Midtown Lunch

It’s been over 9 months since STK Out first displaced the Trini Paki Cart, but according to their Facebook and Twitter Wednesday will be the grand opening. Sure enough I walked by today and they were wearing down the temporary window coverings in preparation for their opening. Despite the name and all the talk of it being perfect for the lunch crowd looking for gourmet meals on the go, all early signs point to this place being way out of the Midtown Lunch price range. I guess we’ll find out on Wednesday!

As mentioned in the forums last week, Tri Tip Grill (in the Rockefeller Center Concourse) has recently opened for breakfast, including an egg sandwich featuring their trademark beef. This is great news for people who believe it’s never inappropriate to enjoy some medium-rare red meat. People like me.
Read more »

Sorry for the schmear-my lens had a run-in with BBQ sauce

Two very important things happened to Midtown yesterday. 1) We got the Double Down (and Mamacita immediately improved it), and 2) we got steak sandwiches! While I loves me some fried chicken, biscuits, cheese, and bacon, I love steak more. I especially like when it’s a somewhat affordable lunch. Tri Tip Grill is probably the most important thing to happen to Rockefeller Center since the ice rink, and maybe NBC calling it home, and the tree; so it’s the 4th most important thing. But it’s number one in most delicious and juicy!

Read more »

Le Relais de Venise L’Entrecote, a famous French chain with a one item menu (steak frites), just opened their first location in the U.S. on the corner of 52nd and Lex. Even though the $24 price tag puts it well out of the Midtown Lunch price range, their special herb sauce topping looks amazing and they bring you a second serving of steak and french fries after you finish your first. Sounds like my kind of place! [Serious Eats: New York]

After receiving an email from a Benjamin Steakhouse PR person, I politely told them that Midtown Lunches have to be under $10. Her reply: “We actually do have some great things under $10.00 that I would love for you to consider! Two items on the menu [that] are perfect for lunch are the French Onion Soup and the Wedge Salad. They are big sellers during lunchtime. Additionally, I’ve attached images for your review.” Wedge salad? You’re joking, right? I believe that’s what is know in “the business” as an appetizer. Sell a steak sandwich *and* soup or salad for $10, and then we’ll talk.

In a lot of ways steak is like sushi.  You can find it cheap, but if you want the good stuff you’re going to have to shell out the cash.  It’s tough to get good versions of both for under $10 in Midtown, but at least in the steak category there have been a few exceptions.  Surprising everybody, my trip to Tad’s Steak brought me a lot of joy- but clearly the best option is when a nice steakhouse offers up some sort of special.  The Del Frisco’s bar menu loophole was the best by far, but as soon as Midtown Lunch’ers got on that, they raised the price from $9.99 to an understandable, but out of the ML price range, $11.95 $12.95.

Well, with a recession comes the recession specials… and A.J. Maxwell’s (on 49th btw. 5+6th) has created a take-out-only lunch special for those of us who’d like to enjoy a steak sandwich made with quality steak (or mini burgers, or a chicken sandwich) for just $10.  You get your choice of any one of the three, plus a soup or salad, for $10.

Read more »

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

Photos by Kathy YL Chan

The out of bounds block of 53rd street btw. 2nd and 3rd Avenue is quickly becoming a mini-restaurant row for east side Midtown Lunch’ers.  A while back I wrote about Spoons (which was replaced by Good Health Burger) and Uncle Marky’s Organics (which is still there.)  There is also LTK (Little Thai Kitchen) and , where you can get under $10 Thai and Indian lunch specials, as well as the recently opened second branch of the East Village’s Brick Lane Curry House. 

But I think the cheapest option on the block is the Hawaiian Island Grill, a take out only place that is also home to the overpriced ”Gordon Chen’s Kitchen.” Both are owned by the same company that owns the Hakata Grill, and while I didn’t necessarily have high hopes, a tipster suggested I check it out. Seeing how it was supposed to be Hawaiian food, and I’ve never been to Hawaii, I enlisted my friend Kathy YL Chan (from the blog A Passion for Food & Serious Eats: New York) to accompany me.

Between the two of us, we ordered most of the lunch specials… and our thoughts (plus food porn) are after the jump. Mine, from the perspective of a fat guy- her, from the perspective of a Hawaiian.

Read more »

The Zagat Blog writes about 5 steak deals in New York City between $20.99 and $31 and four of them are in Midtown.  You know I’d rather eat at a scary steak chain like Tad’s Broiled Steaks before spending $20 on lunch, but I know some of you splurge, so I’ll link to it as a public service announcement… although I still say you’re better off with the Del Frisco’s $11.99 steak tips bar deal, which Zagat somehow missed! They still offer this, right? (Admittedly I haven’t been back since they raised the price.)