Related:
Matt Kenney’s Free Foods NYC Expanding into Midtown East
FreeFoods BBQ Brisket Sandwich is Another Triumph (And if They Raise the Price I’ll Kill ‘Em)

Also happening today in the Midtown Lunch sandwich world… Certe (on 55th btw. 5+6th) introduces their June entry to the Midtown Lunch Sandwich Challenge: a beer battered jumbo soft shell crab with bibb lettuce, remoulade sauce on a toasted butter potato roll ($8.95).  Nice.  I love soft shelled crab, so I’m thinking this sandwich will continue the same streak of awesomeness that brought us the Thanksgiving Dip and The Primavera.

I think most people will agree that the biggest surprise of the Midtown Lunch Sandwich Challenge was the duck pastrami reuben created by FreeFoods NYC (on 45th btw. 5+6th & 52nd btw. 3rd+Lex). It was so delicious, that most of us were willing to ignore the fact that it was kind of small, and very expensive ($9.95). It was especially hard for those who vowed never to step food in a place that serves the kind of super expensive raw/vegan/organic/yuppie food that FreeFoods is known for. But the sandwich was freakin’ awesome. And in the end taste triumphs over everything.

And then the unthinkable thing we knew was going to happen, happened. They raised the price. Part of the Midtown Lunch Sandwich Challenge is that everything had to be under $10… so they introduced it at $9.95, only to raise it to $12 now that the sandwich is so popular. Normally I would institute an immediate boycott, but FreeFoods was too smart for that. They simultaneously introduced a new $9.75 sandwich, that sounded too good to pass up. It’s not part of the Sandwich Challenge, but the owner admitted that they made it with the Midtown Lunch readers in mind. Sloppy Leo’s Brisket Melt.

An ok amount of Brisket, smothered in agave BBQ sauce, topped with carmelized onions, and hickory smoked gouda, on two slices of Sullivan Street Bakery filone. Oh man. We’ve got another winner people. The BBQ sauce is perfect, with the agave adding this amazing fruity sweetness (but not too sweet) that makes it completely different than any other bbq sauce I’ve had before. The brisket is great too, with a nice thick layer of perfectly cooked fat that melts in your mouth. You can never go wrong putting anything on Sullivan St. Bakery bread. The cheese adds that wtf factor, and I didn’t notice the onions- but all together it made for an amazing amazing sandwich.

What can I say? I’m a big fan. Yes, it’s too small. Yes, I freakin’ hate paying $9.75 for a small sandwich. Sure Daisy May’s BBQ Cart might be better. (And if you are a BBQ purist, where smoke trumps all, you’ll probably hate this sandwich.) But in the end, for me, taste trumps all and I will admit that you guys have somebody in the kitchen doing something right. I thought I was out… but you keep pulling me back in.

But, let me say this FreeFoods NYC… I’m a superstitious man. And if some day you should decide that this sandwich is too cheap, or the ingredients are too expensive, or this sandwich is struck by a bolt of lightning and accidentally becomes $12, then I’m going to blame some of the people in this room. And that I do not forgive. But that aside, let me say that I swear, on the souls of my grandchildren, that I will not be the one who will break the peace we have made here today. (Unless you raise the price of the sandwich… and force us to boycott!)

Related:
Free Foods Pulls Terrible Duck Reuben Bait and Switch!
FreeFoods is Adding a Few More Sandwiches for the “ML Crowd”
FreeFoods Duck Pastrami Sandwich is a Triumph. A Freakin’ Expensive Triumph.

A few months ago FreeFoods NYC made the exciting announcement that their Midtown Lunch Sandwich Challenge Entry, the amazing duck reuben, was going to be permanently added to the menu (in addition to a few more Midtown Lunch’ish sounding sandwiches.)  However, they neglected to mention one incredibly important thing:  the Duck Reuben is now $12.  How dare they serve up a $10 sandwich, get us all addicted to it, and then raise the price out of Midtown Lunching range.  It’s a travesty.  Duck reuben, you are dead to me.

Thankfully, there is an under $10 brisket sandwich replacement that is already getting raves.

From lunch’er Elle:

I actually had the pleasure of trying the beef brisket. Total mouthgasm. At one point “this is the best sandwich ever invented” crossed my mind. The brisket itself is better than 90% of the briskets at bbq joints I’ve been to.

And from Tanman:

Don’t know if you’ve been to Freefoods recently, but I went to the 45th St location yesterday. First note, they’ve increased the price on the duck sandwich to $12, which automatically disqualified it from consideration for lunch. I had the Sloppy Leo’s Brisket Melt ($9.75 + tax) and it was delicious! The meat is tender and juicy (and they pile it up pretty well) and the bbq sauce had a tangy kick to it. Only small complaint would be the smoked gouda cheese was a little overpowering and didn’t go all that well with the sandwich (maybe provolone would have been a better choice?). Either way, its a very good sandwich, maybe even better than the duck sandwich. I’d have to try the duck again to compare definitively, but I will take a moral stand and not get it unless they lower the price again (or I stay late for dinner and order seamless on the company’s dime).

Yes. A moral stand! I like it. That brisket melt does sound good though. It’s under $10, so the moral stand doesn’t have to apply to that, right? I would like to try one of those.

FreeFoods NYC (multiple locations)

• 150 E. 52nd St. (btw. Lex+3rd),  212-371-1945
• 18 W. 45th St. (btw. 5+6th),  212-302-7195

FreeFoods NYC may be expensive and a lot of their food might be completely against what Midtown Lunch stands for, but you can’t fault them for trying.  Their Duck Pastrami Reuben was one of the best entries of the entire Midtown Lunch Sandwich Challenge, and apparently they’ve got some more similar offerings on the way.

“Just letting you know we’re planning on launching the Spring/Summer Menu April 20th and we’ve added some great new sandwiches that we feel are considerably closer to what the ML crowd might be looking for, after learning a bit more about what they enjoy as a function of your website, so thank you.”

A sneak peek at a few of the new additions (custom made for you!) after the jump:

• The Duck Pastrami is staying on as is
• FreeFoods Signature Burrito with Smoked Heirloom Beans, Guacamole, Brown Jasmine Rice, Queso Cojita on Soft Wheat Tortilla
• The Heritage with Barbecued Heritage Farm Pork, Smoked Tomato, Pickled Lime, Chipotle-Cilantro Dressing on Sourdough
• FreeFoods BTLT with Free-Range Smoked Turkey, Butter Lettuce, Crispy Turkey Bacon, Basil Aioli on Ciabatta
• Sloppy Leo’s Brisket Melt with Agave BBQ Sauce, Caramelized Onions, Hickery Smoked Gouda on Filone”

Well, if they’re under $10 I might be persuaded to try a few of those sandwiches…

Related:
FreeFoods Duck Pastrami Sandwich is a Triumph. A Freakin’ Expensive Triumph.

I had the opportunity to try this today [and] mine looks nothing like the picture. not pink and fatty duck, but dry, grayish, and liver-y tasting meat. duck, cheese, bread, cannot go wrong, but i have to say i was disappointed. and probably would go as far to say that if one goes to freefoods expecting it to look like the picture above, they’d be let down. the bread in one half of it was falling apart and for a few bites i was holding the duck itself. not sure if this is a trend or a few instances of negligence, but i’d say to anyone looking to try this sandwich to keep your expectations in check

There are definitely people who got sandwiches that looked like mine, but recently there have been a couple complaints like this one, and it corresponded with a rumor that FreeFoods was no longer making the sandwiches to order.  I emailed FreeFoods to make sure they were still making the same sandwich I got on day one, and the General Manager’s response is after the jump…

Our chef has instructed [the workers] not to pre make the sandwich, although the volume of the duck sandwiches selling is so large, in a small period of time, that in some instances, they were making a few to stay ahead during the rush. I’m disappointed that customer didn’t have the great experience others have had with that sandwich.  I’ve personally fixed the problem at both stores and made sure that only a few sandwiches are put together, just before lunch, and those are served right away, tested it myself and its perfect, though I don’t eat meat, I made an exception.

Awesome.  Are you happy now ML commenters?  After all your hard work, you finally got a vegetarian to eat meat.

Related:
FreeFoods Duck Pastrami Sandwich is a Triumph. A Freakin’ Expensive Triumph.

Related:
FreeFoods Duck Pastrami Sandwich is a Triumph. A Freakin’ Expensive Triumph

Standing in FreeFoods, I could feel my anger rising.  I mean, this place is really expensive.  Sure, most of it is organic, they use the best ingredients, and it is one of the few places in Midtown where a vegetarian, vegan, or raw foods enthusiast can get a decent lunch.  But I don’t fall into any of those categories, and my category (cheap fatso) is clearly not intended audience.  The sandwiches are all $11 and up (except for the ML special), the by the lb. buffet is $395 a pound (or so it seems), and their non coffee drinks are $3 at their cheapest and $8 at their most expensive.  In other words, if you want more than just a sandwich, you’re not getting out of here for less than $15. 

There is only one problem.  The “Midtown Lunch Special Sandwich”, a duck pastrami reuben, is really freakin’ good.

I am a cheapo, but to pretend like I never spend a lot of money on food would be disingenuous.  I’ve done the $100 price fixe at Ko, and the $115 omakase at Soto (both amazing.)  I enjoyed the $32 crab in chili sauce at Fatty Crab (even though you can get cheaper versions in Chinatown) and I’ve spent more on a steak than I spend on two weeks worth of lunches.  But lunch?  Sandwiches?  There is something in my brain that snaps about spending more than $10 on lunch.  (Especially if it’s just a sandwich.  All you can eat buffets?  That’s a different story.) I’m sure their profit margin on one of these sandwiches is significantly less than what, say, the Biryani Cart makes on their food.  But this site isn’t about profit margin. It’s about what it costs to me.

So there I was, eating the duck pastrami sandwich at FreeFoods.  Spending the big bucks, and doing what I said I would never do.  But putting my cheapness aside, and my staunch Midtown Lunch views, I have to admit, this sandwich is not only good… it’s completely worth the money.  Why?  The duck.  It’s not a big sandwich (it comes on 2 slightly smaller than normal slices of rye bread) but they do not skimp on the duck.  You probably get a whole duck breast (something that would easily cost $20+ at a nice restaurant), and it’s perfectly cured, and sliced thick, with a really nice layer of fat (as it should be.) To give you an idea of its size, it’s about the same size as all of the “fat guy” sandwiches at ‘wichcraft.

The whole thing was perfectly complemented by the slaw, emmentaler swiss, and russian dressing.  The fat from the duck and the cheese greases up the bread real good while it’s being pressed in the sandwich machine, giving you that authentic reuben feel.  What can I say?  It was really awesome, filling in that “fat fills me up” kind of way, and I wholeheartedly recommend it.

Do I love FreeFoods now? Let’s not get crazy.  I was pretty angry every single minute I sat in that place, wondering how people could spend so much money on lunch at a place that doesn’t even have waiters. It also didn’t help that the other two sandwiches my friends ordered (the meatball sandwich and the chicken/lime sandwich with avocado ad mango), were pretty meh for $11… or maybe it just seemed that way after eating the duck pastrami special.  Truthfully, if I’m in the mood for a meatball sub- I don’t need to spend $11 on this just ok version (with dry bread.) 

The duck pastrami sandwich, on the other hand… I may have to return for another.  Or better yet, maybe I’ll just order delivery.

Free Foods NYC (Two Locations)

• 150 E. 52nd St. (btw. Lex+3rd),  212-371-1945 
• 18 W. 45th St. (btw. 5+6th),  212-302-7195 

So far I have managed to avoid FreeFoods NYC, the expensive, mostly organic, new deli with an emphasis on raw and vegetarian foods (they do have meat though). I’ve got nothing against their food… just the price, which can get pretty expensive, pretty quick. Luckily for those who were interested Kathy YL Chan, from A Passion for Food, was willing to sacrifice herself by eating through their menu, and posting about it here on Midtown Lunch.

Well FreeFoods NYC has outsmarted me by deciding to take on the Midtown Lunch Sandwich Challenge, which was announced last week; ensuring that I will have to go in and at least try the sandwich they have created. Their entry? A free range duck reuben featuring brown sugar-cured duck pastrami, sauerkraut, swiss, and a red chili Russian dressing (on toasted rye). It’s a pricey $9.99 (most of their sandwiches cost about that), but actually sounds kind of good. Alright FreeFoods… you’ve won this round. Let’s see how good your sandwich is.