Midtown Lunch

Restaurants have all sorts of creative ways to cover up the big yellow sticker that lets people know their establishment has been closed by the DOH. But using Twitter to preemptively alert your customers that you will be “closing for the holidays” is a new one. Yesterday, we thought that maybe Mantao Chinese Sandwiches (which [...]

Ouch!  From the looks of this photo emailed in by Lunch’er Harry, Gulluoglu’s closure earlier in the week wasn’t self imposed.  The strange thing is, they had a DOH inspection less than a month ago and got a 7 (which is pretty stellar.)  Maybe they really did just have a “sprinkler issue”.  In any case, [...]

Got multiple reports at the end of the last week that both Grill 44 (on 44th btw. Lex+3rd) and Crisp (on 3rd & 43rd) have been closed by the Department of Health.  The Grill 44 inspection happened awhile ago, so they might already be open again. As for Crisp, there is no report listed yet [...]

A few weeks ago it was the former newsstand on 6th Ave., and now (according to a post in the forums by Lunch’er “copyboy”)  Indus Express is the latest Indian joint to be closed by the Department of Health (on 48th btw. 5+6th). If you want to find them on the DOH website, they’re still [...]

Lunch’er Carolyn sent in this terrible news yesterday: “As I was on my way to pick up my beloved samosa chat, I found that Indian Newsstand on 6th between 37+38th was shuttered! I didn’t see any notices, but I just thought I would spread the word. Also, just so the people know, they [...]

It looks like Variety Cafe (the giant generic Midtown Deli on 48th btw. 5+6th) has been closed by the department of health for the second time in 3 years. According to somebody on the scene they hung a sign in the window claiming the infractions were minor (like “leaving the cap off the orange juice”.) [...]

via Twitter: “Rock Center Dunkins and Booster Juice got DOH’ed for expired permits. I suspect Starbucks called it in.” Update: from Blondie and Brownie “The Dunkin is back up and running. By the afternoon they were square with the DOH.”  Praise jeebus!

The Roast Pork from Cafe Cello (on 45th btw. 5+6th)
I was pretty sure that you could only get swine flu from hanging out with live pigs, or going to school in Queens- but now the internets have me worried that you can get it from eating pork! Thinking that maybe this is why Cafe [...]

My heart almost exploded on Friday afternoon as I walked towards a shuttered Cafe Cello (on 46th btw. 5+6th.)  It might be the first time in Midtown Lunch history where I was actually *hoping* to see a DOH sticker.  Dealing with the alternative scenario (the place shutting down entirely) would have been too much for [...]

“Thought I’d let you know that Delmonico’s deli at 41st and Lex is closed for cleanup today. Seems they had a gas explosion and were closed by the Health Dept., according to a worker who answered the phone there.” Thanks to Lunch’er Howard for the tip.