Midtown Lunch

Three months after the Italian sausage fest that was the Batali Pang, one of our favorite sandwich shops, Num Pang, has launched the second in their series of specialty sandwiches called “Guest Chefs Give Back,” with proceeds going to a different charity (and I’m not talking about my stomach). The ABC Pang is a collaboration with Dan Kluger and Jean-Georges Vongerichten of ABC Kitchen. I’ve had two pretty amazing meals at that locavore, vegetable-friendly restaurant so I was so excited when the news of this sandwich was announced last week.

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Back in March we told you that Five Guys was coming Times Square in the spring. Well, now that summer’s rolling in, it looks like the new location is finally close to opening. They just put up their flashy new Five Guys marquee — definitely fit for Times Square, I might add — and the inside is shaping up, too, with the decor looking pretty much done. They haven’t yet announced an official opening date, but I imagine we’ll be hearing something very soon about that!

Five Guys, 253 W. 42nd Street

For me, it doesn’t get much better than a Wafels & Dinges‘ liége waffle smothered in speculoos sauce. Unless that waffle is also topped with a scoop of their specialty ice cream. Last year they teamed up with pastry chef Benoit Gerin (formerly of Jean Georges) to bring us the mind blowing Belgian Madness (Hoegaarden beer and honey) and the addicting Speculoos (spiced gingerbread cookie) ice cream. This summer, they will continue to expand their ice cream repertoire by adding two more exciting flavors to their rotating ice cream tubs (making five flavors total!)

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We on this blog are no strangers to hearing the news that one of our favorite noodle joints, Menchanko-Tei, has temporarily closed. Again. Most recently, the 55th street location closed for “renovations”, but here’s an interesting development: the 55th street Menchanko-Tei is now permanently closed, and its menu has been absorbed by its neighboring sister restaurant Katsuhama.
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It’s hard to believe that it’s been over a year since we last reported that New York’s first Panera would be coming to New York, and now they’re already onto their 3rd NYC store, this time located in Midtown proper (the Chelsea and UES locations opened earlier this year). The new location at 5th Avenue between 39th & 40th St is set to open this Wednesday, June 20th. So if you’re a fan of the chain’s faux upscale soups, sandwiches and salads, I guess it’s time to get excited?

Photo courtesy of Serious Eats NY/Robyn Lee

• Lamb is the better spicy buradi roll at the Biryani Cart [SENY]
• Kosher Delight set to close this week [Yeah That’s Kosher]
• Dessert photos from the Plaza Food Hall [Dessert Buzz]
• Steve Wynn puts $15 million into Pie Face [NRN]
• Congrats on discovering a lunch ML’ers have been touting for 6 years! [SENY]
• David Chang and Peter Meehan are this week’s guests on the Food is the New Rock podcast [FITNR]

If you like to eat, chances are you like to drink (read: a lot of you are freakin’ lushes), so I thought maybe it was time to introduce a happy hour column to the site. Every week, our Happy Hour Correspondent posts 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.

Iced. Cold. Beer. That’s exactly what you’ll sip (or chug) on every time if you sit at the bar of Lansdowne Road.  Oh, and built into the bar top is an ice rail for resting whichever of the 14 beers on their tap you decide to order…

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You may have noticed a patriotic-looking truck parked around 51st and Park on certain days of the week lately. This is the Our Heros (I guess the sandwiches are spelled without an “e”) truck which just started alternating between Midtown and the Financial District. They’ve been building up quite a following downtown and they even launched a sliders cart this week.

I got to try their meatball slider a while back, which was mighty tasty and filling for a $2 slider. But it wasn’t until I found them on Park and 51st that I sampled a few more of their menu items.

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Seoul Food is on 51st & Park, Bian Dang is on 47th & Park and their offshoot cart Fun Buns is on 48th btw. 6+7th, Comme Ci Comme Ca is on 36th & Bway, Luke’s Lobster is on 47th & Vanderbilt, Wafels & Dinges truck is on 49th & 3rd and their cart is on 40th & Park, Crisp are on 46th & 6th,  Munchie Mobile is on B’way btw. 55+56th, Eddie’s Pizza is on 47th & Lex, Cinnamon Snail is on 47th & Park, Cer Te is touting their lobster rolls, and the first 50 people on line at Red Hook Lobster on 46th & 6th this morning got free lobster rolls. As always make sure you check the ML Twitter Tracker before heading out.

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.

A few weeks ago, I noted that Desi Galli opened in Curry Hill. I recently saw a line out the door, something I don’t remember ever seeing with the previous tenant, which warranted moving Desi Galli up on the to-try list. On my original walk-by, a super friendly female employee informed me that the logo is meant to look like Ganesha’s trunk. It might not be something you notice, but a nice little factoid to tell your coworkers.

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