Midtown Lunch

Photo courtesy of Food in Mouth

• John’s Shanghai makes some good tiny fried buns [Food in Mouth]
• Lunch at Ma Peche is expensive, but the flavors are great [Ramen & Friends]
• Don Antonio gets the Serious Eats seal of approval [Slice]
• Nuchas Empandas are just ok [Chubby Chinese Girl]
• Why Street Vendors are vital to NYC food culture [SENY]
• The 10 Best Incredibly Cheap Eats in NYC [Fork in the Road]
• Jin Jja Roo’s mapa tofu is good for take out [Fork in the Road]
• PJ Clarke’s fired one of their most well known bartenders [Business Insider via Eater]

Ah, summer. So many things to like. Longer days, sundresses, flip flops, a less crowded Herald Square and the new summer happy hour specials at Statler Grill. Named after Ellsworth Statler, who ran Hotel Pennsylvania in the early- to mid-nineties, the restaurant serves up classic New York prime sirloins and porterhouses, while the menu at the wrap-around bar offers lighter snacks for the after-work crowd.

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If you’re a fan of Korilla BBQ truck like we are here at Midtown Lunch, then please take a second to vote for them at Mission Small Business, which is sponsored by Chase and Living Social. In order to vote, all you need to do is:
1. Go to Missionsmallbusiness.com
2. Log in with Facebook
3. Search for Korilla
4. Vote

Your vote(s) will make them eligible for a $250,000 grant, with which they plan to open a brick and mortar shop, somewhere in Midtown or FiDi (which we clearly support!) The contest closes tomorrow, so get the word out and vote.

I have passed by Toasties (on 49th btw 6+7) a hundred times over the years (usually going to and from Sapporo) and never had any desire to go in. The sea of button-down shirts always seemed too daunting for just a sandwich at a place I assumed to be just another generic deli-type spot. A few months ago, I began to consider the fact that if this place is always so jammed, maybe there’s something to it. And you know what? I was pleasantly surprised by huge sandwiches in combinations I haven’t seen elsewhere.
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Every Friday we go south of the ML boundaries in search of a delicious lunch. Sometimes it’s Murray Hill south or the Flatiron District, sometimes Gramercy and everything in between- but we just like to call it Flatiron Lunch.

Since we went pretty low brow last week, it is only fair we went upscale this week. Granted, this is a place that Clay previous checked out, but, selfishly, I have been wanting to try. I was first drawn into tbsp because of the cozy feel noticeable from the street (the same atmosphere that Clay wrote about last winter). The pressed tin ceiling and hanging lights casting a nice glow over the whole place made an impression when I peeked through the large glass windows while walking by.

I figured it would be out of the ML price range by a few dollars but was pleasantly surprised that almost everything on their menu was in budget. By digging around their website, I also discovered that they have daily specials. The specials are published online every day but are also on display in the restaurant. The online menu doesn’t show the prices, so when I called in my order, I found out that one of the two entrees of the day was under $10. Clearly, I had to get it. I was also tempted by the southwestern chicken salad with lime chipotle marinated chicken, fresh corn, grated cheddar, chopped tomatoes, and black beans on romaine with tortilla strips and chipotle dressing on the side ($9.25), but the words “our house roast beef” on a sandwich distracted me. I tend to be a sucker for places advertising house specialties.

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We all know that Midtown is filled with some questionable soft serve ice cream trucks, who don’t much appreciate competition.  But sometimes you feel like fresh regular ice cream, in good flavors, made with great quality ingredients, where you can chat with the owner who probably made the exact ice cream you’re eating a day or two before. Enter Itizy Ice Cream Truck who debuted last week to rave reviews. I stopped by to see if this is a good way to beat the heat.

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Boy, this New York Public Library Lunch Hour exhibition keeps getting cooler. Earlier this week, we learned that the NYPL teamed up with the Food Truck Association to bring select trucks to the Bryant Park area. Now ‘wichcraft is getting in on the action by offering $3 peanut butter and jelly sandwiches at the two kiosks they opened in the library back in March. For the duration of the exhibit (until February 17, 2013), the two carts will offer the discounted triple-decker PB&J, which uses seasonal fruit preserves (this season is quince) on pullman white bread. The best part? On Friday, when the promotion begins, they’ll be offering free samples from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. in the Stephen A. Schwarzman Building on the first floor in Astor Court!

I ducked into a vegetarian restaurant the other day thinking I’d get a lunch that’s a little healthier than usual, and I managed to walk out with something that has more calories than a Big Mac. Classic! The restaurant was the new Soom Soom (46th btw 5th+6th), and I had a sandwich that was so delicious and so greasy I felt like I needed to take a shower after I ate it. The sandwich in question was the feta cheese burekasabich.

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