Midtown lunch at Rickshaw Dumpling Bar

Though my day job requires that I spend my days in TriBeCa, a couple of weeks ago I found myself at a Midtown meeting. And anyone whose ever spent anytime in Midtown knows that lunch options are sparse. Aside from the salad bar bodegas, its pretty slim pickins. So you can imagine my excitement when a co-worker introduced me to Rickshaw Dumpling Bar, a fast food - Chinese take out hybrid located on 23rd between 5th & 6th Ave. Since dumplings are one of my favorite aspects of Asian cuisine, I was pretty over the moon about the new lunch find. Not to mention the fact that affordable TriBeCa lunch options are also pretty sparing and a girl can only have so many tomato soups and grilled cheese sandwiches a la 'wichcraft (ok, I'll be honest, I pretty much OD'd on this lunch combo during the cooler months, so anything new came as a refreshing change). Let's just say that if Rickshaw were closer to my place of employment, I'd be a frequent lunchtime visitor. Since I'm a sampler, it was quite enjoyable that I found two lunch companions with a penchant for sharing...and sampling.

The carnivorous and pork-deprived eater that I am gravitated directly to the Classic Pork dumplings. In my personal opinion, Asian food is really best when it features pork. Take the classics - moo shu, lo mein, dumplings - they're just not the same with chicken. Anyhow, I got myself an order of pork dumplings that did not disappoint.

My oh-so-generous colleagues offered up a taste of theirs and who was I to turn it down? That is, after all, how I got to sample the Peking Duck dumpling. I should interject here and tell you that I typically do not eat duck (and Shaun winces as I tell you this, since he and my sister Kim enjoyed what they refer to as the best meal of their lives when we traveled in Budapest with duck as the major star...but I digress...). It's a bit greasy for my taste, and this dumpling was no different. It was, however, rather tasty. And while I probably wouldn't order it on my own, if you like duck, you would probably like this little guy.

And for all of you vegetarians out there, we also sampled the Vegetarian Edamame dumpling. It was a fun twist on an Asian favorite. Would I substitute the pork variety for the edamame? No way, Jose. But for a vegetarian option? I'll take it. And no, it in no way comes remotely close to the wonder of the Land vegetable dumpling - yep, the ones that I claim changed my life and love so unconditionally that I even made a vid about 'em.

Lastly (and no, I usually do not eat this much for lunch, but when in Midtown...), I sampled the Chocolate Shanghai Soup Dumpling. This one was eaten with caution my friends. Filled with dark, liquidy chocolate, could you just imagine this thing exploding all over your clothes? Yeah, I've had nightmares about it. But it is pretty darn delightful and truly unique to boot.

So there you have it...a tale of my Midtown lunch. This is the only city locale, though I've heard stories of a Rickshaw Dumpling truck traveling around lower Manhattan. I haven't investigated this myself, but any info you could share would be greatly appreciated! But how about you...what do you eat for lunch at work? Any local faves? Any places that you wish were a smidge closer to the office?

April Favorites: What I dug over the last month

I know. I'm like a week late. I'm sorry. But answer me this...how is it May already? I'm just not sure how it happened, but April flew by even more quickly than March did. So I won't spend any more time reflecting on the fact that life is passing by in an instant, and instead, why don't we just get down to the goods, shall we?

All things breakfast. This month I not only remastered my famous scrambled eggs, but I discovered the wonder of the Lemon Blueberry Pancake. All it took was a little lemon zest and some frozen blueberries to turn this ordinary cakes from eh to super duper mmmm. Crispy edges and cakey insides (really the only way to cook a pancake in my opinion), these pancakes single-handedly ruined me for boxed mixes forever.

Fruit. While we're on the subject of frozen blueberries, I should mention that April was a month of fruity concoctions. Though apples are out of style (even though I still give them a try every other day, only to find that they are just mealy and overall undelicious this time of year), I still enjoyed many a fruit this month. Bananas not only graced my lunch bag, but they also wormed their way into quite the scrumptious banana bread. Dried fruits like raisins and cranberries provided a quick in-between-meal filler along with a handful of almonds. Oh, and did I mention that raisins made their way into my Honey Bran Muffins? Which just so happened to look so delectable that they were featured on Photograzing?

Land O'Lakes Light Butter with Canola Oil. A nice, silky smooth alternative to the real thing, this version of butter is lightened up without becoming full blown margarine (because let's face it, that's just blasphemy). Don't get me wrong, I love butter as much as the next person (though perhaps not quite as much as Paula Deen), but on a day to day basis, this is one of the easiest ways to cut calories without really sacrificing flavor. Though I wouldn't necessarily substitute it in something like Mint Julep Brownies, to butter a skillet or to top off a whole wheat English muffin, it's the perfect butter substitute.

BLT Burger. I know I already raved about it to no end, but seriously, it's one restaurant that I have revisited multiple times and let me tell you...it's not because of its healthy options or cost-effectiveness. Nope. BLT Burger is pure decadence and when I look back over the super busy month I just had...well, decadence is certainly noteworthy. Especially when there's milkshakes involved.

The Clintons. Ok, I know it's not actually food related, but it's really just too exciting not to give it a mention. After all, it's not everyday that you see a former President and the Secretary of State walking down Fifth Avenue hand in hand. Especially when you get close enough to snap this photo...without being accosted by Secret Service agents. Politics aside...come on...does it get any cooler?

So there you have it...my slightly eclectic roundup of April Favorites. What did you go bananas over this month? What are you looking forward to in May?

Psst...if you missed any other monthly favorites, you can check out delights including gourmet pizza in January, gorgonzola fig crostini in February and Irish car bomb cupcakes in March...

White Bean Dip

Though I'm fairly certain that no one could ever get tired of pizza dip, sometimes I feel the need to change it up a note. And while I could live the rest of my days on potato chips and onion dip alone (yup, the kind from the packet that gets mixed with sour cream...so simple, yet so delightful), I didn't think that would be quite enough for an afternoon/evening of debauchery with some of our closest friends. So I consulted Giada DeLaurentiis' Everyday Italian cookbook to add a little va-va-voom to my Kentucky Derby party (and Shaun's birthday party). Looking for something easy yet packed with flavor, I came upon Giada's White Bean Dip. Loaded with natural flavors like lemon, parsley and garlic, this dip is super simple and delicious to boot.

White Bean Dip
*Adapted from Everyday Italian
1 15oz can cannellini beans, drained and rinsed
1/4 C + 1 tsp fresh flat leaf parsley
2 tbsp fresh lemon juice (about 1/2 lemon)
1 garlic clove
1/2 tsp kosher salt
1/4 tsp black pepper
1/4 C olive oil

In the bowl of a food processor, combine the beans, parsley, lemon juice, garlic, salt and pepper. Pulse until it's coarsely chopped. Turn the food processor to ON. While it's running, slowly add the olive oil through the top opening and mix until creamy. Serve in a cute dip bowl and garnish with parsley. Enjoy it with crackers, pita chips or corn chips.

So what do you think? Could this be any easier? And isn't it a great dip to whip up at the last minute?

Psst...did you miss part one of Derby fun? Check out my Mint Julep Brownies...