Midtown Lunch

Tony Luke’s, the famous Philly based cheesesteak/pork sandwich purveyor, used to have a “location” on 9th Ave. btw. 40+41st- before the franchisee got sick of paying the fees and changed the name to Shorty’s (they still serve practically the same menu.) Well, according to the official Tony Luke’s website there is another location “to be announced” in NYC. It’s not clear whether it will be another “franchise” situation, or if it will the real deal- but either way, may I humbly suggest they return to the Midtown area? Even a half decent Tony Luke’s is probably better than most of the Philly cheesesteak (and roast pork with broccoli rabe!) options we’ve got. [via Serious Eats Comments]

Photo courtesy of Josh Bousel

Grub Street took Philadelphia native and cheesesteak lover Joey Campanaro (Little Owl) on a tour of Manhattan’s cheesesteak purveyors, and when the dust cleared Carl’s Steaks (with a location on 3rd Ave. and 34th St. ) was victorious. More surprising than the Carl’s victory was the fact that Shorty’s came in 5th out of 7 places. Shorty’s, which is located on 9th Ave. btw. 41+42nd used to be an outpost of the famed “Tony Luke’s” in Philly until they got sick of paying the royalties for the name. You would think they would have learned a thing or two about making a cheesesteak in that time (although in fairness, ML commenters have said that their pork sandwiches with broccoli rabe are where it’s at.) Also included in the list, Philly Slim’s (on 9th Ave. and 53rd) and 99 Miles to Philly (52nd & 2nd)

Related: Carl’s Steaks is a Greasy Mess (And I Mean That in the Best Possible Way)

I guess the best philly cheesesteak is not in Midtown, if you believe this exhaustive head to head cheesesteak battle royale done by Jason Santa Maria. Wogies Bar & Grill in the West Village came out on top, with 99 Miles to Philly (2nd Ave. & 52nd St.), Carl’s Steaks (3rd btw. 34+35th), Shorty’s (9th Ave. btw. 41+42nd), and Philly Slim’s (9th Ave. btw. 52+53rd) coming in 2nd, 3rd and 4th respectively. Each have outposts in the outer reaches of Midtown but it isn’t entirely clear if he visited the Midtown locations (except in the case of Shorty’s-formerly Tony Luke’s- which only has one NYC location.) Either way he goes on to say that “all three of our top scorers rank on par with some of the best cheesesteaks I’ve had in Philly and I can confidently recommend any of them for a good time.”  [via Serious Eats: New York]

A Lunch’er alerted me yesterday to the news that 99 Miles to Philly is opening a new location today on 52nd and Second.  (Though he failed to mention that it’s replacing Zip Burger, which had been closed for rennovations.)  2nd Ave. is out of bounds for most Midtown Lunch’ers, but philly cheese steak fans on the east side should be prety excited hear this news. I’m sure for many of you, it will be worth the extra walk- especially for those who consider it better than Carl’s.  It opens at 11:30 today, so Early adopters, let us know how it is. Update: Confirmed Open.

A heavenly match has been created on 3rd Avenue btw. 34+35th Streets. What better way to counteract the effects of a Carl’s cheesesteak grease bomb than with Red Mango. Yes, I admit it- I like Red Mango. (Pinkberry can screw off, though.) You may say the secret ingredient is Cap’n Crunch. (Trust me, it’s freaking good.) And it has been proven in a study that yogurt cultures, mixed with peanut butter cereal, will help aid in the digestion of red meat and cheese. You can’t argue with science.*

* Not proven by any actual scientific study.

Park Ave. is quickly becoming the cart/truck capitol of Midtown.  Between Jiannetto’s, Pranzo, The Steak Truck, three Indian Carts, and a number of chicken and rice carts with long lines, you pretty much have everything you could ever want (if only the 2nd Daisy May’s cart would return). Yesterday, on a recommendation from a Midtown Lunch’er, I headed to Park Ave. to partake in a steak & cheese from a cart.

Now, here is the big disclaimer.  If you have ever been to Philadelphia, and had a philly cheesesteak, then you are aware of what a “real” cheesesteak is.  If you have ever lived in New England, you have disputed the Philadelphia claim to having the best steak & cheese (after all, provolone is far superior cheez whiz, right?).  Maybe you have even been to the Tony Luke’s (now Shorty’s) on 9th Ave., and feel like you have had a decent cheesesteak  here in New York City.  Steak & Cheese from a cart in Midtown is not going to live up to any of those standards.  It costs $4.  It’s from a cart.  That being said, the steak & cheese I had yesterday from Magdy’s on Park & 46th was pretty damn tasty.

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