Midtown Lunch

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 all good things must come to an end, the time has come for me to step down as Flatiron Lunch Contributor. If has been a pleasure exploring the area and eating lots of delicious food. I won’t disappear from ML entirely as I am planning to occasionally put up posts, but they will most likely be for the main site. As a parting gift, I leave you with a few of my favorite out-of-bounds spots.

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In an exciting runny-yolk related development, Untamed Sandwiches is now serving breakfast. And I think we can all agree that even though I am inherently biased, Untamed makes damn good sandwiches. Adding on to their lunch and dinner menu, Untamed’s breakfast will feature eggs, braised meats and seasonal vegetables, all served on those amazing crusty rolls from Grandaisy bakery. I am most excited to try the Ol’ Grumpy with soft scrambled eggs, grass-fed beef chili, pimento cheese, hot jam, and cilantro. If that doesn’t sell you on it, just look at the photo they sent out to their email list…Breakfast served from 8-10:30.

Untamed Sandwiches, 43 West 39th Street btwn 5th and 6th Avenues, (646) 669-9397

Another suggestion from a reader: check out the Moo Shu Grill truck. I’ve never actually had moo shu anything – and when I just went to check the Wiki for moo shu to verify this, I just became even more confused by what it is and what it was inspired by. So I’m not going to even touch all of that or talk about whether or not this is moo shu. Y’all who’ve eaten moo shu in the past can tell me what’s what.

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It’s been a long time coming. But Eater reported yesterday that the Famous Halal Guys, who are currently gearing up to be the Middle Eastern Chipotle in an international expansion, are suing the longtime imposter cart that sets up nearby (evidently they’re called The Halal Guys of New York – who knew?) Anybody who reads this site on a regular basis knows the difference between the competing carts. And while the imposter cart has gained a following of its own, there is no doubt still a large number of people waiting in line on the SW corner of 53rd and 6th during lunch thinking they’re tasting the “famous” chicken over rice. The lawsuit demands an unspecified amount of money and a name change. May we suggest “The Imposter Cart”?

For the past half decade, New York’s cupcake bubble has expanded beyond any sort of logical economic equilibrium. But the writing has been on the wall for quite some time, and it seems that Crumbs Bake Shop is the first major casualty.

The New York based chain got its start in 2003, and has expanded to 70 locations in 12 states. In 2011, they went public and set aggressive plans to double its footprint by 2013 despite flagging same store sales and increasingly expensive operating costs. Last month, Crumbs’ auditor expressed a going concern (essentially a financial deathwatch) of their financial stability, and the company was de-listed from the NASDAQ shortly after. Crumbs has officially shuttered all locations as of Monday. (BI has a good timeline of events)

Like all crisis’s, there’s probably a lot of lessons to be learned – but thankfully there are many many other places to score a cupcake in Midtown.

A few years ago, ML overlord Zach Brooks wrote a glowing piece on Kashkaval, a now shuttered Mediterranean themed tapas bar in Hells Kitchen known for its cozy back dining room, well curated cheeses, and tasty dips . The Kashkaval team has moved a few doors down and reincarnated into Kashkaval Garden, a larger restaurant that with an expanded menu that follows similar themes of Mediterranean dips, small plates, and an extensive wine and booze list.
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Sometimes I wander around in search of lunch, aimlessly, wondering what to eat. I really need some suggestions that y’all want to see here, so feel free to email me or comment on any of the posts I’ve written with recommendations – please! Your contributions are what make this site invaluable!

To that end, on my wanderings recently, I passed the Korean Gobuki Cart a few times before I decided sure, I can do Korean food – for less than $10… from a cart! Sounds like a win already; Korean food/BBQ is notoriously fairly pricy.

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Try saying that 5 times fast… Midtown Lunch Happy Hour doesn’t seem to be a thing any more, but that doesn’t mean we don’t care about alcohol! From July 3rd through July 30th over at the Roger Smith Hotel (501 Lexington, between 47th and 48th Streets), head over to Kicky’s Kitchen Pop-Up where they will be offering a variety of “caketails” – cupcakes inspired by cocktails. Some of the flavors being offered include Dark & Stormy, Mint Julep, Strawberry Daiquiri, Bellini… and more. If you want them to make cupcake based on your favorite cocktail, try tweeting them @KickysKitchen and they’ll give it a whirl!

The pop-up will be open Monday through Friday from 8:30am – 7:30pm and Saturdays from 12pm – 5pm, July 3rd through July 30th.

If anyone tries them, report back in comments to let us know how they are!

Kicky’s Kitchen Pop-Up at the Roger Smith Hotel,
501 Lexington Avenue between 47th and 48th Streets

In what could be the frontrunner for the saddest closing of 2014, it looks like Pam Real Thai (on 49th btw. 9+10th) may be done for. The restaurant was shuttered when I swung by during prime lunch and dinner hours earlier this week and the phone line has been disconnected (although their webpage is still active). Pam Real Thai has never received the breathless coverage of some of the other Thai joints in Hells Kitchen. However they were one of the vanguard Thai restaurants that helped turn Hells Kitchen into ‘Thai town’ over the past decade, not to mention a beloved neighborhood staple.

Could they be a victim of the recent rash of rent hikes that have been killing off restaurants this year? Pam Real Thai has certainly had a history of financial troubles. Or perhaps they’re just taking a break? We certainly hope its the latter.
Thanks to Jessica L for the tip. If anybody else knows anything, let us know in the comments.

Update: Pam Real Thai has re-opened! I called the restaurant to confirm (they were closed for renovations) and their seamless page is active again.