Midtown Lunch

Most of my experience with ramen is limited to home-cooked lunch in graduate school and the occasional visit to one of the many delis near my office… sad, I know. But I’ve been meaning to check out a real ramen restaurant for some time now, so when I heard about Ramen Takumi (3rd Ave. btw. 34th & 35th St.), I jumped at the chance to try it out.

Takumi is a cool-looking place, with a tables and bar style seating. It’s menu features not the pork-laden tonkotsu ramen, but shio, a salt-flavored broth. It’s a clean-tasting soup, salty of course, with a bite of seaweed as well. So if you’re looking for rich, fatty broth, this particular ramen spot probably isn’t for you.

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Of the various cultural events surrounding Japan Week in March, the most exciting is that ekiben, bento boxes sold at train stations throughout Japan, will be featured as a part of the cultural events held in Grand Central Terminal on March 19-21. A corner of Vanderbilt Hall will be devoted to ekiben, which traditionally contain local specialties from the region they come from. Various NYC restaurants — including a few from Midtown — are providing ekiben that highlight the food from different regions of Japan. Check out a preview of what you can expect on the Japan Week website; no word on pricing, but nonetheless, this should definitely be worth penciling into your calendars.

If you’re looking for Indian food on a Midtown Lunch budget, there are plenty of options available, ranging from carts to steam tables. But at Amma (51st St. between 2nd Ave. and 3rd Ave.), you can get something else: sit-down restaurant quality takeout for under $10.

I walked into Amma not knowing what to expect, and stumbled into a small, quiet dining room. I was quickly brought back, past a wall-sized wine rack, to the servers’ station where I could place my to-go order. Yes, this is a restaurant where entrees run anywhere from $15 to $30, but from 12 to 3pm, Amma offers to-go ‘lunch boxes’ that range in price from $9 to $12.

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Looking for cheap eats? Of course you are. Well, look no further than Bread & Butter (44th St. btw. Madison+Fifth Ave.), which boasts 50% off both breakfast and lunch this week and next. The breakfast special runs from 7:00-10:30am, while the lunch special is available from 11:00am-3:00pm. Thanks to Lunch’er ‘Justin’ for sharing the news about this deal.

If a restaurant has a specific food in its name, it’s usually a safe bet that said food is the way to go when ordering lunch. In that case, you’d be wise to order one of the several schnitzels available at Schnitzel & Things (45th St. and 3rd Ave.). But what about the “Things”? Could there be lunchtime gold hidden in there?

I would venture to say ‘yes’. I might even go so far as to say that the best thing you can get at Schnitzel & Things isn’t schnitzel at all – it’s the bratwurst.

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We’ve already mentioned midtown newcomer Treehaus (3rd Ave. and 51st St.) for its next-level buffet options, but they’ve now stepped up to the plate with an offering for the Midtown Lunch Sandwich Challenge (remember that old thing!?)  The Crispy Buffalo Chicken, which is priced at $8.50 ($9.25 with tax), is actually a wrap- which generally speaking can’t compare with proper sandwiches — after all, flour tortillas are often just soft, one-note, well, wrapping for ingredients that could otherwise benefit from a nice, crusty roll or slices of bread. Treehaus finds, however, finds a way to elevate the humble wrap by toasting a wheat tortilla in a panini press, giving it nice grill marks and a bit of texture.

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Last week we brought you the news that the popular Turkish food Bryant Park (and Columbus Circle) holiday market kiosk Mmm…Enfes had opened a brick and mortar on 39th street. Over the years I’ve had a chance to sample a few of Mmm…Enfes’ specialties like their buttery gözleme. With the storefront they’ve had the opportunity to expand their menu so naturally I was eager to check it out. Read more »

I don’t know about you, but Cheesesteaks and Crepes aren’t the most obvious combination to me. In fact, it seems a little weird. To be honest, when Brian reported on the new Steak & Crepes cart hitting midtown a little while back, it seemed a little goofy.Then the cart showed up in front of my office on 46th Street last week and curiosity got the better of me.

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Schmackary’s didn’t do so hot in the 2012 Readers’ Poll for desserts, which was disappointing to me, because it’s at the top of my list for cookies around Times Square. In addition to fulfilling your cookie fix, though, there are plenty other options in their arsenal of sweets, including “Schmackaroons,” or coconut macaroons with the Schmackary’s twist. Usually $3 each, and without discounts when bought in bulk, the Schmackaroons don’t come cheap. But, on Tuesdays Schmackary’s treats Schmackaroons like cookies. Instead of $3, they are the price of cookies (pricing structure in this post), and if you buy more than one, the price per Schmackaroon is reduced. So, I purchased a cookie and a Schmackaroon and forked over $5, the price of two cookies.
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A whole year in the making, Smokey Burger Organic finally opened on 45th btw 8+9th at the top of the year. I stopped by to check out the menu and was a little shocked that it is nothing like anything in the area, when it comes to burgers. Not even close. Craving an elk burger or perhaps ostrich? Smokey Burger Organic has you covered … but it’s going to cost you. This is no Midtown Lunch.
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