I admit it - I live in a bubble. A tiny, insulated bubble within which everyone cares about eating ethically, and while some people eat meat and some don’t, just about everyone can agree about the merits of garlic-sauteed kale. Inside my cozy world, I forget that a whole other world exists out there - but this week, my trip over to Midtown Lunch reminded me.

Midtown Lunch - an entertaining (and eminently useful!) blog that seeks out the dining gems within the culinary wasteland that is Midtown Manhattan - profiles a different Midtown employee each week. It asks them questions like, “favorite/least favorite foods,” and “if you could work anywhere in New York (just because of lunch) where would it be and why?” This past week I was profiled. I was pleased to have the opportunity to give shout outs to Hazon and The Jew & The Carrot and excited to share my dietary habits with a bunch of related strangers.

Turns out, Midtown is not the most veggie or kosher friendly place on earth. Here’s a smattering of the comments my vegetarian and kosher focused profile received:

Exhibit 1: Kosher vegetarian as the lunch’er - that’s pretty disciplined. How about a non-dairy kosher gluten-free vegan with a peanut allergy next? Now THAT would be something!

Exhibit 2: “Nothing personal, but this is a *most* uninspiring profile (gastronomically speaking!). Baked goods, stinky cheese, GREENS??!?!? Zach, the next profile better be chock full of fried, carb-filled, meaty over-the top junk-food pleasure (smothered in cream sauce and buried under a mound of melted non-stinky cheese) or else I’ll just have to change jobs to work in an office that’s not in midtown. (Not a threat, just a warning! :^)”

Exhibit 3: “According to the literal text of the Hebrew Bible, a hamburger with goat cheese is kosher. And there are Jews who abide by this. So get yourself a kosher burger with cheese and enjoy!”

Wow, these Midtown folks really know how to make a girl feel loved and accepted for who she is! I shouldn’t be particularly surprised at these comments - I see the stressed out, business-suited, chain smoking folks that populate the blocks around my office - not necessarily vegetarian fodder. But they still cut a little gash in my tofu heart. On the flip side, I like to think that I connected with the few lonely vegetarians out there:

“Since most commentors are usually bitching about anyone that falls outside of their boring fried meat munching box, *I* will take this moment to say *finally*! An interesting Luncher profiled who eats something other than cheeseburgers and chicken parms!”

Awww, thanks! This gal and I should meet up for falafel sometime. In this savage corner of the concrete jungle, there’s safety in numbers.

Work in Midtown? Here’s how you too can be profiled on Midtown Lunch

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