For something more NYC-oriented for you, I had two lunch excursions during lunch last week – a solo outing to Pampano Taqueria and lunch with Drew at BLT Burger.
For the past week, I had a major craving for guacamole and I can’t explain why. I remembered from NYC Food Guy about his post, claiming that Pampano Taqueria serves the best pork and fish tacos in Midtown. Since it’s not too far from where I work (it’s just two subway stops and walk a few blocks), I dragged my butt over to the unmarked building with what seems like a good food court.
TACOS
I ended up getting what Food Guy said, the Chilorio and the Pescado tacos. They’re pretty damn tasty. The chilorio taco was filled with Mexican-style pulled pork on a flour tortilla. I just topped it with their mildly hot green salsa to give it an extra kick of heat. The pescado was sautéed king fish on flour tortilla topped with napa cabbage and chipotle sauce. It’s quite awesome but a tad too salty for my liking. The tortillas were very good and it doesn’t fall apart whenever I bite.
Chips and Guacamole
Just because I thought the two tacos won’t fill me up…and I still wanted avocado for some reason, I ordered a side of guacamole and chips. The chips were basically deep-fried, sliced tortillas. I prefer it to be a tad less greasy. The guacamole on the other is mighty fine – chunks of smooth, creamy avocado with a small kick of heat.
It’s a pretty good lunch option in Midtown East. Now, I’m tempted to taste their other stuff…after Restaurant Week is over.
BLT Burger
Last Friday, I met up with Drew for lunch at BLT Burger. It seems like whenever we do eat out together recently, he ends up choosing a burger place. Strange thing to notice but uh, I love burgers so I don’t have any issues…unless my doctor tells me to cut my cholesterol intake for some reason.
Interior
Since Drew was late, observing the diners surrounding me, they teeter more toward a higher male ratio than female diners. This is something I’ll probably won’t figure out. Anyway, as for the interior itself, it’s relatively dark, tinned ceiling, with dark wooden chairs and tables. Also there’s a large cow head at the back in the top center of the restaurant.
Mocha Mudslide Shake
While I waited, I asked the waitress what flavors does she recommend for a shake? One of the few she mentioned was the mocha mudslide. I ordered it since I love coffee and chocolate. The Oreo cookies sounded interesting to me since I never had them in a shake. When I took a sip, this was relatively thick, not like Stand‘s incredible (but small) toasted marshmallow shake, and it’s not that sweet either (which is a good thing in my book). The Oreo cookie on top is a nice touch except it was soggy when I ate it.
Dr. Pepper
When Drew finally made it, he wanted a Dr. Pepper just because it’s nostalgia for him and in his opinion, a burger goes well with it. I don’t want to bother going through a long debate about drinking soda of some sort since it’s something that I won’t understand.
BLT Burger and Waffles Fries
Drew ordered the namesake BLT Burger with waffle fries just out of his curiosity if this burger is worth its name. I tried a bite of his burger, it exudes a ton of juice that just leaves a greasy trail down my hand. Besides the juiciness, the burger flavor isn’t as awesome as Shake Shack’s though. The bacon is a nice touch but it tasted like an afterthought. The lettuce and tomatoes were fresh but I still didn’t feel swooned. As for his fries, they’re light and crisp with soft creamy potato innards but it tasted like there’s something missing…and I don’t know what.
Lamb Burger and Onion Rings
My lamb merguez burger, made of Colorado lamb, yogurt sauce, cucumber, olives, red onion, and tomato was quite spicy from the spices and slightly juicy. The yogurt sauce does cut the heat but it didn’t really meld too well since it’s a bit too tart for the burger. I like it with ketchup instead. My biggest tiff was that they cooked my burger to a medium! As you see below.
Innards
BLT Burger has good burgers but I prefer eating Shake Shack’s…that’s if I’m willing to wait on the lengthy line for a burger. It’s so much tastier and worth your money.
Addresses:
Pampano Taqueria
805 3rd Avenue
New York, NY 10022
BLT Burger
470 6th Avenue
New York, NY 10011
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I certainly agree with Pampano. Their tacos are some of the best in the city and perfectly proportioned, I miss being able to stroll down to the strange Cyrstal Pavillion basement floor.