Downtown Lunch Spot

[EdtheMLB]

My department is moving downtown and thus I am leaving behind all the great midtown lunch spots. No more Halo Berlin and Daisy Mays bbq. No more Sapporo, Pams Real, Manchenko Tei or Kati Roll Co..

My new location is adjacent to the South Ferry station. I have never worked downtown before, but from what I've heard, quality lunch spots are few and far between there.

I was hoping to get some suggestions on where the really good, reasonably priced eateries are. I am a very adventurous eater and am willing to try nearly and style of cuisine. Any and all suggestions are welcome.

Thanks

-Ed

edited: spelling & to add the following.

any kosher spots are welcome as well. I work w/ someone who is strictly kosher.

Edited July 15, 2006 by EdtheMLB (log)

[Pan]

I seem to recall that SobaAddict70 used to work down there and posted about it. You might want to try a search, using the button way up near the right hand corner of the page (better than Google search for most purposes).

[EdtheMLB]

I seem to recall that SobaAddict70 used to work down there and posted about it. You might want to try a search, using the button way up near the right hand corner of the page (better than Google search for most purposes).

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Thanks for the pointer. I looked through SobaAddict70 post in the NewYork forum and found some interesting threads. I learned there's a Starwich arround the corner from my building. I'm looking fwd to trying that out, but I can't imagine spending $15 everyday on lunch.

I was really looking for some insight on where people that work downtown eat lunch.

[raji]

How far up are you willing to go? Fulton? Lower Tribeca near Ground Zero? I used to live down there and have worked down there plenty, but South Ferry is the bottom tip and all it has is overpriced sandwich places geared towards wanker bankers ;-) ....

[EdtheMLB]

South Ferry is the bottom tip and all it has is overpriced sandwich places geared towards wanker bankers  ;-)  ....

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Wanker Bankers...I like that term. Has a nice roll off the tongue.

I am willing to walk or take the subway one or two stops. I have the usual 1hr lunch, but I rarely take the whole hour. It would be ideal if there was a place that we could walk to (15min) and bring the food back.

[raji]

OK, it's been a while since I lived there, BUT, all the Japanese who worked in the WTC (now you know how long it's been) used to eat out of this place on John just east of Broadway. I think it's called Tokyo lunch. It's still there. You can get all sorts of donburi, some types of noodle dishes, I'm totally blanking on the name but they made a really good rendition of the noodles with bulldog sauce, a little of the pink pickled cabbage and nori that's grilled at parks outside in the summer in Japan. Anyway, it's cheap and I could eat out of there 3 days a week. 2 doors down was a Korean place that had a pretty good bulgogi as well as their cold noodle dish, and had lunch specials. In fact, most of the stuff on John Street is pretty decent as it formerly served the WTC but also there is a cluster of residential buildings on John and right above it.

There's the Daisy May's cart on Wall St, there's another day...

I guess you could also make Chinatown too...

A bit further up you have Bubby's, and if full, just walk over to Walkers, for comfort food...

Burrito Bar and Radio are pretty good on Church...

[daisy17]

I worked downtown for 6 years, before and after 9/11, and it was always pretty dismal. When Mangia came to Wall St. we were overcome with joy.

This just off the NY Times website - they're all relatively new, so I can't comment.

NY Times - Financial District Restaurants

Bridge Cafe was always a treat; I haven't been there in years. Au Mandarin in the WFC is good, if a bit pricey. There are some new pubs on Stone Street - Ulysses, etc.

You may not be too far from Bouley's bakery/market on W. Broadway.

There were always some decent take out lunch places on Pearl around Broad - there's a wildly popular Italian (pasta, mostly) place on Pearl between Broad and Whitehall. Can't remember the name but the food is pretty good.

[Megan Blocker]

There's a Starwich on Wall Street!

[wannabechef]

I don't know what you guys are talking about. There TONS of great places down there. The selection is definately better than midtown for sure - and a lot more interesting. If you want bad, try working where I work downtown - in the World Financial Center. There's virtually NOTHING here. Anything half decent requires a 15 minute walk min, both ways.

Anyway, its been a while since I worked near your part but there are definately places. One place I know still exists and is consisently great is Rosarios on Pearl St. Great steam table Italian - and cheap. Homemade lasagna and eggplant parm - mmmm! I sometimes walk there all the way from WFC.

Back in the day there used to be a place called Crispy Canoe behind the stock market. Its gone now. Theres also a Sophies cuban somewhere down there. Zigalinis has great sandwiches and other stuff. Theres a fish and chips place. As mentioned, Mangia is there, but pricy. Theres also a great pizza truck at the end of Water Street.

Just explore around. You'll find places and a lot more interesting than midtown (at least East midtown where I used to work).

If I remember any more I'll add them to here.

~WBC

[Sneakeater]

And Midtown's so fucking expensive.

I can't give any concrete recommendations, since it's been more than 20 years since I worked Downtown, but when I moved up to Midtown, I was like in shock how much worse the lunch choices were, and how much more they cost.

[mikeycook]

There are a number of good places on Stone Street, including Smorgas Chef and Financier (there are other places, too, but I am forgetting the names). Most have outdoor as well as indoor seating in the summer. If you want more upscale, Delmonico's is within walking distance and Les Halles is up on John street if you want to go a little further.

[bethala]

i second the stone street options, which will become even more appealing as the weather cools down a bit. when i worked down there, i especially enjoyed financier for its oil-poached tuna salad and all of its pastries. i don't know whether its recent expansion has affected quality, but i visited the newest one a month ago and saw that they were prepackaging the salads. i also enjoyed a little turkish sandwich spot in the area. unfortunately, i don't remember the name of it, but it was on the southern corner of fulton and gold, just a bit east of the strand bookstore, across the street from a triangular shaped "park". clean spot with good, fresh chicken and lamb gyros (or plates over rice), and barstool seating. at the 40 wall street location of the mangia chain, everything (that's left) goes half price after 3 PM. for treats, there are a couple of branches of leonidas chocolates, one at the end of stone street on hanover square and the other at broadway and cedar. don't really care for their "pralines", but the chocolate covered orange peels are among the best available.

[AK@Spicehouse]

There's a Starwich on Wall Street!

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The food at STARWICH is quite tasty.,.. And they will cater any event you need...

Edited July 20, 2006 by AK@Spicehouse (log)

[Sneakeater]

I'm surprised nobody's mentioned Alfanoose. If it isn't New York's greatest felafel etc. place, it's certainly one of them. Is it still open in its "new" location, which is on either Pine or John St.?

Edited July 20, 2006 by Sneakeater (log)

[Sneakeater]

Looks like Alfanoose is still open (although of course it's on Maiden Lane):

http://www.alfanoose.com/