As they do every year, Gourmet 53 will be celebrating their 17th Anniversary today (11/16) from 11:30am to 3pm. Just like last year, they will be offering all lunch meals at their original 1994 price of $3 (CASH ONLY), and 10 lucky customers will win free lunch for a whole month! I speak from experience when I say the line will be disconcertingly massive, but it moves quickly and they’ll be passing around their famous coconut shrimp as well as bruschetta, so the short wait will be well worth it. See you all there!

Gourmet 53, Food Court in the Basement of 875 3rd Ave. (btw. 52+53rd), (212) 223-8481

The coconut shrimp at Gourmet 53 is the stuff that Midtown Lunch dreams are made of, but did you know that they also have Mexican inspired sandwiches on the menu as well? They’ve actually had them for awhile but for some reason I haven’t bothered to try one until now. Carefully constructed with top-quality ingredients these are not, but they will certainly satisfy anybody looking for a cheap, delicious, and different sandwich (plus extras, but more on that later).

Gourmet 53 offers three types of Mexican inspired sandwiches: the Cemita Poblano, the Pollo Torta, and the Chicken Milanesa. All of the sandwiches are served with french fries, plus pita chips (or a roll), a cookie (of your choice), a little fruit salad (or Jello), and a can of soda for $8 plus tax. Once you place your order and move down the line, you can take a number to see if you win one of several free lunches each day, and guess what? Today was my lucky day… hello free pollo torta, with all the extras!

My torta included shredded chicken in chipotle sauce, black bean spread, roasted Serrano chile, Bibb lettuce, red onion, queso fresco, aioli, and papalo (“an herb similar to cilantro used in Mexican cooking” according to Google), all  piled into a toasted garlic hero. The sandwich was large and definitely very tasty, but parts of the description were a bit misleading. There was a hint of spice but I was hoping for a bit more heat from the chile, and probably wouldn’t really have noticed it had I not known that it was in there. The queso fresco seemed to be missing altogether, and papalo is still a mystery to me, but the ingredients that were there came together well, and the garlic bread was a welcome surprise.

My lunching companion had the Cemita Poblano, described as shredded all-natural pork butt, champagne mango, Oaxaca cheese, queso fresco, smashed avocado, aioli, and papalo, again served on toasted garlic bread. The mango (a strange addition to a cemita) definitely added a hint of sweetness and the pork was flavorful and tender but the cheese seemed to be absent again!  It’s kind of criminal to leave cheese off a cemita, but thankfully the sandwich still tasted awesome without it. If I were to go back for these sandwiches, I’d probably order this one again over the torta.

Basically, these sandwiches look like a mess and a half, but they are a tasty alternative to a regular deli sandwich, even with the few mistakes they seemed to make in their description/assembly. And, once again, who can argue with the amount of food that you get?

The + (What someone who likes this place would say)

• Look at all these extras you get?! I love bonus food.
• This is a tasty alternative to a generic deli sandwich.
• I WON!! My day is now a little bit brighter.

The – (What someone who doesn’t like this place would say)

• I’ve had better/more authentic/spicier/cheesier cemitas elsewhere.
• Where’s the cheese?? And the spice?? And what the heck is papalo??
• I want Mexican sandwiches, not Mexican “inspired” sandwiches!

Gourmet 53, Food Court in the Basement of 875 3rd Ave. (btw. 52+53rd), (212) 223-8481

Related:
Gourmet 53 is One of Those Places I Should Have Mentioned Years Ago

Related:
Gourmet 53 is One of Those Places I Should Have Mentioned Years Ago

About 2 and a half years ago, when I first ventured into the basement food court of the building on 3rd btw. 52+53rd to write about Fusion Grills (a typical Chinese/Japanese food court establishment), I got loads of emails recommending its neighbor Gourmet 53.  It might look like a typical generic Midtown deli, people would tell me, but it’s a really good deal- and the food is great.  Most  people recommended their coconut shrimp special (what can I say, the longtime readers know me so well!) and even though I put it off for way too long- I finally made to Gourmet 53 last week to see if all the hype was warranted.

What can I say? I love coconut shrimp.  I don’t know if it can be directly traced to my wild Bar Mitzvah attending days of 1989, but irony aside (how do you serve shellfish at a Bar Mitzvah?) I freakin’ love coconut shrimp.  So sweet.  So crunchy.  So delicious.  Gourmet 53 offers them as a lunch special every day, and $6.95 gets you the shrimp plus salad and fries.  As if that wasn’t enough (dayenu) they throw in a canned soda, your choice of jello or fruit- and…

A cookie!  Are you shitting me?  Free jello and a soda was exciting enough. But a cookie also?  And all of it for less money that you would spend on a turkey sandwich at Lenny’s.  Gourmet 53 could be the greatest place of all time.  At the very least, it’s the best non-cheap-Chinese-food option I’ve ever encountered at a mall food court.  (Bourbon chicken counts as cheap Chinese food, fyi.)

You only get 6 shrimp, and they are butterflied to make them look bigger, but after you add the adequate fries, salad, jello, cookie and soda- you’re not leaving hungry.  It comes with mayo based-thousand island type-tartar style dipping sauce that I used a few times- but not every time.  Sometimes you just want to taste that sweet crunchy coconut. I really liked the salad too, not because I like salad or this was necessarily a great one, but because they put it on top of the fries- so as you poke down with your fork you can’t help but pick up a fry a or two with your greens. I like it!

I know there is plenty more to like about this place aside from the coconut shrimp, and tips on when to go to avoid the lines, etc.  So if you are a fan, feel free to put your recommendations in the comments.  And to all those who have been telling me about Gourmet 53 all these years… I’m sorry it took me so long.  I’m stupid. You’re smart. I was wrong. You were right. You’re the best. I’m the worst. You’re very good-looking. I’m… not… attractive.   And to the rest of you coconut shrimp loving MLers… what are you waiting for?  Check out Gourmet 53 sooner rather than later.  Don’t make the same mistake I made…

Gourmet 53, Food Court in the Basement of 875 3rd Ave. (btw. 52+53rd), (212) 223-8481