File this one under breakfast for lunch. A while back, I wrote a post about breakfast sandwiches that are also great (and available!) for lunch, and the responses in the comments showcased that I’m definitely not the only one jonesing for eggs at noon. I realize I might get some flack for writing about the savory food at Dean & Deluca — we all know the sweets are worth the trip (hello, apple fritters!) — but this upscale spot can get pricy, often teetering over the ML price limit. Still, I really like the quiche at D&D.

Generally, they serve three kinds of quiche — wild mushroom and emmental, creamy leek and cheddar, and spinach, goat cheese and tomato — all priced at $6.50.

I’m a big fan of mushrooms, so I usually go that route — I find the savory wild medley to be very satisfying. The melted emmental cheese crust on top was mild and crispy, and the crust was buttery. The egg mixture set firm but not hard or overcooked. This was not a heavy lunch, but the portion was sizable.

They will ask you if you’d like it warmed up. The answer to this question is definitely yes — I tried it both ways to be sure, and fridge-cold quiche was not pleasant. I also suggest a sprinkle of salt and pepper, but, really, that’s up to you.

Dean & Deluca, 620 8th Ave (at 40th street)

Is “your” Starbucks the one on 47th and 6th, in the 1185 6th ave office building? We’ve been tipped off to a new spot for your morning ritual that is in the same building, but tucked away. In fact, you’d most likely never know this 2-week-old coffee bar existed if you didn’t work there.

Simon Sips has set up a small shop in the back of this office building. If you don’t work there, walk to the pedestrian area behind the building, and enter through the revolving door across the walkway from Ustav. Immediately turn left (which is the only direction you can go if you don’t have building access). There you will find Simon Sips, an unassuming place to grab your morning joe from staff who are just the kind of people you want to interact with in the morning: calm, extremely nice and helpful.

In addition to drip coffee, Simon Sips offers espresso drinks in a unique way. You order by the ounce: 4, 8, 12 or 16 oz cups. I got a 12 oz ($4). If you are looking for a caramel macchiato or something else schmancy-pants like that you’ll have to run to the Starbucks. The coffee here is simple, and simply wonderful. I also treated myself to a pumpkin apple walnut muffin. Nice chunks of apple and huge, whole pieces of walnut were throughout the muffin, which was a nice change from the usual sprinkle of chopped walnuts you usually get in muffins.

While I don’t work in this building, now that I’ve found this spot, I will definitely be back for their coffee and to try the other muffin flavors (they change daily). Thanks to Lunch’er Joe (hah! no pun intended!) for the tip.

Simon Sips, 1185 6th ave (btw 46+47)

This should make the Pie Face coffee lovers from the forums very happy: I saw this sign advertising dollar coffee with any morning purchase on my way to work this morning. Pie Face is also advertising $5 for an espresso and any pastry, if that’s more your style. Either way, these deals are great for the area — nearby morning coffee competition includes Europa, Cosi, Caffe Bene and about a zillion Starbucks, all of which are pretty pricey options and frankly not so amazing.

I went with the $1 coffee option with the purchase of a mini pear and ricotta pie. Although the coffee was small (tiny, even), I was happy with it and thrilled with the pie (although, it clearly didn’t travel well in that paper baggie). Served cold, the flaky pie crust was filled with pears, topped with ricotta and finished with a sweet glaze. Holy jeez, you guys, it was eyes-rolling-into-the-back-of-your-head good. Clocking in at $4.63 including tax, my Pie Face breakfast was cheaper than my favorite Starbucks order (don’t judge me). My sugar-high and I will now go about the rest of our day!

Pie Face, 1691 Broadway (btw 53+54th), 212-247-9065

As a certifiable Dough doughnuts addict (this Brooklyn upstart has now eclipsed Doughnut Plant as my ultimate doughnut in New York), I was sad to learn from Lunch’er sugoodsweets that Culture Espresso was no longer carrying the mammouth frosted doughnuts. There was a silver lining though, through Lunch’r sugoodsweets’ comment I learned that you could still get Dough doughnuts in midtown just a couple blocks away, at “the shop” at Andaz but there are a few catches.

The Shop is a little takeout café that’s part of the Andaz hotel.

While part of The Shop is dedicated for a full service, out of ML range restaurant, the front portion is a funky, little New York themed coffee shop/general store with plenty of New York sourced treats like salt water taffy from Brooklyn-based Salty Road and coffee from Café Grumpy not to mention shelves of New York-themed cookbooks.

The doughnuts are pricier than they were at Culture ($3.30, tax inclusive, as opposed to $3 at Culture and $2.50 in Brooklyn) and they are noticeably smaller. Normally I’d complain about the doughnut downsizing, but when it comes down to it, a regular doughnut from Dough is enormous and totally shareable (whether I’ll actually share it or not is another story). So really the smaller size bring them back into the range of a normal sized doughnut–still a bit puffier (not to mention tastier) than a doughnut from Dunkin, but roughly the same circumference. Price-wise, this make it less of a good deal, but if you’re up for an indulgence and love doughnuts, you really can’t do better and there aren’t that many places where you can get Dough doughnuts in the city, so if you consider the time (and subway fare) saved traveling to Dough’s storefront, it’s still worth it in my book.

Anyone have other recs from The Shop? Let us know in the comments.

The Shop at Andaz, 485 5th Ave, New York, (212) 682-0506

Sometimes all I want for lunch … is breakfast. Surprisingly, finding a good breakfast sandwich in the afternoon can be challenging, because many places stop making eggs at 11am. It makes me nuts. So, in case you’re like me, and you need some standby egg-making lunch spots in your back pocket, here are some of my go-tos.

Eggs & cheddar on an everything bagel at Times Square Hot Bagel

If you want literal breakfast for lunch, this is a good egg and cheese sandwich. Why? The eggs. Unlike a lot of breakfast joints that ladle some eggbeaters (blech!) onto the flattop, here you get 2 real cracked and scrambled eggs, sandwiched by two slices of cheddar, sandwiched again by a toasted everything bagel. You’d think some salt or pepper would be necessary, but no: the “everything” on the everything bagel provides all the seasoning you need. Plus, at just $4, you can’t go wrong with the price at lunchtime.

Roasted mushroom frittata sandwich at ‘wichcraft

The roasted mushroom frittata sandwich ($6.88) comes with spinach, shallots and aged cheddar on a ciabatta roll. The veggies are savory and the aged cheddar adds a mild bite that regular cheddar can lack. I watched how they constructed the sandwich and was particularly impressed at the use of the salamander — that’s how they warmed up the frittata and melted the cheese on the roll. It’s worth the couple minutes extra, trust me. While I don’t enjoy their tomato soup ($4.59) on its own, it really does shine as something in which to dip the sandwich. Unfortunately, the soup pushes you over the ML limit, making this idea a splurge.

Pavia sandwich at City Sandwich

If you’re looking for a breakfast sandwich that feels almost good for you, head to City Sandwich for the Pavia ($8.25). Egg whites, spinach, melted brie (ok, maybe not that good for you), sauteed onions and tomatoes together create a well-constructed sandwich that tastes balanced and feels light, even though it’s a big sammie. I suggest splurging for some sauce, like the basil pesto yogurt sauce ($.75), which will add an extra herby tang without weighing you down with lots of oil. Of course, if you need something more serious than egg whites, City Sandwich offers plenty of other options that include different kinds of sausage.

Unda rolls at Kati Roll

I’ll admit it, I don’t immediately think of kati rolls when considering breakfast items, but actually, the Unda roll ($3.50 each, or 2 for $6) at Kati Roll is a perfect breakfast-for-lunch option. The freshly beaten egg with some red onions wrapped up in a warm paratha becomes a wonderful meal that is definitely reminiscent of breakfast. Need something a little more substantial? Order the Unda Aloo roll ($5.50 each, or 2 for $10), which includes spicy potatoes in the wrap as well. Or, snag one of each!

Got a favorite of your own that wasn’t included in this list?  Feel free to suggest it in the comments…

Times Square Hot Bagels, 200 W 44th St (btw. 7+8th), 212-997-7300
‘wichcraft, multiple locations
City Sandwich, 649 Ninth Ave (btw. 45+46th), 646-684-3916
Kati Roll, 49 W. 39th St. (btw. 5+6th), 212-730-4280

It’s not all that uncommon that I run out the door without something to eat in the morning so I was pretty excited to see that Potbelly in Rock Center is now serving breakfast. And even more excited to see that they had steel cut oats. I’m a big steel cut oatmeal fan and I usually splurge for the oatmeal at Jamba Juice, so I had to see how Potbelly stacked up.

Let’s just say it was a big disappointment.  I’m guessing that someone at Potbelly must have misread the recipe because instead of a pinch of salt these oats were crazy salty. How salty? Let’s just say I’ve had cheap ramen with less sodium. If I had tasted this on the premise I would have demanded a refund on the spot, but I was already back at my desk and soon too wrapped up in work to return my oatmeal. Aside from the saltiness issue, I found that the Potbelly oats were just generally overcooked and lacked the toothsomeness that I’ve come to expect from steel cut oats.

While I’m not the biggest Jamba Juice fan, I do think if you like steel cut oats they do a great job. The oatmeal is available all day (a plus for if you’re looking for a cheap afternoon snack or if you’re like me and enjoy breakfast for lunch) and the staff at the Rock Center does a good job cooking it so that it’s never been gloppy, runny or dry in my experience (and the oatmeal texture doesn’t seem to vary as much based on time of day at the Rock Center branch).  And it’s never ever tasted like a salt lick.

Has anyone else tried the oatmeal at Potbelly? Was my experience isolated? Should I give them another shot?

I may have once griped that midtown is where authentic ethnic food goes to die. With all of the generic delis, weak sauce dumplings and ‘Momofuku meets Chipotle’ concepts, I breathe a sigh of relief when an institution like Alfama (52nd between 2nd and 3rd) graces midtown with their presence. But Alfama, a fairly well regarded Portuguese transplant from the West Village, is certainly beyond our price range at Midtown Lunch. However, they’ve recently rolled out a line of inexpensive, fresh savory and sweet baked goods, which they start serving at 7am in the morning – perfect for a breakfast on the go, or an afternoon snack.

When asked for a recommendation, the hostess immediately guided me towards the Pão de Deus ($3.50), or ‘heavenly bread’. “I eat one of these every morning”, she explained. Indeed, they make a perfect breakfast – they’re substantial enough to keep you going until lunch time, but unlike a doughnut, they’re not overly sweet or greasy. Rebecca Marx’s description over at Fork in the Road does this pastry justice, “faintly sweet, brioche-like crumb, working in concentric circles until you strike gold”. The gold being a tangle of toasty, not too sweet shreds of coconut. I’m not sure about the ‘heavenly’ moniker, but at least Alfama is keeping authentic Portuguese food alive and well.

Alfama, 214 East 52nd St (btw. 2+3rd), 212-759-5552

In late May I blogged about the new breakfast service at Big D’s Grub truck. On my first trip I enjoyed the jalapeño corn cakes. But on a second trip I took Lunch’r beastegrl’s suggestion ordered the cakes with cheese (which Lunch’r beastegrl called “a MUST to balance sweet with salty”). Delicious. Sweet, salty, spicy, this makes for a killer breakfast. Adding the cheese will cost you an extra $.50 on top of the base $3.50 price but it’s totally worth the extra quarters. My only complaint is that they utilize the typical midtown fast breakfast technique of sandwiching the cheese between the hot cakes and wrapping it, thereby using the residual heat from the hot cakes to melt the cheese–if you tend to be eager to tear into your breakfast immediately, you’ll have to remember to wait for optimal melted cheese enjoyment.

Big D’s Grub Truck serves breakfast until 10ish (lunch service starts at around 11), and they should be on 53rd and Lex tomorrow (Friday), but as always check the Twitter Tracker before heading out.

There are plenty of generic coffee carts in midtown where you can grab a quick breakfast, and so far few of the gourmet food trucks have ventured into this territory. When I saw a couple of weeks ago, courtesy of the ML Twitter Tracker, that Big D’s Grub Truck had started serving up some AM grub, I had to go check it out.

When I went the menu wasn’t posted on the truck so I wasn’t able to get a pic, but I grabbed this courtesy of their website:

BREAKFAST BURRITO
with eggs, peppers, and onions ($3.50)
add Spam, Bacon, or Sausage (+$0.50 each)
add Cheese (+$0.50)
add Corn Cake (+$1.50)

SPANISH OMELET
with tomatoes, peppers, and onions ($3.50)
add Spam, Bacon, or Sausage (+$0.50 each)
add Cheese (+$0.50)
add Corn Cake (+$1.50)

Two Corn Cakes
(Jalapenos optional) ($3.50)
add Spam, Bacon, or Sausage (+$0.50 each)
add Cheese (+$0.50)

PORTO RICO
FRENCH BRAZILIAN SANTOS ROAST
Small $1.50/Large $2

I decided to try the Breakfast Burrito with cheese and bacon ($4.50) and the Jalapeño Corn Cakes ($3.50). The breakfast burrito didn’t strike me as terribly large, but it was a fairly decent size and the made-to-order eggs were perfectly fluffy. My only complaint here was that the bacon sort of settled in one half of the burrito, so half the bites were bacony and the other half were bacon-free.

The corn cakes were also on the small side (you can see from the pic that both the burrito and corn cakes fit side by side in a standard takeout container), but big on flavor. The ‘cakes were light and the sweetness of the cornmeal was a nice match for the jalapeños spicy kick. These were the first jalapeño corn cakes I’ve ever had, so I don’t have a point of comparison, but if you like corn cakes and enjoy just a little bit of heat, these would be a good bet.

Unless you have a small appetite, I don’t think that going with just the burrito or just the corn cakes will be enough for breakfast. That said, I think even those with a big appetite would be more than sated by ordering both and the happy medium might very well be ordering a breakfast burrito with the $1.50 corn cake add on (an option I didn’t know that I had).

Here’s what I’d love to see on the menu…breakfast tacos. Austin, Texas-style breakfast tacos. Who’s with me?

Big D’s Grub Truck serves breakfast until 10ish (lunch service starts at around 11). Today they should be on 50th and 6th, but as always check the Twitter Tracker before heading out.

Chris H. didn’t love his first lunch at Piccolo Cafe, the Gramercy lunch spot that now has two locations in Midtown (one on 40th btw. 7+8th and one on Madison btw. 37+38th).  But here’s something we didn’t notice… they serve their breakfast sandwiches all day long, and they come with a free coffee.  Most of them are actually more expensive than the lunchtime panini ($8-10) but Serious Eats New York has a handy guide to help you decide which of the breakfast sandos is right for you.