Midtown Lunch

For those of you who just love Thanksgiving so much you want to keep eating it – or those who aren’t indulging in the ginormous feast scheduled to take place on dinner tables across America tomorrow – Pret is offering a holiday sandwich that should scratch that itch.

Comprised of “roasted turkey breast (antibiotic-free), a pork sausage, pancetta and apricot stuffing, tangy cranberry sauce, crispy onions, and fresh spinach nestled in 9-grain bread” (yes that was copied directly from the press release), just $8.49 will have you flashing back to those family fights and uncomfortable silences in no time.

Drunk uncle screaming about politics not included. Well, you can take your sandwich around the corner and find someone doing a good imitation, I’m sure.

Happy Thanksgiving, everyone!

Pret a Manger, Multiple Locations

Walking into Sons of Thunder, I sensed a bit of Shake Shack style. The brand new, slightly out-of-bounds burger joint seems poised to expand with a beach shack vibe. But unlike Shake Shack, the burgers are not quite ready to go (they’re waiting on their gas) and the day I visited, there was nobody inside the place.

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I love my city. I love how Midtown Lunch has made people WANT to work in Midtown Manhattan for the lunches alone for almost 10 years now. But let’s face it – sometimes other cities do lunch better.

And while Zach has talked about what we need from the Bay Area, Clay told us what’s up with South American lunches, and even Jamie told us what New Orleans has that Philly’s missing – this beats all of those handily with one arm tied behind its back. Blindfolded.

Yat Lok in Hong Kong serves this roast goose over rice so good that I’m tearing up a little remembering lunch on my birthday there. Look at that meat – rich, dark, nearly boneless, just amazing.

What takes this to unreachable perfection in the eyes of you, my dear Midtown Lunch’ers?

They charged me $52 HKD for that plate, which translates to roughly $6.50. The goose leg is more highly-prized (and totally delicious, way fattier – it’s on the table too but not in the picture) and goes for $108 HKD, so this beauty? dirt cheap.

Oh, roast goose… why aren’t you here with me now?

Yat Lok
34-38 Stanley Street
Central, Hong Kong

I am far from a Korean food expert. I just know that I like it and I’ve dabbled with the usual bibimbap, galbi, mandoo, and soondubu jigae. But recently we got a tip from a reader about a new vendor on the top floor of Food Gallery 32 in the old Angry Chicken space serving Korean stews. I had assumed what I would have found would have been similar to what I have tried before on 32nd Street. I was in for a surprise.

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I don’t remember the last time I saw Domo Taco in my part of town, but look! I walked past it on Thursday of last week at 53rd and Park. Looks like they’ve shaken their menu up a bit too! Anyone been recently?

Check Twitter for announcements and location info

You may have noticed that the jingle bells are ringing in Midtown and the crowds have descended around Rockefeller Center. That also means the Bryant Park Holiday Market is back with a smattering of food options. In addition to regular annual vendors like La Sonrisa, TopArepa, and Enfes, there are a few new food options this year.

Strangely, there are now at least three kiosks that cater specifically to vegans. There’s Marty’s V Burger, specializing in brown rice burgers; roasted veggies from The Vedge, and the returning Vegushi doing vegan sushi (which can be pretty delicious)

Other new vendors include Super Mac + Cheez, Saj Mahal, and Mr. Puffin. The complete list of vendors can be found here. They will be open (along with Bryant Park’s usual kiosks, Coffeed, Wafels & Dinges, and Breads) through January 3.