Midtown Lunch

Late last year, Uncle Mario’s Brick Oven Pizza (9th ave btw. 49+50th) opened to little fanfare and Yelp reviews ranging from overly enthusiastic to apathetic all the way to contemptuous. What else would you expect from a slightly gussied up version of a generic pizzeria like Abitino’s, the local chain owned by the same people? None of this made me eager to try it, but when I walked by and spied a macaroni and cheese pie, I felt compelled to investigate Uncle Mario’s world for myself. Here we go!

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Thanks to fellow Lunch’er pshinnyc for giving us heads up about J&V Pizzeria inside the same basement food court as Urban Lobster Shack on 805 3rd Ave. Their website said the original J&V is in Bensonhurst and has been making pizza since 1950. Reviews on Yelp seem to be mostly positive (if Yelp reviewers give good reviews, it must be good right?) I had high hopes that there might be more good pizza close to my work than just Previti Pizza.

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Crain’s announced earlier in the week that Roberto Caporuscio, co-owner of Kesté (one of my favorite pizzerias in the city) and Antonio Starita his mentor and owner of the oldest pizzeria in Naples, will open up a Neapolitan pizzeria called Don Antonio in the fall. It will be on 50th Street just west of 8th Avenue and will serve wood-fired Neapolitan pizzas, those crispy, pillowy delights. Only two of the pies at Kesté are under $10, so I imagine this restaurant might also be a little out of our price range. But here’s hoping they offer some lunch specials. [via Eater]

When I passed by Harry’s Italian in the concourse at 30 Rock on Monday, I took a few other photos of the new shop. Get a closer look, including a menu shot, after the jump.

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Photo courtesy of Gothamist

Really?  Famous Famiglia Pizzeria! That’s the best you can do?  Urgh…

3rd Ave between 57th & 58th St is getting a couple of new lunch options this summer, and both seem to be a little more forward thinking than your average deli. On the east side of the street, a Mediterranean concept called “BarBanzo” will be opening soon. The google didn’t turn up anything definitive about this place, but it seems like their menu will likely focus on falafel. On the west side of 3rd Ave, Naked Pizza is a slightly more interesting opening. Founded in New Orleans shortly after Hurricane Katrina, and backed by investors Mark Cuban and Robert Kraft, the chain has expanded to over 25 locations across the US, as well as presence in Dubai.

They seem to have embraced the healthy, organic, sustainable, whole wheat pizza model (looks like Pizza by Certe will have some competition). They’re also big into the social media game, one article interestingly quoting the owners saying that, “Naked Pizza isn’t a pizza company, but a social media company that sells pizza”. So for the lunchers of Midtown East that have been craving more garbanzo beans, or eco-friendly, healthy, whole wheat, preservative-free, organic social media pizza, time to get excited.

The dollar pizza plague trend is spreading! Yesterday, I found this sign up in the narrow storefront on 6th Avenue near 39th Street that used to be a Tasti D-Lite. Personally, if I’m over there looking for a bite, I’d probably hit Kati Roll Company (on 39th btw. 5+6th) or the Desi Food Truck, but on those days when you only have $2 or $3 to spend on lunch, this will definitely come in handy.

Word on the street is that classic Brooklyn pizzeria, Grimaldi’s is finally opening its Manhattan location in the Limelight Marketplace (on 6th Ave. btw. 20+21st) on Monday after months of delays. A quick call to confirm was met with the word ‘tentatively,’ but also with the much better words “free pizza.” All week – Yes, this week – from 12pm to 3pm, they will be handing out free slices to passersby. Freeloaders engage!

Limelight Marketplace, 656 Ave of the Americas, 212-359-5600

It was always up for debate where K! Pizzacone is a revolutionary concept in pizza eating or a sad, stupid gimmick to relieve tourists of their money. What’s clear at least for the moment is that it is not open for business. At least today. There’s no sign up one way or the other, but what’s also been absent in the window is a DOH Letter grade. We know they didn’t make the Filthy 15, but maybe a B just wasn’t going to meet their high standards.

The other day I noticed a call out for vodka slice recommendations in the forums from lunch’er MattPeach. Lunch’er deanlo let him know that Jiannetto’s sometimes has vodka slices on their truck. With vodka slices on my mind I happened to be walking by Bella Napoli (on 49th btw. 6+7th) when I spied a familiar rose colored sauce topped pie on the counter right near the door. Bella Napoli does vodka slices? Now this was something I had to check out.
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