Midtown Lunch

Brownie really needs to share these amazing looking doughnuts.

Brownie brought a tear to my eye with homemade brown buttered bacon doughnuts, Donny had dinner at Mary, Queen of Scots, Brian listed his top five dishes of 2011, Blondie does her own 2011 food recap, Chris checked out the new West Village Fatty Cue, Rachel brunched it up at One Hundred Acres and I’ve started a new photo project called Food/Work.

Elsewhere int he ML universe… Zach collected all the lunches he ate in 2011 in one gigantic photo, Jamie scored a banh mi at Philly Cafe and Andrea discovered a sandwich she calls a pork explosion in a generic deli downtown.

Here’s some news that slipped by almost everyone in New York: Korean coffee chain Caffe Bene is opening its first US location on 49th Street and Broadway sometime in the near future. The announcement was made by Wall Street Journal Asia back in April, with an anticipated opening during the Fall. As of a few weeks ago, they didn’t look close to opening. They were looking for a regional manager in early November which can mean that the opening will be soon. Anyone had their coffee in South Korea?

Before Thanksgiving, Dylan’s Candy Bar opened a pop-up store on the SW corner of 42nd and 6th, and apparently all of you did what we did: avoid the area at all costs until after the holidays. Well if you still want to stop by, the Pop-Up is going on through this Saturday. I checked it out only to find out that us lunch’ers have been missing out on Sprinkles cupcakes, and also the apocalypse is totally happening.

Read more »

You nominated the finalists, argued in comments, and voted for your favorites. And now… it’s time for the results. Here are the winners of the 2011 Midtown Lunch Reader’s Poll, complete with Editor’s Pick for each category chosen by our correspondents.

Best Hamburger: Shake Shack

It was no real surprise that Shake Shack reigned supreme in the Poll for Best Hamburger. If you haven’t tried this quality charred burger in Midtown this year, you’ve probably tried it just about anywhere else as the Danny Meyer empire continues to grow across the country (and the world). And while the Shack prepares to dominate the planet, the two previous winners, Burger Joint and Five Guys trailed head to head just behind. I’d be happy with a burger from any of the nominees, but my preference is for the modest simplicity of Burger Joint‘s classic patty. Brian H’s Pick: Burger Joint [View Results]

Read more »

Last month we brought you word that there’s a new waffle (instead of wafel) truck in town called Real Good Truck. Like Wafel and Dinges they’re serving waffles with your typical sweet toppings (think nutella and fresh fruits) but they also have a number of savory items as well like cheddar jalapeno bratwursts and Japanese fried chicken. The best part is, instead of putting the toppings on top of their waffles, the Real Good Truck turns their waffles into sandwiches. Yep, a whole waffle folded in half with stuff inside (sounds like something people come up with when they’re totally drunk).  I finally got to try one of these creations, and according to the owners they’re going to try and park in Midtown today and tomorrow.

Read more »

• The sombrero cart on 50th street is now offering chili? [Midtown Eating]
• There’s a Duane Reade sushi chef [Midtown Eating]
• What were your 5 favorite lunches of 2011? [Midtown Eating]
• Do you seriously want to eat outdoors right now? [Midtown Eating]

As soon as Chipotle announced that they would be launching a new Asian fast food concept known as Shophouse, we knew this had to be coming… ML favorite, Pure Thai Shophouse (on 9th btw. 51+52nd) is now calling themselves Pure Thai Cookhouse. A call to the restaurant confirms that Chipotle did indeed set their legal hounds on the Hell’s Kitchen Thai spot forcing them to drop the “Shophouse” moniker. Although it was a sucker punch for this tiny Thai eatery, everything else, including the menu and ownership, is still the same as before.

We’re not big fans of any commitment that curbs lunchtime eating (or increases visits to the gym), but we do recognize that this is the time of the year that many people look to lose a little bit of weight.  So in the spirit of New Year’s resolutions, here are the healthiest lunches in Midtown we can bring ourselves to eat…

Last year, Chickpea (on 45th btw. Mad+Park) filled Midtown’s “I need a healthy lunch, but not salad” void in my book. Baking their falafel allows for protein-rich chickpeas (read: filling) without greasy added-on calories from frying, and their bulgar wheat is a fiber *and* protein-rich whole grain (read: very filling). Basically, if your New Year’s resolution involves a good deal of exercising, you should probably pick this up for lunch to help your body nourish itself. Just watch out for Chickpea’s add-ons; I heard a horror story over the vacation of a simple platter costing upwards of $15! -Blondie

Read more »