4:00pm cookies

The cookies Harvest bought from Hampton Chutney  filled the shallow bowl, looking bigger than usual. So big that I had to ask Patrick where they came from. And he confirmed, Hampton Chutney. Maybe it was the quantity of the cookies that made them look especially large.
Hampton Chutney, 68 Prince St, NY, NY 10012 (btwn Crosby and Lafayette)

Ippudo

Solo lunching at Ippudo is quite a unique experience, the place is packed and bustling and loud. The waiters relish in shouting their irasshaimase and arigatou-gozaimasu greetings and the music is booming. Yet despite all the hubbub, I felt quite peaceful in my own silent bubble of hot ramen. It was a particularly tasty bubble today.
Ippudo, 65 Fourth Ave, NY, NY 10003 (btwn 9th and 10th)

4:00pm chocolate shortbread cookies

Financier, like Oro, often wins our vote for best bang for buck in the dessert category. Their desserts are reliably consistent, good and reasonably priced - that's a lot of compliments, but then again we are big fans. And now we're happier fans because they have just opened an Astor Place location, which puts us a little closer to them than Wall Street. Thanks John for picking up Sunday afternoon treats that have made it into a Monday dessert post.
Financier Patisserie, 2 Astor Place, NY, NY 10003 (at Broadway)

Rubirosa, with Harvest

Harvest has traded one lunch adoptee for another! I joined them today for a spread of pizzas at newly opened, but not newly in existence, Rubirosa Pizza. Straight from Staten Island, Robirosa joins a growing contingency of good eating in unexpected Nolita. Ultra thin crusts with unpretentious and straightforward toppings, Robirosa is a welcome addition. They've certainly transformed the interior of the space, hopefully they'll stick around awhile.
Rubirosa Pizza, 235 Mulberry St, NY, NY 10012 (btwn Spring and Prince)

L'Usine, with Thai

Leave it to Thai to be involved in things hip and awesome, especially if it means introducing HCM to the very concept of coolness. Along with a bevy of partners, too many to remember, Thai's latest project is the creation of concept store/cafe, L'Usine, in the heart of downtown HCM. We met him for lunch to catch up on oh a few many years of happenings in both our lives. In a city where modern design is not yet highly appreciated, I'm eager to see where Thai's efforts take him. Great and yummy places to be certain.
L'Usine, 151 Dong Khoi, 1st Fl, Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam

lunch with cousins

My mom's family is from Can Tho, and whenever we go back, we stop by the cousins' house for one meal or many. Because Can Tho is in the Mekong Delta, it's a pretty sure bet that there will be at least one whole fried fish at some point during the eating. It's almost equally certain that the fish was pulled out of the adjacent river sometime earlier that day, freshly fried for lunch.

mini donuts

Donuts are not, as you would guess, a Vietnamese delicacy. But I was so amused by the thought that we could not resist walking in to check out their Eastern execution of a Western idea. They call these "mini donuts", little bite size poppers. We bought some for my cousin's kids; they loved them and had not too surprisingly had never seen them before!
Vo Van Tan Street, Can Tho, Vietnam

Cha Ca La Vong, from Hanoi

M. is off in Ethiopia and I am back from Vietnam so you're trading one for another lunch lady, always lunching! Here a series of posts from abroad as I ate my way through town. Cha Ca is a specialty of Hanoi and even though it's increasingly known to tourists, it's still worth a visit. There is only one dish available at one price, cha ca. Grilled fish, a bevy of fresh vegetables, sauteed fresh on the table while you wait. I still dream of this dish when I'm back in the States.
Cha Ca La Vong, 14 Cha Ca Street, Hanoi, Vietnam

4:00pm macaroons

The other thing I find myself doing frantically before  an extended trip, is to eat everything I've got left lying around my aparment. 
Chocolate Macaroons from Whole Foods.  These are quite nice.  Too bad, I'll have to give them away to the office. 
Whole Foods, bakery department

leftovers

In about 6 hours, I will be on a plane to Ethiopia, and with all the last minute errands and making sure my other lunching half returns to a well updated office, my day has been nothing but hectic.  I am looking forward to that alcoholic beverage at the airport.  Luckily the lunch portions from yesterday feeds me twice, and so leftovers it is.  Still tasty. 
La Nueva Conquista, 236 Lafayette St, NY, NY 10012 (above Spring)

4:00pm donut

Donut Pub is by far one of our favorite donut shops in the city.  While they may not be the "best" donuts in town, they're pretty good all around, and independently owned.  In general, I'm a standard glazed donut kind of girl, however at Donut Pub, I find their glazed donuts a tad too sweet, and instead reach for the powdered creme every time.  The creme doesn't have too much of that odd artificial flavor, and it's not cloyingly sweet.  The yeast cake typically has a slight exterior crunch that gives way to the fluffy inside bite.  Happiness.
The Donut Pub, 203 W.14th St, NY, NY 10011 (near 7th Ave)

La Nueva Conquista

Having spent the entire morning out of the office at meetings, and the lack of lunching partner waiting for me back at the office, I couldn't get myself to spend another hour being away from the office.  Being that it's almost the holidays, no matter.  What I wanted was something reliably good, comforting and quick.  The roast pork with rice and beans and plantains fits the bill to a T.  Wasn't too happy about the additional price hike up to $8.
La Nueva Conquista, 236 Lafayette St, NY, NY 10012 (above Spring)

4:00pm whoopie pies, two ways

Matt Beale was kind enough to bring whoopie treats from his favorite local cafe/bakery in Brooklyn, Tazza.  I'm almost too full from lunch still, but must at least get a taste.  And rewarded I am.  Happy Friday folks!
Tazza Bakery Enoteca, 311 Henry Street, Brooklyn, NY 11201 (just north of Atlantic)

Rubys w/ Ramon

 How sweet it is when a friend texts you out of the blue for an impromptu lunch.  Anywhere near the 6 train he says.  I know that Ramon used to frequent the Aussie joint Rubys back in the day, so that's where we went.  We ended up sharing the Whaley burger with all the bells and whistles (pineapple, beet and fried egg), which was tasty, and the more puzzling rag bo.  Stuffed and ready for the weekend.
219 Mulberry Street, New York, NY 10012 (btwn Spring & Prince)

4:00pm cupcakes

Thank you to Sota Wood Floors for showing us some great wood flooring samples and so kindly bringing us mini-cupcakes from Crumbs.  They were instantly devoured in the office. 

Parigot

Lunch of late has been a very festive and rowdy affair.  Which is not at all a bad thing; rather it's a lot of fun.  However, it is also nice to change it up and have a very civilized and lingering "European" style lunch.  Parigot is a perfect place to enjoy such a lunch. It's distanced itself from the hubub of Soho, and has a pretty authentically Euro/French feel, which obviously promotes un-promptness. The chicken paillard salad was slightly disconcerting in it's new composition (greens on the side) and the chicken was not pounded that thin. Good thing it was still pretty tasty. 
Parigot, 155 Grand St, NY, NY 10013 (at Lafayette)

Brick Lane Curry House w/ Harvest

Does such thing as Lunch Adoption exist?  Because if it does, I may be in the midst of experiencing it.  While my other lunching half is away eating her way through Vietnam, and no I'm not jealous in the least, Harvest has been kind enough to let me hang around, eat their food and join their lunchtime conversations.  They even have a resident Indian Food orderer, and he's most capable in making sure everyone is accommodated and sated fully.  Thank you Harvest.
Brick Lane Curry House, 306-308 E. 6th St, NY, NY 10003 (near 2nd Ave)

4:00pm pumpkin pie

Another weekend purchase from Patisserie Claude.  I'd never noticed a pumpkin pie before - thought I'd give it a try.  Glad I did, totally delicious, still after 2 days. 
Patisserie Claude, 187 West 4th St, NY, NY 10014 (btwn 6th and 7th Aves)

Torrisi Italian Specialties w/ Harvest

I don't know how they do it, but Torrisi is able to get their roast turkey as juicy as... well not turkey.  It's almost as if it's canned slippery ham.  It's simply incredibly delicious.  This sandwich was a bit too messy, a bit too heavy on the mayo, and I'm always a little conflicted about sandwiches on potato rolls.  I loooove potato rolls, but since they are distinctly sweet, don't necessarily think they are the best for just any sandwich.  That being said, it was mighty enjoyable, and it got polished off reeeal fast.
Torrisi, 250 Mulberry St, NY, NY 10012 (below Prince)

4:00pm apricot tart

Even though the quality of Claude's croissants seem to be in constant debate, the quality and yummi-ness of their apricot tart still seem to hold.  The tart, a day old, still tasted fresh and crusty, with the not too sweet custard center.  Although reading back to our own previous posts, it seems that it too has had its off days..
Claude's Patisserie, 187 West 4th St, NY, NY 10014 (btwn 6th and 7th Aves)

Desapna

Despaña just may be the closest place to our office, but gets few visits.  It's not any particular reason.  Perhaps it's just too close.  That means it also comes in real handy, when you've got no brain for lunch creativity, and you're craving one of their tasty pressed bocadillos (picante pictured).
Despana, 408 Broome St., NY, NY 10013 (btwn Lafayette and Cleveland Pl)

4:00pm madeleines

Nolita Mart seems to be the new obsession around this coffee-loving office.  Today we try Colson Patisserie's madeleines.  The flavor is right on, the texture a bit off and crumbly.  Still happy to be munching on them.
Nolita Mart, 156 Mott Street, NY, NY 10013 (near Grand)

L'asso w/ Saha and Harvest

This morning, we received sad notice that today is Saha's last day in the office.  Whether it was to celebrate his new beginnings, or mourn the loss of his presence around our office, we all went out for a group pizza at L'asso. We got three large pies to share and even tried their NYC deep dish pizza.  The edibles were all pretty nice and fresh as always, but today, lunch was more about the company, less about the food.  Farewell Saha, and we'll come visit you to lunch in Dumbo.  
L'asso, 192 Mott St., NY, NY 10012 (at Kenmare)

4:00pm chocolate financier

The new Nolita Mart, not only dispenses Stumptown Coffee, it offers pastries from Colson Patisserie.  The guy at the counter seemed apologetic about the Financier 6-pack costing $5, which is sweet.  But honestly, while it's not exactly cheap, compared with the cost of other pastries in this neighborhood, I'd consider it on the "good deal" end of the spectrum for a "patisserie".  Regardless, these chocolate financiers were delicious.  The pistachio ones were a tad too sweet; it was little too pistachio marzipan-y.  Probably better with an espresso chaser.
Nolita Mart, 156 Mott Street, NY, NY 10013 (near Grand)

Alleva

I recently learned of this SE approved meatball sub from this Italian dairy around the corner from our office.  It was such a welcomed surprise for someone who has become completely jaded about our downtown Little Italy.
And good it was.  Just like Serious Eats says, the meatball itself is the real highlight.  Soft, fluffy and flavorful.  And while the generous tomato sauce soggies up the bread, the sandwich never gets too messy and the tang only enhances the meatballs.
Alleva, 188 Grand Street, New York, NY 10013 (at Mulberry)

4:00pm chocolates

This is one FINE chocolate.  Some very kind person brought it into the office for our joyful group consumption.  Rich, smooth, bitter and not too sweet.  So well rounded that it might just be the perfect chocolate bar. One bar will set you back $10, ouch.
Francois Pralus Maitre Chocolatier

Sau Voi Corp

Errands, oh errands.  Sometime lunchtime is the only time to run those ever accumulating errands.  Today, the errands take me to Canal right below Houston, so I swung a block east to grab a banh mi.  The sandwiches here are not great, and I actually like some of their packaged food better (the sticky rice with pork or beef for instance).  One problem is the bread I think.  As with the Philly cheese steak, the key is in the bread, and sometimes the hardest part to achieve. 
Sau Voi Corp, 101 Lafayette Street, NY, NY 10013 (at Walker)

egg custard tart

 I've actually never eaten here for lunch, but since I was walking by, decided to pick up a little dessert.  One of my favorite Chinese bakery items, the egg custard tart.  I have to say I've had better, but can't complain too much for 90 cents.  If you guys have a recommendation, please let me know!!!
Sun Say Kai, 220 Canal Street, New York, NY 10013 (at Baxter)

4:00pm icebox cake

From today's office potluck, Karen and Danny had a little dessert-off.  I was being pressured to choose between the two; not an easy task when both were delicious.  But I'm now officially proclaiming my vote for Danny's icebox cake.  Fresh whipped cream and Nabisco Chocolate Wafers, it doesn't get too much better.

Dos Toros

Today was office potluck day, but I had an emergency meeting that kept me from participating today.  Boo hoo.
However, it did give me a chance to try out Dos Toros Taqueria, which has been, for the most part, written up favorably since its opening last year.  I went for the carnitas quesadilla, which wasn't shaped in the traditional form of two flat tortillas, but it was folded up more like a demure burrito.  I have to say I quite enjoyed it.  I don't know nothing about Mission style burritos, but the ingredients were fresh, the flavors bright, and the flour tortilla thin and light. 
Dos Toros, 137 4th Avenue, NY, NY 10003 (btwn 12th and 13th streets)

4:00pm donut

This is a brilliant new variety of Dreesen's Donuts sold at Balthazar.  A frosted donut with sugared roasted pepitas.  This couldn't be more up my alley (well, I could do without the frosting, but that's okay).  The cake portion tastes slightly different too, but not sure how.  Maybe it's been pumpkined.  Don't ask, just eat it. 
Balthazar Bakery, 80 Spring St, NY, NY 10012 (near Crosby)

Barzinho w/ Jim

Yes, it happens.  From time to time - the mandatory lunch photo is entirely forgotten. Lunch in Tribeca is rare, but I realized that my meeting was next door to Jim's office-how convenient.  As it so happens, we are more than ecstatic about our upcoming adventure to Ethiopia, as soon as we sat down, we pulled out our guidebooks and got immersed in conversation.  Excuses aside,   Empty it was not, and I ordered the Feijoada, and he got the Mouceca.  Both were pretty decent and the $10 lunch special portion more than generous (at least the Feijoada). The downside was that the ventilation wasn't great and I stank of oil and garlic as I headed to meet my client. 
Branzinho, 225 West Broadway NY, NY 10013 (btwn White and Franklin)

4:00pm candies

One of the after effects of Halloween is undoubtedly the left over candy.  I've personally never liked candy corn, but I'm finally starting to understand what the appeal is.  I can eat them now.  On a separate note, it's always rather frustrating when you realize that when looking at someone's face, you can really only look at one eye.  Think about that when you look at this photo.

Pulino's Bar & Pizzeria

How nice it is to have officemates who are equally interested in having a satisfying and tasty lunch!  Too yucky to step out, too much work to do, and how easy it was us to just yell "we're in!" on their lunch delivery decision. 
The pizza wasn't as good as having it there - but the animated conversations made up for that.
Pulino's Bar & Pizzeria, 282 Bowery (corner of Houston), NY, NY 10012

4:00pm oatmeal raisin cookie

McNally Jackson Books is really the perfect store for us to have around the corner from our office.  Like today, when we had to rush out to grab a quick gift or two (along with a book or three) for family members.  And now that we know about Pickle Petunia's baked goods at their cafe, it makes even more sense that we can pick up some delicious cookies to enjoy after our afternoon shopping errand.
McNally Jackson Cafe, 52 Prince St, NY, NY 10012 (btwn Lafayette and Mulberry)

Brick Lane

It's utterly impossible to think of anything else for lunch when you walk back into the office from a noon meeting and everyone is sitting down to their weekly session of Indian food from Brick Lane. So of course when M. asked me what's for lunch, we already knew the answer - Brick Lane. We ordered a Lassuni Gobi, described as "crispy cauliflower florets tossed in a tomato and garlic sauce" but really seemed like a delicious vegetarian version of General Tso's chicken. And a Parsi delicacy, Dhansak, lamb cooked in a lentil and tomato curry. In our humble opinion, perfectly spiced with vim and vigor but not so much that it'd kill you.
Brick Lane Curry House, 306-308 E. 6th St, NY, NY 10003 (near 2nd Ave)

4:00pm coffee chocolate cupcake

I'm entirely to blame for the dryness of this coffee chocolate cupcake. I picked it up this morning while having a cup of wake-me-up coffee from Cafe M and brought it back to the office where it got stuck it in the fridge for the better part of the day. Aside from the yikes too dry cake, the flavors were right on. The coffee frosting was light and reminded me of my mom's homemade mocha frosting on the buche de noel she makes every year for Christmas.
Cafe M, 315 Fifth Ave, NY, NY 10016 (on 32nd near 5th Ave)

Lucky Strike

I had a hankering for french fries but when I did a quick LUNCH search for french fries, pictures of steak filled my brain. So I dragged M. over to Lucky Strike for their reasonably priced, and quite tasty too, bar steak with fries. M. had the opposite of a steak, which is a lentil salad with goat cheese. She polished off every last morsel and then nibbled at the remainder of my fries. No one can resist french fries.
Lucky Strike, 59 Grand St, NY, NY 10013 (btwn Wooster and West Broadway)

4:00pm sponge cake

We left lunch with the realization that we only had a combined $2 left to pick up dessert. Fay Da to the rescue! But as we eagerly anticipated trying something new - the mocha chocolate cupcake, M. noticed she had left her wallet back at the office. Alas, even after dredging up all our loose coins, the $1.50 cupcake remained maddeningly 21¢ beyond our reach. We settled for the always faithful, never wavering 95¢ sponge cake instead.
Fay Da, 191 Centre St, NY, NY 10013 (at Hester St)

Shanghai Cafe

One of those days when neither of us had any particular craving whatsoever. We headed out anyway, procrastinated first by going to the bank, and then ended up on the street corner, staring at each other blankly, waiting for inspiration. It never came but we found our feet heading east for soup dumplings and mapo tofu. Mapo tofu is not on our list of usual eats at Shanghai Cafe, but we were not at all surprised to find it held up to our exacting standards of decent lunches.
Shanghai Cafe, 100 Mott St, NY, NY 10013 (btwn Hester & Canal)