Archive for 'Kashmir'

Kashmir Dollar Burger Closed For Good?

We last heard about Kashmir Dollar Burger last year when they were hit by a DoH closure (a seemingly constant problem for Kashmir and its related offspring over the years.) Yesterday en route to La Montanita, I couldn’t help but notice the shutter was down. Could the up-and-coming dollar-slice pizza market have outdone the erstwhile dollar burger? No DoH hits for them lately. More importantly – does anyone even miss them? We’ll keep our eyes peeled…

File This Under “Not Shocking”: Kashmir, the Indian Deli on 8th Ave. btw. 39+40th that recently rebranded itself to draw attention to the $1 burger they introduced a couple of years ago, has been shuttered by the DOH. One of the violations? "Food from 'unapproved or unknown' sources". You don't say?  [via DNAinfo]

DOH Declares Times Restaurant “Imminently Perilous”

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It is with a heavy heart that I report that the endearingly eccentric Times Restaurant has finally shuttered, for what  appears to be for good. Walking by, I noticed a court order signed on 6/2/2011 commanding that the space be shutdown, with an ominous warning, “The department of buildings has determined that conditions in this premises are imminently perilous to life. Violators of this commissioner’s vacate order are subject to arrest.”

I’ll dearly miss this place, not that I’ve ever had the courage to actually eat there, but because they’ve always been a source of fun, slapstick content whenever we noticed another misguided effort to stay in business or another DOH smackdown. As we say farewell to the Times Restaurant, we’ve assembled a timeline of our favorite memories of the life and times of this restaurant after the jump.
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Times Restaurant Is Now a Mexican Hooters?


The downstairs Times Restaurant (8th Ave btw. 39+40) has endured near constant change over the last few years: name changes, wildly fluctuating buffet prices, DOH imposed downtime. Through all of that, Times has been some kind of Indian restaurant, much like the upstairs Kashmir Grill it used to share a name with. But now Times Restaurant is offering “traditional Mexican and Tex-Mex food.” It looks like it’s still a sit-down place, but there are a few ML friendly lunch items, like tacos and sandwiches. Perhaps more exciting is the fact that it may also be some sort of Mexican Hooters…
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Kashmir Grill Now Selling a $1 Burger

When walking by Kashmir Grill on 8th Ave. btw. 39+40, I noticed that they are now serving a $1 burger (how could I not notice? Look at all those signs!). Let’s face it, you can get a slice of pizza for $1 anywhere in Midtown these days. But a $1 burger?  That’s uncharted territory. Apparently Kashmir thought they had to do something drastic after my  less-than-enthusiastic write up a couple of weeks ago. It’s a little too soon for me to set foot back in that place, but if anyone is brave enough (and cheap enough) to try this Dollar Burger, please let us know how it goes.

Taking One For the Team at Kashmir Grill

The Kashmir Grill (8th Ave. btw. 39+40th) has had a tumultuous last few years. It used to be a by the pound buffet. Then it was shut down by the DOH. Meanwhile, their downstairs all you can eat buffet became The Times Buffet and may or may not still be associated with their upstairs neighbor. All that is history though. Late last year, Kashmir Grill ditched the pay what it weighs buffet and reopened as a take out place with Indian food that looked largely the same as the original.  Now that it seems to have settled into this role, I thought it was high time Midtown Lunch weighed in.
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NYT Sends Cease & Desist to Times Restaurant

Don’t know how long ago this happened…. but poor Times RestaurantIf it’s not the DOH, it’s lawyers from the New York Times. Apparently their name change (font and all) didn’t go unnoticed by the big brass in the building across the street.  The buffet formerly known as Kashmir (on 8th Ave. btw. 39+40th) received a letter asking them to change their sign, and they obliged (naturally).  The whole thing is kind of hilarious if you ask us… obviously the New York Times has their customized font trademarked, and clearly “The Times Restaurant” was infringing on that trademark.  But is anybody really confusing this run down Pakistani buffet with a restaurant that might possibly be affiliated with the paper of record?  Doubtful.  Most of us just look at the sign and laugh.  The lawyers for the New York Times? Clearly not amused. Time’s Halal Food cart, you’ve been warned.

It’s not all bad news though… it looks like the buffet has been reduced to $9.95 again. Thanks to Lunch’er Adam for the photo.

Related:
Buffet Formerly Known as Kashmir Goes Insane
Kashmir Becomes “The Buffet of Record”?

Times Restaurant Closed By the DOH… Again

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It has not been a good few days for food establishment using the “Times” moniker.  The New York Times cafeteria was closed last week after a health scare, and now the Times Restaurant (on 8th Ave. btw. 39+40th) has been closed by the Department of Health.  This is nothing new for the Indian buffet formerly known as Kashmir, they were closed by the DOH just 15 months ago. There is some positive news in all this, though. It looks like they rolled the price of the buffet back to $9.95 from the $14.95 that was reported last week!

Also as a side note, I’d also like to point out that none of the owners of the surrounding restaurants were seen celebrating this closure in any way.

Related:
Kashmir Becomes the “The Buffet of Record”
Adventure Lunchers Should Flock to Kashmir Buffet

Buffet Formerly Known as Kashmir Goes Insane

In perhaps the craziest 8th Ave. price hike of all time, the Times Restaurant (formerly known as Kashmir) has raised the price of their lunchtime buffet to $14.95!?! With the New York Times cafeteria closed yesterday for health reasons, I have no doubt the places around 8th Ave. and 40th Street will be extra crowded today.  But $9 to $15 in under a year?  That’s crazytown.  I’d recommend walking up to 47th for Spice Fusion’s $11 buffet. [Photo and News Courtesy of The NYTPicker]

Related:
Adventure Lunchers Should Flock to Kashmir Buffet
Kashmir Becomes “The Buffet of Record”?

Kashmir Becomes “The Buffet of Record”?

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The owners of the Kashmir Buffet (on 8th Ave. btw. 39+40th) can’t seem to make up their mind.  The Pakistani/Indian buffet, which used to boast about their 30 year history on their sign, changed to The Cave (after some DOH issues), back to Kashmir, and now this… The Times Bar & Restaurant?  They still offer a $10 lunch buffet, and according to a worker in Kashmir Express (the takeout spot located at street level) the food is still the same… although he admitted that Kashmir Express and “The Times” are no longer owned by the same people.  No idea what any of this means, but I can’t imagine naming your restaurant after a newspaper is going to help business.  Unless maybe you’re an otherwise nondescript halal cart

Related:
Adventure Lunchers Should Flock to Kashmir Buffet