Midtown Lunch

Schmackary’s has officially become my new favorite place to get cookies since the Treats Truck left Midtown. They just opened a couple weeks ago, and in my first visit, I was going to get something pretty standard, like chocolate chip, to be able to properly judge based on familiarity. But, apparently I’m really attracted to buttercream frosting, because instead I went with cookies covered in it. And, it’s amazing, by the way.
Read more »

Last summer, Barbanzo opened in Midtown East, serving average falafel/hummus/shwarma fare. Chris tried the falafel platter back in August and reported back without much enthusuasm. I was walking by recently and noticed that the name had changed to Banzobar (I actually had to read it a few times to make sure it wasn’t my eyes playing tricks on me), so I went in to see if anything else had changed.

Read more »

Interesting news from Lunch’er Sean, who sent us this tip about a sweet new addition to Ninth Avenue:

The old Piece of Chicken [spot] has been signed by the cookie outfit Schmackary’s, which will be their first storefront. Probably not as affordable as the Treats Truck (we miss you Kim!), but I’m interested in a new sugar fix near my office in Times Square.

In case you don’t remember, Piece of Chicken, was that very affordable but out-of-bounds fried chicken joint at 630 Ninth Avenue that closed in 2010. It’s a bit of a hike to get there, but we are excited to potentially have a new reason to walk all the way to Ninth!

I walk by Taksim all the time on my way to and from work, and a recent hankering for Mediterranean finally had me wandering in to check out what they had to offer. The menu mostly consisted of entrees and platters priced out of ML range, but the small sandwich section of the menu definitely had potential.
Read more »

Walking down 53rd Street recently I passed a tiny hole in the wall, a barely signed new space that for some reason caught my eye. Turns out it was Tomiya, a tiny grocery selling authentic Japanese sundries, treats, snacks, and…drum roll…a small assortment of prepared foods priced in ML range. I’m pretty sure this place is the real deal because the only things I could read in there were the helpful handwritten signs posted around the place to help us Americans navigate. See what I’m talking about after the jump…

Read more »

Every Friday we go south of the ML boundaries in search of a delicious lunch. Sometimes it’s Murray Hill south or the Flatiron District, sometimes Gramercy and everything in between- but we just like to call it Flatiron Lunch.

What is it about Korean food that has us obsessed? I am not complaining, but have you seen the Midtown Lunch archives on Korean food?? Seriously. I am guilty, and since K-town Proper is technically in the ML boundaries by a block (just one block!), I think it is only fair that we have our own Korean restaurants in the Flatiron District (not that we can’t and don’t walk that extra block to partake in the joys of K-town.) A few weeks ago, as I walked the northern most Flatiron boundaries, I spotted a small place hiding under scaffolding and went in to investigate further. It was dinner-time, and every table was filled with young, hip Koreans. I asked to see a lunch menu and didn’t see a single item over the ML budget, which isn’t surprising for K-town, but was for such a design-y, trendy spot.

Read more »

A little over a year ago we reported that Prince Grill (formerly known as Prince Deli) had moved to a new location (45th btw 2nd+3rd). We were pretty happy that we would still get the chance to eat their famous falafel, though somehow along the way they closed. But then recently as I was walking back to work after scoring some ramps at the Dag Hammarskjold farmers market on 47th and 2nd, I noticed that Super Dumpling has opened for business. Well, I’m always down for dumplings…

Read more »

I walk by 696 Gourmet Deli everyday, but never once did I think about going inside to get breakfast or lunch. I have looked at their lunch specials but only when I’m on my way to grab lunch from somewhere else. Then one day I found myself craving a sandwich. Not just any sandwich: a really messy, gut busting, nap required after eating sort of sandwich. I had thought about the crazy chicken sandwich I had at Previti that was as big as my head, but I wanted somewhere closer. While wandering around, I found myself checking out 696 Gourmet Deli and their lunch specials, and I ended up getting the roast beef sandwich ($6.50). So was it the messy gut busting sandwich I was craving for?

Read more »

A year after Clay first noticed the sign for a new burger shop on 36th Street and Sixth Avenue, 5 Boro Burger is finally open. It’s a bar/burger joint with a similar red logo to the other five burger companies (Napkin and Guys). I stopped by to check out the scene and it was a bit harried on Friday. There weren’t even enough menus to go around (the restaurant was half full). When I did get my hands on one, I discovered the burgers themselves range from $8-$11. And if you want to get one of the five specialty burgers named after each borough (with toppings that have a vague resemblance to the actual borough), it’ll run you about $15. They also have hot dogs, sandwiches, and bar snacks. I had already eaten, so didn’t get to actually try the food. Has anybody else ventured in yet? Early adopters, let us know in the comments.

Every Friday we go south of the ML boundaries in search of a delicious lunch. Sometimes it’s Murray Hill south or the Flatiron District, sometimes Gramercy and everything in between- but we just like to call it Flatiron Lunch.

I realize that I am going to take some flack for this one, but yes, that is a Holiday Inn sign peaking out in the corner of the above photo, and yes, Contorno’s is an Italian restaurant in a Holiday Inn lobby. It’s always fun when we are able to bring you a restaurant in a non-traditional, almost hidden location (in my book, nothing will top El Sabroso), and Contorno’s not only qualifies as an unexpected and worthwhile lunch destination, but also brings better-than-average Italian food to the table at ML prices.

Read more »