Midtown Lunch

My lord… the line for Gourmet 53’s $3 lunch today is even crazier than I expected! Basically the beginning and end of the line were practically at the same place (wrapping around the entire food court!) As promised there is free coconut shrimp. (In fact, right before I left I cut the line, snagged a coconut shrimp, and took off. The lady handing ’em out seemed pretty pissed. Oh well!)

UPDATE: The owner just checked in to let us know that by 1:30pm they were out of coconut shrimp. You have until 3pm…

Midtown Lunch has always prided itself on finding “hidden” gems in our part of the city (after all, you don’t need a blog to tell you where the nearest Cafe Metro is.)  And there are some truly hidden treasures, none more so than the spots that operate out of freight elevator hallways. The most famous one is El Sabroso, the Dominican/Peruvian 6 seater inside the freight hallway on 37th btw. 7+8th.  But there’s also Nick’s Place (on 39th btw. 7+8th), and of course Pick a Pita made a name for themselves in a hallway on 38th btw. 7+8th, before moving out into the open on 8th Avenue.

There’s something fun, and slightly subversive, about eating in a hallway beneath a building, dodging giant dollies full of lord knows what, as you navigate the bustling hallway to get to your lunch.  So, when I read in the ML forums that there was another one of these places on 37th btw. 8+9th, I wasted no time.

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When the famous Kwik Meal cart opened up a pasta cart last month on 45th btw. 6+7th, I have to admit my expectations were pretty low. First taste, though, was much better than I expected– and I guess they’re doing well enough to expand the menu. In addition to the original three angel hair dishes, they are now serving penne with meat sauce, and linguine with salmon.

Related:
Kwik Pastas is Far Better Than I Expected

The owners of the Kashmir Buffet (on 8th Ave. btw. 39+40th) can’t seem to make up their mind.  The Pakistani/Indian buffet, which used to boast about their 30 year history on their sign, changed to The Cave (after some DOH issues), back to Kashmir, and now this… The Times Bar & Restaurant?  They still offer a $10 lunch buffet, and according to a worker in Kashmir Express (the takeout spot located at street level) the food is still the same… although he admitted that Kashmir Express and “The Times” are no longer owned by the same people.  No idea what any of this means, but I can’t imagine naming your restaurant after a newspaper is going to help business.  Unless maybe you’re an otherwise nondescript halal cart…

Related:
Adventure Lunchers Should Flock to Kashmir Buffet

• Eating options before going to see Hamlet [Midtown Eating]
• Check out this crazy-ass Banh Mi taste off by Lunch’er “Miche” [Midtown Eating]
• Fresh N Fast Burger fan defends himself again shill accusations [Eating Outside Midtown]
• New Cajun food truck spotted in Jersey [Eating Outside Midtown]
• “I need a large cheap cake” [Midtown Eating]

Where was I at 2pm today?  At Pret of course (along with god knows how many other Midtown Lunchers), trying the chocolate chunk cookie that Serious Eats: New York dubbed best in Midtown yesterday. Soooo good.  Crunchy on the outside, soft on the inside, good mix of chips and chunks.  (You may say the secret ingredient is the warming case.)  I went to the Pret on 7th Ave. and 36th and while I walked north, enjoying my cookie, I passed by a girl coming out of the Pret on 39th and 7th holding her cookie. (Coincidence?  Possibly… but whatever.  It’s more fun to think everybody is rushing out to eat cookies because of NYC food blogs.)

There are almost 20 Pret a Manger locations in Midtown, so you should have no trouble scoring one in our neck of the woods (if you haven’t already.)  With only two locations Downtown, our lunch friends to the south might have some problems.  This was twittered by @ahemler at 1:15pm today: “Pret on Maiden lane sold out of choc chunk cookies. You guys are savages.” Doh!

Related:
Pret Wins Best Midtown(ish) Cookie

The owner of Gourmet 53 (the great lunch spot in the basement of the building on 3rd Ave. btw. 52+53rd) checked in the other day to tell us about a great special they’re having tomorrow (November 18th)… in honor of their 15th Anniversary, Gourmet 53 will be rolling back the prices to 1994.  That means their “Classic Lunch” (aka anything they’re serving tomorrow) will be $3!  Hors d’oeuvres will be served (hello free coconut shrimp!) and there will be a lottery for one month of free lunches. The special will be from 11:30 to 3pm, limit one $3 lunch per customer, and it’s CASH ONLY. Can you say pandemonium?

Related:
Gourmet 53 is One of Those Places I Should Have Mentioned Years Ago