Midtown Lunch

I love free food, but not enough to eat at McDonalds (notice how I got Andre Mika to blog about their chicken sandwich for me), and even posting about their southern style fried chicken sandwich promotion this morning made me feel dirty.  Luckily I get to redeem myself by posting this email from Midtown Lunch’er “Shauna“:

I saw the slightly tantalizing image you posted when McD’s first announced the Southern Style Chicken Sandwich, but lookie here at what my coworker returned to the office with today [from the McDonalds on Broadway & 51st]…

Are they KIDDING?!?!?! Maybe that’s how they’re saving $$ during the giveaway today.  Pretty pathetic.

I didn’t hear too many complaints from commenters, so I’m guessing this was just one stray breakfast biscuit patty, served as a lunch sandwich… but even so, it makes me feel good to post it.

Haagen Dazs is introducing their new Vanilla Honey Bee Ice Cream with “Free Flavor Day”, which means, today from 4-8pm you can go into any participating location and get a free scoop of the new flavor.  But don’t go running out to your nearest Haagen Dazs just yet… you may remember from last year, when they did this same promotion, it is only “participating” locations, so many of the Midtown franchises that sell Haagen Dazs will not have the new flavor, or be offering any sort of free Ice Cream.  Don’t be fooled by the “Find a Location Near You” link on the Haagen Dazs website.  Not all of those locations are participating.

We take our free stuff very seriously here at Midtown Lunch, and have tracked down confirmation one way or the other, from three of the Midtown Haagen Dazs locations.  The list is after the jump…  Read more »

This is not a joke.  I got an email this morning saying that The Volstead, a newish restaurant on 54th btw. Park+Lex, known for their after work bar scene, is offering free lunch to all Midtown Lunch readers every Tuesday in the month of May.  This place is so not a Midtown Lunch (in both price and set up), but it’s free- and they have sandwiches, salads, sliders, burgers, and a lobster roll.  Yes, a lobster roll… and it’s free (although lord how long it will be before those run out!).  I spoke to owner Matt Wagman, who sent the email, to make sure he knew what he was getting himself into (we are very fat, and there are alot of us), and he not only assured me he did, but that it wasn’t a gimmick.  He just wants more people to know about their lunch menu, and figured this was a good way to do it.  (What was it they said about gift horses?) 

And now for the supprisingly non-restrictive fine print:  Limit one entree from the lunch menu, and one non-alcoholic beverage per person (and they assured me that if tables wanted to sample one or two of their appetizers, they would be allowed to do that as well).  Believe me, I’m as a surprised as you are.

Lunch is between 11:30am and 2:30pm and reservations are recommended… so if you don’t want to leave it to chance you can actually book a reservation for your free lunch.  (Walk-ins are accepted, space permitting, but no take out orders and no doggie bags- for obvious reasons.)  Click here to check out the menu.  To make a reservation, call 212 583-0411.  Available every Tuesday between now and the end of May (2008).  Oh and I’m not too concerned about this being a bait and switch… Matt reads the site and knows what happens to places that screw us over on free food days!

The Volstead, 125 E 54th St. (btw. Park+Lex), 212-583-0411

Tomorrow (Tuesday) is another Ben & Jerry’s Free Cone Day! Lines are long, but they usually move fast, and free ice cream is always worth it. There are 3 participating locations in Midtown to get your free scoop:

• Rockefeller Center Concourse, Enter at 6th btw. 49+50th (and go downstairs)
• 8th Ave. btw. 42+43rd
• Macy’s, 34th btw. B’way+7th (4th Floor)

The New Food Court Sophie’s on 3rd Ave. btw. 49+50th

This just in courtesy of Midtown Lunch’er “Margot”… the food court that houses Pampano Taqueria (and Pump Energy Kitchen) on 3rd Ave. btw. 49+50th will be welcoming a new Sophie’s Cuban into its fold today at 11am.  And as always, Grand Opening day at Sophie’s means free food (from the opening at 11am until 2pm).  For those who are uninitiated, the food court is in the basement of 805 3rd Ave., and free food day at Sophie’s is always exciting!  Check out the last one on 41st btw. 7+8th.

Sophie’s Cuban, 805 Third Ave (Lower Level) btw. 49+50th, 212-308-1024

Update: 1:30 PM  They have officially run out of food… the location will open officially tomorrow (Weds) at 10am.  As a side note, because the location is so small, they won’t do any of the cooking on site.  All the food will be brought over from another Sophie’s locations in waves throughout the day, and it will only be open from 10am to 5pm.

According to the Citysearch Blog there will be:

free haggis “hot dogs” from a temporary street cart near Times Square [as part of] Scotland Week… at the corner of 52nd Street and Broadway (near the Continental Airlines billboard), April 4th and 5th, 11am to 5pm.

Mark it on your calendars kids… stuffed intestines = good.  Free stuffed intestines = Midtown Lunch pandemonium!  [Scotland Week via Citysearch Blog]

Disclaimer: This is not live.
Photo from Sophie’s 56th St. Grand Opening, March 2007

Just got word that the Sophie’s Cuban on 40th btw. 7+8th (that we’ve been waiting for since April of Last year!) will have its customary, pre-grand opening “Free Food Day”, tomorrow- Wednesday March 19th.  The restaurant won’t actually be ready to go until late tomorrow afternoon, but they will be bringing in tons of food from their other locations to feed the hordes.

They expect to be ready to go at 11:30am, and will serve a limited menu of free food until it all runs out (they plan on making it until late afternoon, but with Con-Ed still being a question mark, and the food coming from another location, they cannot be positive).    

Unlike the perfect weather at their last grand opening, which made for long lines, tomorrow is looking to be rainy, meaning us die hard free food/Sophie’s fans should be in good shape.  (On the other hand it’s a very short walk from the New York Times building, and we all know how well journalists are paid… so it could be a long lunch.)

What “free food day” got you last March on 56th St., after the jump… Read more »

From Eater (via FatWallet)

Another day, another fro-yo opening, another promise of free goods. Today a Red Mango opens on 45th and 8th Ave., and promises to give away their goods from 3-10pm.

My track record with free frozen yogurt  is not that great, but this one seems legit.  A phone call to the location confirmed that the new Red Mango will be giving away the small size frozen yogurt with one topping.  723 8th Ave. (btw. 45+46th).  Enjoy!

Update:  It’s pretty cold out for fro-yo, but it was free so how could I resist.  See what “free” should really get you, after the jump…

Read more »