato sauce and loads of cheese. Kind of bland but not terrible, but still a mediocre lunch.

Lunch (not Brunch) at Fatty Crab

Brunch and the brunching hordes of New York can be so annoying. Most restaurants just mix their random leftovers with eggs, and the silly crowds love it. I had to be in the Meatpacking district for an errand on Saturday, we were hungry and surrounded by brunchers. It was a beautiful day and all of the spots around Pastis were packed with overdressed twenty-somethings, trying to look like they didn't spend an hour getting ready to go out. So we thought of Fatty Crab, which we love and don't visit often enough... surely they avoid the brunch cliche? Sure enough, it was an excellent choice. While the menu did officially mention the work "brunch," there were no omelettes to be found. We easily snagged a table outside - I think that maybe the word "fatty" in the name keeps out the annoying riff-raff. Alex agrees with my hypothesis and says if he opened a restaurant he would call it Fatty Fat Pig.

Alex had this beautiful, spicy bloody mary, and I had a delicious watermelon juice (not too sweet - either it has added lime juice or just some rind juice mixed in). The steamed pork buns with cilantro salad and a spicy hoisin-style sauce are unbelievable - we stuffed the cilantro salad, dressed with a mild vinaigrette and mixed with boiled eggs and red onion, inside the bun with the fatty chunk of pork belly and dipped each bite in the sauce. Heavenly. We also enjoyed the pickled watermelon and crispy pork salad, with lemongrass and cilantro, the Malay fish fry (fried chunks of fish with a spicy coconut curry sauce served over rice with loads of cilantro on top) and the wonton mee (dumplings in broth topped with crunchy noodles). It was the perfect antidote to brunch.

Sandwiches at Murray's Cheese Shop

Field trip! This doesn't really qualify as a Wall Street lunch, but these amazing gems are just a short subway ride away. Aside from ino, the pressed panini at Murray's are my favorite sandwiches in the city. Murray's is one of my favorite places in the world, but I'm sure these sandwiches would win in a blind taste test. In the "Smoky Joe" pictured here, the perfectly pressed bread is filled with amazing smoked mozzarella, sundried tomatoes and basil. It's a flavor bonanza. The ratio of fillings to bread is perfect, and each element is enhanced by the combination. This is my ideal sandwich.

Of course I can't go to Murray's without stocking up on some cheese, with the help of the geniuses behind the counter. I had to bring them back to work with me, so I stuffed them in the fridge at my office, permanently stinking up the pantry. (Sorry work peoples!)
We have taken a couple of classes in their cheese school on the second floor recently (one on sherry and Spanish cheeses, and one on blue cheeses from around the world) - this trip reminds me that we need to register for more. When I lived in this neighborhood a few years ago Murray's was in the tiny space across the street. I'm glad they have moved into grander digs, more appropriate for an operation of this magnitude, one of the most important institutions in the NY food world. YAY Murrays!

Bemelmans Bar at the Carlyle Hotel

Our recent martini obsession (which arose out of (1) Alex re-reading several MFK Fisher books and (2) watching episodes of Mad Men with appropriate cocktails in hand), Alex and I decided we needed to try some of these old-school old New York places before they disappear, and before we have kids and won't be able to go out anymore. Our first stop was Bemelmans Bar, which is in the gorgeous, sumptuous lobby of the Carlyle. This place is dripping with Upper East Side. (It's so Upper East Side that I spied the socialite Aerin Lauder having dinner in the Cafe. I didn't even bother to point her out to Alex because he would have no idea who she is - I recognized her only because her picture is in every issue of Vogue.) I used to live three blocks from here and it never occurred to me to try this place - probably because I was a student then and a drinks are one million dollars each. Anyway, we're on a mission so we scoot past the Cafe and are seated at a cozy little table in the corner of the bar. Bemelmans murals cover the walls and even the lampshades on each table. He was the illustrator of the Madeline books, so the murals make for a warm, inviting room - evocative of a nursery, which is kind of strange for a bar. The room is full of dark wood, the lighting is just a soft glow, and a jazz trio is playing (quite loudly) in the center of the room.

Alex ordered a martini and I opted for something from their special cocktail menu - a gin gin mule, which is Gordon's gin, ginger beer, muddled mint, fresh lime juice and simple syrup. It sounds really great but it's too sweet, which is my verdict on 99% of cocktails. Our waiter, all dressed up in a fancy white get-up, serves our cocktails to us on a silver tray with all the pomp and circumstance that comes with a place like this. We also get a little silver snack tray with nuts and potato chips. The potato chips seem a little weird, but they were tasty. Aside from the weird lecherous older couple in the corner, pawing each other and flirting in loud, obnoxious Long Island accents (or maybe New Jersey?), it was a pleasant, pampering spot for a cocktail.

NB: I would not recommend, however, ordering the food - which we did, our hunger being stronger than our judgment. My $19 croque monsieur was presented, nursery-food style, in six tiny squares with the edges cut off. It was just a ham and cheese - they forgot the bechamel, I think. Alex's steak frites, a deal at $28 (the burger was $27!), was adequate, average, but kind of cold by the time it arrived.

Lesson: an elegant and civilized environment can elevate the enjoyment of a cocktail, but it can't rescue mediocre bar food. Still, experiencing a drink at Bemelmans is a treat.

Sam's Falafel (Cedar b/t Broadway and Trinity)

On a side street down from cart central on Broadway. I love this sign!
Sam's is definitely better than Alan's (the other falafel cart in this area). The sandwich ($3!) is topped with a generous pile of sauteed onions, a few pieces of sauteed eggplant, lettuce, tomato, hot sauce, and white sauce. The falafel tastes strongly of lemon and cumin and the texture is lovely - soft but not crumbly, with a slightly crisp exterior (not crunchy). This is such a mess - it's dripping everywhere, but it is quite delicious. This is one of the few carts down here that is worth a detour.

Ruben's Empanadas (Broad and Stone)

A few locations, this one is at Broad and Stone - right behind the Goldman Sachs building. The empanadas are kept hot in a weird ovenlike vending-machine contraption, and sometimes the savory pastry crust has a hardened texture, like it has been sitting in there a day or so too long. However, when they're good they're really good. I'm partial to the spicy chicken empanada, which combined with their delicious vinegary hot sauce provides quite a kick. I also like a small cup of the black bean soup on the side. Today I tried the gazpacho but I can't really recommend it - too watery and garlicky, not enough tomato flavor, tiny specks of parsley and no cilantro (cilantro may not be traditional in gazpacho, I don't know - I just really like cilantro in everything). Inside the empanada, the minced chicken filling is combined with lots of red pepper sauce, tiny chopped green onions and red peppers. The perfect bite has more chicken than pastry and a healthy dunk in the tiny cup of hot sauce.

Bouchon Bakery (Time Warner Center mall)

I had to be in midtown early in the morning a couple of days this week for a seminar. When I got off the D at Columbus Circle, hungry for breakfast, I remembered Bouchon Bakery in the Time Warner Center. Thomas Keller is such a perfectionist, I assume he would not associate his name with any mediocre establishment, so I began the ascent up three escalators to the top of the mall. This mall thing feels so weird and out of place in New York, but at the same time it doesn't feel like it could be anywhere else. (OMG, someone is mallwalking here, with running shoes, weights, headphones - the works. Right across the street from Central Park. And it's not like it's raining or anything, it's 75 and sunny outside. How bizarre.)

Hmm, muffins? A slice of coffee cake? I opted for the almond raspberry croissant and a double espresso (to keep me awake for my upcoming 8 hours of tax law lectures). OK, there's a little too much going on here - almonds, powdered sugar, almond paste and raspberry jam- but the pastry is definitely delicious. What started out as a restrained French pastry has been super-sized and infused with extra flavors and fillings for the American mall crowd! Whatever, it's damn tasty. And this espresso is pretty good too.

I went back for lunch but I didn't have time to sit in the roped off table service part - I just ordered a ham and cheese croissant from the to-go counter. It was pressed and toasted, with the gruyere melting and dripping out of the flaky pastry. Also had an Arnold Palmer (lemonade and iced tea) and a tiny moist but cakey chocolate bouchon - mmmm. Quite a tasty lunch.

Alfanoose (Maiden Lane)

I walked up to cart central on Broadway and Cedar but a lot of the vendors had been moved to prepare for the Sept 11 memorial. I wonder if the vendors moved or whether they were told they couldn't set up today? I hope they were compensated. Also, did anyone know there was a statewide sing-a-long of "Let it Be" today at 2pm ? How did we manage to make this annual "commemoration" into something so tacky and maudlin. Let it Be? Seriously? I'm posting the sheet from my building management above so no one will think I'm making this shit up. There's a "New Orleans funk" band playing on our plaza, which will stop at 2pm and break into a chorus of "Let it Be." WTF? Please see wonkette for a pictorial tribute to this sort of thing. (I worked down here on Sept 11, and it was horrible. It's not that I think the anniversary should be ignored, but perhaps that it is commemorated more effectively with silence. I don't see how a New Orleans funk band whispering words of wisdom seven years later is helping anything.)

So I walked up to Alfanoose on Maiden Lane. What a treat - Alfanoose serves the best middle eastern food in this area. Oh how I wish I could find a cart serving food this delicious. I also wish that Alfanoose were closer to my office. The contents of my container shifted a little during my walk to the park (I like to eat by the water), and the picture is terrible anyway - but I swear this is some wondrous stuff. The mojadara - bulgur with tomato sauce and fried onions - has such a heavenly texture and earthy, sweet and sour flavor - I almost ate that whole 5 lb serving. The babaghanoush is smooth and tangy with real eggplant flavor. The taboule is mostly parsley so it functions more as a salad (compared with the versions that are mostly bulgur) - very refreshing with strong lemony flavor. I love the garnishes of pickled radish and cucumber and fresh red onion. Other times I've tried the tender chicken schwarma, marinated in tangy spices and I highly recommend both the sandwich and the platter. Alfanoose is one of the few lunch options down here that is worth a trip, or at least a small detour.

In praise of Pret (Broad Street)

It's amazing how many colleagues are horrified at my goal of eating food from all of our neighboring street carts. I keep getting, "Did you see that piece on Gothamist about street vendors getting caught picking their noses and rubbing their bare feet?" Well, I did see the headline and quickly averted my eyes. But really, don't you think that a lot worse than that goes on behind closed doors in restaurant kitchens? At least the street vendors are operating on an open stage for all the world to see.

Anyway, back to the issue at hand...the British chain Pret a Manger, which is all over Manhattan now, is my backup when I go to lunch with anyone who is less than enthusiastic about my project. In my pre-vendor days, I sometimes ate at Pret every day. The sandwiches are full of flavorful ingredients, the salads are fresh, crisp and interesting, the baked goods are delightful, the Pret drinks are even good (I love the unsweetened Assam tea!) Pictured is a salad with grilled free range chicken, slices of granny smith apple, walnuts, dried cranberries, tomatoes, and blue cheese. My favorite sandwich has avocado, grana, pine nuts and tomato. Pret really pays attention to its ingredients - including the sources of its meats, which lessens my carnivore's guilt. (Though I know the USDA definition of "free-range" leaves much to be desired.)

As an aside, I definitely have qualms about the background of my street meats - and I don't think halal butchery is more humane or requires that the animals be raised in a more humane way - but I try not to think about it, and figure that my supporting these vendors and their small businesses is a good thing. I am careful with my meat buying when I cook at home - either going to small producers at the greenmarket or buying from producers like D'Artagnan at the grocery store.

My meat-buying and meat-eating guilt is further complicated by the fact that my family raises pigs and cows (conventionally - what some might label as industrial agriculture, or at least a link in the industrial agriculture chain) on our farm in GA. More about that later.

Where was I? Oh, Pret. The mini-brownie is such a perfect treat during A work day. It's tiny, but I savor every bite. I am admittedly a terrible baker, but this brownie has a better texture than I have ever achieved at home - it's soft and almost gooey in the center, but perfectly firm yet moist on the outside. Again, their quality ingredients, like decent chocolate, makes Pret stand out. I temporarily suspend my disdain for chains here - Pret is an exception from the rule that chains suck. Pret is (or appears to be) an environmentally/socially responsible company, and they serve mostly delicious food... I heart Pret.

Adrienne's Pizza Bar - Stone Street

If you have time to sit down and order, Adrienne's pizza is shockingly good. My standards are lower than normal in the Wall Street area, but Adrienne's would be good anywhere. The rectangular crust is thin, with perfectly browned, thick and crispy edges. The "old fashioned," topped with a sweet and substantial tomato sauce, a thin layer of mozzarella and a sprinkling of parmeggiano, is

perfectly balanced - just the right sauce/topping ratio - and tangy, gooey and delicious. Toppings like eggplant, mushrooms and olives are of good quality, not the common canned and/or mushy versions. This pizza even impressed my pizza-obsessed husband, who is willing to come all the way down here to meet me for lunch only if he's promised Adrienne's.

Halal Food, Broadway between Cedar and Liberty

Another one in the crowded cart district on Broadway. There's no name posted on the cart, but it's on the east side, middle of the block, separated from Alan's by a smoothie cart. The line looked long and promising. Though the menu was expansive, I ordered the chicken and rice, hot sauce white sauce standby.
I think the sauces are more flavorful than average, and the chicken is really spicy. The chunks are larger than most carts, with no bone or gristle but kind of fatty - and the spiced yellow rice has good flavor but is really clumpy. I liked the big slices of green and red pepper sauteed in with the chicken. A little better than average I think.

The Burger Joint at the Parker Meridien - 56th or 57th between 5th and 6th

Hidden behind a thick curtain in the lobby of this glossy midtown hotel lies this bizarre little greasy burger nook. The Burger Joint has saved me from starvation so many times - during Christmas shopping trips, after the opera or a concert at Carnegie Hall, after a day of museum-hopping and/or tourist-hosting. They have a super limited menu and all sorts of rules about ordering, but it's worth it. The line is long, but there always seem to be seats available just when you need them. The beer is cold, the fries are crispy, the burgers are juicy, and all the fixins are applied with care. They're thick, but not so thick they won't fit into a normal-sized mouth - a perfect quick and delicious meal. I would go to this place no matter where it happened to be, but it is a godsend in the overproduced and overpriced restaurant world of midtown.

The Modern Martini

I heard recently that scientists have isolated the gene for liking cilantro - if something in this gene is turned on, then you love it, if it's not, cilantro just smells like soap and tastes horrible. Hopefully, with the advances of modern science, the problem can be fixed - no one should be deprived of the enjoyment of such an amazing taste and heavenly fragrance. Until then, more for me, I guess. My love for cilantro explains why I worship this martini invented by a smartypants mixmaster at the Modern. It's made from cilantro-infused Tanqueray gin and lime juice, and garnished with a lime and cherry tomato. Just the smell of this drink makes me happy - it's the loveliest scent in the world and I want to wear it as my perfume forever and ever, the end. Also, it tastes perfect. The cilantro flavor is there, though it's stronger in the scent than the taste, the herbal flavor of the gin still comes through, and the lime juice (which must be a little bit sweetened) rounds it all out. This is the most excellent cocktail I know.

Alan's Falafel - Broadway between Cedar and Liberty

Alan's is one of the many carts located in the street food bonanza of this block. I decided to try it first because of the long line and limited menu, which I think are good signs with food carts. Of the two options, falafel sandwich and falafel plate, I opted for the plate which came with a dollop of hummus, babaghanoush, a stuffed grape leaf, some pieces of fried eggplant, a piece of pita, and lettuce and tomato. Everything was topped with a generous covering of hot sauce and white sauce. (I was impressed by the helping of hot sauce - most vendors seem to think I can't handle the hot sauce, being a girl and all, so they never give me quite enough. This guy gave me a man-sized portion, which I appreciated.) The falafel had a nice thick and crunchy coating, and the spiced chickpea filling was toothsome but not too dry or crumbly, like some lesser forms can be. The side dishes were passable - I especially liked all of the black pepper in the babaghanoush. The stuffed grape leaf had the vinegary tang that I look for and a nice creamy texture
with the grains of rice kind of melded together.
The falafel is the thing, though - and Alan's offers
a carefully made and delicious version. (A good bargain
too - the plate is $5, and the sandwich is only $3!)

Dominick's Italian Sausage - Whitehall and Bridge

On my first visit, I ordered a cheesesteak and was sent to wait on the sidelines with the other cheesesteak-eaters while the sausage sandwiches were prepared. I felt a little ghettoized, particularly when the cook said "sorry, guys - this is a sausage stand not a cheesesteak stand." Perhaps you should think about changing that sign, buddy. OK, I decide that maybe I'll order correctly on my next visit, if I'm allowed back. Aside from me, the clientele is 100% male, perhaps because, in addition to the meat-heavy menu, the line for the cart is situated over a particularly wide-meshed subway grate. My heels got stuck about 12 times before I made it to the front of the line. The colorful banter between the cook (who is NOT Dominic) and the customers is a little too manly for me too. My cheesesteak "with everything" was sprinkled with bright orange "cheddar" (not cheese whiz), bbq sauce, hot sauce, peppers, onions and mushrooms. For such a variety of ingredients it tasted surprisingly bland. A few bites in the center had a good sauce-cheese-veggie ratio and were pretty satisfying, but nothing too special. (Report from 3 hours later: my stomach is achy and rumbling and my fingers still smell like cheesesteaks, in spite of repeated washings.)

Ravioli King cart - Nassau and Cedar

Ugh. The fun of buying your lunch from a cart is watching its preparation. This cart is the equivalent of a vending machine, its metal slots stuffed with premade heros and pastas. I opted for the eggplant parmesan sandwich, which was ridiculously large and flavorless. The bread had the texture that you might expect bread from a vending machine to have, soft on the outside (the overmicrowaved kind of softness), stale and dry in the middle. Inside the bread was a little bit of tomato sauce, a tiny bit of tasteless cheese, and thin slices of overbreaded eggplant. I'm not allergic to carbs or anything but this is ridiculous. Only recommended for lunch if you move heavy objects or run marathons for a living. The only saving grace of my lunch was the setting - I found a nice shaded bench in the Trinity Church courtyard.

Mexican cart, Nassau and Cedar

Could this really be a Mexican street food cart in the Financial District? The limited menu of burrito, quesadilla, nachos or enchilada tamped down my excitement a bit... then I noticed that the signage looks a little too manufactured and standardized to be homemade...then I noticed the kicker - signs that say "no lard" and "no pork." No thanks! My "enchilada" was just shredded chicken scooped into a flour tortilla, topped with bright yellow liquid nacho cheese sauce! I ate it anyway, then I felt like I swallowed a brick. In my dreams a Red Hook vendor or a Sunset Park restaurant like Rico's or Tacos Matamoros will open a taco stand down here. But for now, if you want a burrito it might be worth waiting 3 hours at Chipotle.

Financier - Stone Street

The mini-chain Financier is a good reliable option for a quick lunch in the Financial District. I'm usually disappointed in the sandwiches, which sound great on the menu but end up being dry and a little bland (though still better than most sandwiches around here). My favorite option is the ratatouille and goat cheese tart. On a good day, the pastry is fresh and flaky, the ratatouille is chunky and garlicky, and the goat cheese crust is warmed all the way through. Sometimes the crust is a little stale, the ratatoille is lifeless and mushy, and the goat cheese is cold in the middle. On the good days, this is a crazy delicious lunch - what with that topping of a half-pound of warm, browned goat cheese, how could it not be? The atmosphere at Financier is much more charming than most of the dingy spots down here, with the black and white tiles, those cute woven bistro chairs, and a beautiful array of pastries. A good place to meet a friend for lunch, especially a friend who thinks your "Wall Street street food" project is really gross. The pastries are beautiful and are definitely good, created with care in the French tradition, a world away from the ubiquitious Starbucks variety. In this area, they win hands down - best place by far for an afternoon coffee and pastry. Compared to the wider world, I don't think they're winning any awards, but Financier is the best thing going down here.

Veronica's on Front and Pine

I admit I'm not making any discovery here - Veronica's, which serves West Indian fare similar to Shirley's, was a finalist for a Vendy award. I can confirm that all honors are much deserved, and this is the best downtown cart I have tried so far. I made the mistake of going too late - while I was in line, they ran out of callaloo, mac and cheese, and curry chicken. I had the only things that were left - curry goat with rice and peas and pumpkin. The goat was meltingly tender and fatty without being greasy, with extremely well-balanced spices. The rice and peas were tender and seasoned, and the pumpkin had a sweet tangy flavor. The menu is similar to Shirley's, but with all the flavors are magnified and so much more complex. If this place were closer to my office, I just might eat here every day. I walked a block over to the river, sat on a wide comfy bench and ate while watching a parade of strange little US Navy boats speed down the river and listening to squawking seagulls blended with the whirr of helicopter traffic.
Each small entree comes with a choice of 1 starch and 1 vegetable - if only she had some of those homemade drinks like the ones at Shirley's cart!

Express Lunch Halal - Whitehall at Pearl

The chicken and rice was underspiced, and I came across a few too many pieces of bone and gristle. The white sauce/hot sauce combo didn't provide much of a kick. What is the connection is between all the Express Lunch carts? The menus are identical but the tastes vary dramatically.