Formerly home to gourmet eatery Mangia, the cavernous, street level storefront in the Trump Building at 40 Wall Street will soon be the home to Milk Street Café Food Hall, an oasis of culinary delights set to open for business on June 23, 2011. The 23,000 square foot restaurant is the latest venture from Marc Epstein, who founded Boston’s Milk Street Cafe 30 years ago. The Boston Milk Street – also located in that city’s financial district – got its start as a vegetarian cafe and has gone on to become a leading force in the lucrative world of corporate catering. No doubt Epstein has similar goals in mind for the new Wall Street space.

 On Monday evening, Milk Street opened for press previews with an informal tasting party that also featured tours of the massive, state of the art kitchen. Executive Chef at Milk Street on Wall is Steven Mettle, formerly the Executive Chef of AIG, so you know he’s an expert at feeding this type of demanding but loyal clientele. At 40 Wall, Milk Street introduces a new retail concept of a large food hall with a variety of different made-to-order food stations. The stations will include: a barista/cafe, hot made-to-order breakfasts, oatmeal bar, breakfast & lunch paninis, pasta bar, Farmer’s Market Salads (vegetarian salad bar), Bull Market Salads (featuring ‘blue chips’ with beef and chicken mix-ins), sushi, Pacific Rim specialties, a grill, carvery sandwiches, rotisserie, homemade pastries & cakes, and an express lane. The dining area, tucked well away from the busy food stations, looks more like the dining room of trendy restaurant than a cafeteria, and can comfortably seat around 150 people. While I only tasted a few dishes, I can say that the Sushi at Milk Street is the best I’ve had in the city (Note: I’ve not yet been to Nobu) and their fruit smoothies are also quite delicious. I’m looking forward to visiting again for lunch once they open in just over two weeks.

Milk Street Cafe Food Hall is located at 40 Wall Street in the Financial Distinct, Downtown NYC. Closest subways are the 2 or 3, or the 4 or 5 to the Wall Street Stop on either line. Hours are Monday – Thursday 6:30 AM – 9 PM, Friday 6:30 AM – 3 PM, Closed Weekends.