Midtown Lunch

We’re being beat by the heat here in Midtown, so imagine our joy on Friday when Lunch’er Asaf told us about a new ice cream pop cart Lily Lolly which just started parking on 34th and Broadway last week – opposite of Macy’s massive red sign. We stopped by a couple of hours ago to see if the ice offerings were worth the $3.50 price (especially with $1 soft serve available this afternoon.) Happy to report: YES THEY ARE.

Check out Lily Lolly’s ice pop flavors after the jump.

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Last week, on my way to the Shake Shack to try out the new concrete menu, I passed by Bryant Park and saw an ice cream truck I’d never noticed before. Turned out it was the famed Time Warner $1 ice cream truck back again for the Bryant Park Summer Film Festival. The truck is appearing around the city throughout the summer selling Mister Softee style vanilla and chocolate cones and cups with or without sprinkles for the suggested donation of $1 and donating the funds to local museums. They’ll be in Bryant Park every Monday night through August 16th from approximately 4 p.m. until 10 p.m.  And what do you know… today is Monday!

Even though the Comme Ci, Comme Ca Truck isn’t out today we couldn’t help but post this… it’s just too good, and we couldn’t wait to tell you about it.  Hopefully they’ll be back soon!

Last week Lunch’er “David” tipped us off to Comme Ci Comme Ça (Like This Like That, in French), a brand new Mediterranean truck on the street meat scene now parking on 54th St at Lexington.  At the helm is Chef Samir, who was born and raised in Casablanca, Morocco, and has created an authentic menu inspired by the dishes he grew up on (from their merguez sandwich to their chicken cous cous). All you have to do is look at the caricature of Chef Samir on the truck to know what you’re in for. He’s holding a chicken on his left, while hungrily eyeing up a scrumptious lamb on his right- and along with sous-chef Zac, they’ve been doing brisk business since they started in early July. Needless to say, this Midtown Luncher couldn’t wait to try it!

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It’s been awhile since we mentioned Piada, that weird Italian quesadilla spot in the basement of the Citicorp building on 53rd and Lex.  If you’re a fan (or you’ve always been curious to try it) Groupon has a special today that gets you $12 worth of food for just $6. Also available today in the daily deal email world… Flatiron lunchers can get $10 worth of food from that burger joint Fresh N Fast (the In N Out rip off on 23rd and Park) for just $5.  Enjoy!

Last week Lunch’er Mike tipped us off about Charley’s, a new cheesesteak place opening up on 33rd btw. 6+7th (right near the Little Italy Pizza, the place that Clay reported about this past winter.) Before you get excited though, I went over to the place on Friday and sadly it turns out to be some terrible looking chain that’s actually been around for awhile- downstairs in Penn Station. Unsurprisingly the reviews on Yelp are not very encouraging. (Not that we trust Yelp… but 1 1/2 stars is about as bad as it gets.)  Has anybody actually eaten at this place?

Yesterday I found myself giving Midtown some weekend love in the form of showing a tourist family member around. (I know, it sucks.  But it had to be done.)  I decided my sweet reward would be a little concrete action from the newly open Shake Shack (on 8th Ave. and 44th) I’ve been hearing about (lines be damned!) And guess what? No line. None, whatsoever. Maybe all the tourists were down in Madison Square Park? Or maybe they’re just scared of 8th Avenue? Regardless, if you’re dying for one of the new concretes,  (or feel the need to pick up a little onesie for a cute baby) clearly the weekend is the time to do it… although I’m guessing it’s just a matter of time before the tourists get hip to the new location and descend en masse. Can’t bring yourself to venture into Midtown during the weekend? At least prepare yourself for the lunchtime wait with our handy guide to the Shack Shack line.

As seen on Top Chef. Photo courtesy of Phude-NYC

• Angelo Sosa is friendlier at Xie Xie than he is on TV [Phude-NYC]
• Cinnabon will soon serve lunch!?! [NRN via Grub Street]
• The sushi at Kodama (on W 45th) is not fresh [Tasty Eating]
• Check out this video of the madness on free Chick Fil A day [Feast NY]
• The pernil sandwich at Margon is also good [SENY]
• Don’t like the Shake Shack’s new concretes? Make your own! [LWFD]
• The new $1 pizza truck we told you about this week?  It used to be a Vinny Vincenz truck [Grub Street]
• Beware of the zombie Subway [Law & Food]

If you like to eat, chances are you like to drink (read: a lot of you are freakin’ lushes), so every Friday afternoon our Happy Hour Correspondent “Mamacita” will post about a different bar in Midtown that fits the Midtown Lunch mentality: unhealthy food, not lame (unless it’s lame in a cool way), and most importantly… cheap.

It’s an open argument as to whether there are more Irish bars in midtown then Duane Reades. I noticed another in this clover cluster this week: Jameson’s Pub (on 2nd ave btw. 51st/52nd). Upon seeing that name, my eyes gleamed, my lips smiled, and my liver quivered. Jameson evokes candy colored memories of Irish whiskey and many other caramel tinted elixirs. So like a Pavlovian pup I heeded the sirens call and went in. Damn you marketing gods!

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