Midtown Lunch

It looks like Friday was a just a test run with a limited menu at the new Mantao Chinese Sandwiches (on 53rd btw. 2+3rd).  Today is their “Official Soft Opening” (which I’m guessing is code for “don’t blame us if everything isn’t perfect”.)  It opens at 11:30am and, you didn’t hear this from  me but, if you mention the super secret password “Ramones” you get 20% your order today only.  (Although technically I think that is for mailing list people only, so if you plan on using it be a sport and sign up for their mailing list.) Oh, and they’re also on twitter (natch.)

Related:
Mantao Chinese Sandwiches Coming to Midtown

Eater dropped this great news late on Friday afternoon: “A PR rep informs us that Five Guys Burgers and Fries secured a lease for a 1,700 square foot space at 690 Third Avenue (between 43rd and 44th Streets).”  For those keeping track, that’s the old Prince Deli space… and even though they had a 99 cent pizza deal, and decent falafel I don’t think it will be missed once Five Guys goes in!

Related:
Five Guys is NYC’s Closest Thing to In N Out Burger
SHOCKER: Prince Deli is Closed For Good

Apparently my kid draws the line at liver sandwich from a street cart

• They have a decent cold noodles dish at Woorijip [Blondie and Brownie]
• Dave Cook finds the shaved ice at Cafe Zaiya to be a little too coarse [Eating in Translation]
• Suggestions for solving the current street vendor problem facing NYC [Food in Mouth]
• Pump accuses Recharge of copying their menu [Pump Blog]
• If Aquavit is one of your Midtown splurges, you may want to eat there soon (for the last time?) [Feedbag]
• The clam chowder at Grand Central Oyster Bar is “transcendent” [Fork in the Road]

There are few things worse then stepping out of the N train stop at 49th Street and getting bombarded by lumbering tourists and fast talking theater sales men in Times Square. It was enough to turn my usually patient, well-tempered friend into a cranky malcontent within the short block from TGI Fridays to Olive Garden. However, with a quick turn onto W 47th Street the hellacious chaos turned down a notch and we ducked for cover at the Mean Fiddler.

The Mean Fiddler is a restaurant and pub with a late night dance club in its lower level- but this isn’t a night club review so let’s stick the brass tacks. Zach had tipped me off on this place and despite its typical Irish bar façade it had one deal that caught both our eyes. Happy hour is 12pm to 7pm with 4 sliders for $4 dollars. Given that sliders are usually $10 on the regular menu this was quite a deal. But wait there’s more!

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Got this message in the old ML Inbox this morning from Lunch’er Mark:

“A sign in the window of Mantou (on 53rd btw. 2+3rd) says they will be open “the week of July 13″. The menu is intriguing–a combo box is $9.95 and comes with choice of two sandwiches, green salad and shrimp chips. The sandwiches must be small because they offer two in a combo and a la carte prices range from $2.95 to $4.95. Sandwich choices include pork bun, short rib with kimchi, spicy pork, mackerel, chicken meatball with chinese bbq sauce and angus beef with spicy sambal. Also, they offer kimchi as a side order.”

But when he walked by at lunchtime they were already serving food…

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What does 3 years of hardcore Midtown Lunch’ing do to a psyche?  For one thing it alleviates all food fears. I will pretty much eat anything at this point.  (Except for a sandwich from Walgreens… but that has nothing to do with fear.)  I feel kind of proud thinking back on some of the ways I’ve sacrificed my body in the name of of this site. Eating at Tad’s Steaks after being dared by a reader gave me a sense of personal accomplishment, although no dare was necessary to get me to try that street ceviche from the Ecuadorian lady on 46th Street (although some called me insane for that one.)  I admited to being incredibly frightened of the Kashmir Buffet.  but surprisingly less scared of the jury duty tripe lunch from that Chinatown cart (in fact it was a revelation.)  But all those seem like child’s play compared to this…  a liver sandwich- from a Midtown Halal cart.

Remember that cart with the liver sandwich I posted about back in February (on 55th & Madison)? Well, I finally tried it on Tuesday… and amazingly, survived to tell the story.

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