Midtown Lunch

Nick Solares, from A Hamburger Today, joins Josh “Mr. Cutlets” Ozersky as the latest blogger to bestow praise on the 4 month old HB Burger (on 43rd btw. B’way+ 6th).  I was pretty quick to write off this sit down restaurant/burger joint owned by Heartland Brewery simply because of their prices (everything might be “under $9”, but order anything but a burger and you are going to be spending well over $10.)  But now that the two most esteemed burger bloggers in the city have weighed in with nothing but praise, I’m starting to reconsider my stance.  I mean, hell, if I can spend $7 on this burger, I suppose spending $7.50 is not that much more of a splurge. I still think that at its core HB Burger is not what anybody would consider a real “Midtown Lunch”, but whatever.  Good food is good food, right?  Anybody else been?  What do you guys think?

A Fantastic New York City-Style Burger from HB Burger [A Hamburger Today]

Related:
Heartland Brewery’s New HB Burger is Now Open

Once again, you’ve got to give credit to Yushi (on 47th btw. Park+Lex) for trying.  After introducing their new conveyor belt, soliciting advice from Midtown Lunchers, and then sadly turning the conveyor belt into a “for display only” situation, they’ve now changed things up again.  Today Yushi is replacing their “Spruce Goose” with the very first fully refrigerated sushi conveyor belt.

I have no idea what that means, or the technology involved, but apparently the genesis of the idea came from Yushi’s desire to have a conveyor belt you could actually take food from, while answering the customer concern that food on conveyor belts is not always fresh.  I always thought the best way to do that was by making sure your restaurant is always packed with customers constantly eating the food… but sure, crazy refrigerated conveyor belt is a good option too!  Any kaiten early adopters out there?  Feel free to report back. The conveyor belt is open daily from 11:30am to 2:30pm starting today.

Related:
Yushi Wants To Give You Free Conveyor Belt Sushi
First Look at Yushi’s Conveyor Belt, Which Opens on Monday
Airing of Grievances: Yushi’s New Conveyor Belt is For Display Only!?!

I’ve been wanting somebody to write this article ever since the Treats Truck was first intimidated by the Mister Softee truck on 45th & 6th back in 2007.  It took almost two years, but it was well worth the wait. The New York Times has devoted a huge article in today’s food section to all the craziness happening in the street food scene these days, and it’s all in there- from the threats received by the Treats Truck and the Rickshaw Dumpling Truck, to the trials and tribulations of the Street Sweets Truck.  The piece also mentions the NYC Cravings Truck and Wafels and Dinges, and touches on how the bad economy has created a glut of new street vendors (and the problems this could end up causing as more continue to pop up.)  Even the Steak Truck (on 47th & Park) gets mentioned- surprisingly they are not bothered at all by the new La Cense Burger Truck parked just one block away.

But the best part is the shout out that the Midtown Lunchers got!

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