Good news for Sophie’s Cuban fans who work in the heart of Midtown. Construction has started on a new Sophie’s outpost at 45th st. between 5th and 6th Ave (next to Goodburger.) We’re hearing that the plan is to open in October, and Sophie’s feels a lot more confident about this spot than the ill fated 41st Street branch that closed almost two years ago. Looks like Margon and Cafe Cello are about to get their toughest competition yet. ¡Viva la Selección!

Kwik Meal vs. Fahima, bumper against bumper, brother against brother, the side by side street cart family feud on the SW corner of 45th Street and 6th Avenue rages on! Yet in the black cloud of this Greek tragedy is there perhaps a silver lining? Out of this great turmoil might there be great rewards? With some new additions to Fahima’s menu, I certainly hoped so. Bear with me people; I’m inspired by Halal not Homer. Ehem, So then, here’s my first take.

Our classical drama began with Fahima seeking to usurp the glory of his brother through a deviously delicious plan of culinary griddle skills and keen street cart savvy! Not only has Fahima responded to Kwik Meal’s more established reputation with lowered prices, they have now added Biriyani and noodles ($6/$5 with free drink) to their menu. In yo face Kwik Meal’s Halal and Pasta cart! But by adding biriyani to the menu Fahima would seem to be taking on their close neighbor the Biriyani Cart as well.

Very much like the Biriyani Cart, Fahima’s biriyani comes with chicken, a hard-boiled egg stained with Indian spices, and basmati rice with a hint of saffron. The difference is in the details. There is real tzatziki in a big spoonful on the side. The tzatziki was tangy and creamy, and dare I say just as good as his brother Muhammad’s Kwik Meal cart. (He probably learned to make it while working on his brother’s cart.)

Fahima’s rice has a notable cardamom seasoning. There is also a dollop of what I can only describe as garlic and onion chutney with some fennel seeds? It was a small amount, but it had the slightest tamarind flavor underlying it.

The only nit-pickety thing I can add is that the side salad doused in Italian dressing was totally unnecessary and maybe distracting to the other flavors that were going on. With all that tzatziki on the side I’d say adding a simple tomato and cucumber side would definitely elevate this street meat. All this made for a delicious and filling lunch for only $6 dollars. The chicken used at Fahima’s is seasoned with black pepper and some of the usual Halal flavors as opposed to Biriyani’s masala rub, but I dare say the extras you get at Fahima make it worthy competition? Is it possible that the underdog can win this challenge? Does he even know what form of trickery and tzatziki he has unleashed upon the midtown masses!! To top it all off Fahima also does kati rolls. Holy hell in a hand basket, this cart is all about trouble isn’t it? Next step: Noodle and kati challenge!

Fahima Halal, SW Corner of 45th & 6th Ave., 646-575-3544 (And they have a second cart on 42nd St BTW 9th and 10th ave)

Full disclaimer: I am a pork lover, I am a foie gras lover, and prefer my bread toasted with melted lard smothered over the top. I eat dessert till no end, and then chase it with a beer or two. But every now and then, it’s rather interesting and fun to delve into the vegan world. Hence, my report on FreeFoodsNYC (which is not entirely vegan, or vegetarian for that matter.)

The new FreeFoods NYC is exactly what we don’t need in this economy: very fancy-smanshy, very-expensive organic, vegan, and raw food version of a standard Midtown deli. Regardless, it’s pretty tasty and I’ll confess to a growing addiction.

I’ve been coming here a few nights each week, picking my way around the absurdly priced $14 a pound cold buffet bar, the $8.50 smoothies and $7 slices of pie. I’ve tried to find a single item here that could be considered a bargain, or at least a very good deal. But alas, it seems I have nothing for you now.

But if you have a curious mind, and are willing to splurge for your midday meal, head for the buffet bar. There are a handful of interesting items, my favorite being the Raw and Vegan Tomato Lasagna. Two layers each of Pignoli Ricotta, Pistachio Pesto, and Sun Dried Tomato Sauce. Nothing like your typical lasagna, but nice change from the norm. The flavors are quite intense, the tomatoes, extra tomato-y, and the pesto, extra pesto-y. You get my point. That tiny wedge there cost me $8.

The “pizza” here is also raw and vegan. It’s made from an extra crunchy and thin flaxseed and herb crust. Topped with macadamia “ricotta,” spinach, tomato, and basil. I have no idea how they get the “ricotta” to be the way it is, but I sure wish they would sell the ricotta alone by the pound. I’d be happy smothering that on a baguette.

I find the vegan food here more enjoyable than the non-vegan dishes. The Portobello “Piccata” is an almond crusted Portobello mushroom wedge with arugula, pomegranate, and parmesan. It was cold and greasy. Deep-fried foods should never be served cold. Throwing pomegranate seed on top was pretty, but didn’t benefit the dish overall.

An unlisted special one night were little dumplings. The wrapper was made from coconut, very odd and somewhat enjoyable with it’s slightly chewy and distinctively coconut-y nature. Filled with chopped peanuts and a handful of herbs, it danced on the line of sweet. I prefer pork in my dumplings.

The sandwich, soup, and tossed to order salad bar runs adjacent to the cold buffet. I’ve eaten my way around this section at the FreeFoods NYC on 45th last spring, but a lot of my old go-to’s, like the roasted winter vegetable sandwich, and a slow roasted tomato manchego soup  are no longer there. Current sandwich prices run between $10 and $20 (!!! Granted, the $20 is for a lobster club, but still…). Salads are $11.75, and soups are $5/cup and $7.75/bowl.

For dessert, I often go with a smoothie. The “Curious George” is a fun one, made from bananas, cacao beans, young coconut, espresso, and cashew butter. I suppose it could totally be a meal on its own, but I subscribe to the belief of why eat less when you could eat more?

Go for the “Goji Groove” when you’re in a citrusy light mood. A blend of goji berries, mango, orange, young coconut, and cayenne. Ask the lady behind the counter to be extra generous with the cayenne pepper – it gives the drink an awesome kick. The smoothies are on the liquidly end, and since I prefer them super thick, I pop the smoothie in the fridge for a hour to solidify up.

I was not as big of a fan of the Raw and Vegan Pumpkin Pie as Harry but it was surprisingly reminiscent of pumpkin considering it was a NO PUMPKIN pumpkin pie. The pie was light, loosely packed, and aggressively flavored. Perhaps it was to compensate for a lack of pumpkin. The ingredients? Cashews, Pecans, Cinnamon, Nutmeg, and Thyme.

There are only two desserts in the refrigerated section, the “Pumpkin” tart and a Chocolate-Hazelnut Tart. I shall get around to that one.

One thing to avoid: the sweet loaves. Pictured above is the Caramelized Banana Bread with cinnamon sugar and cacao nidbits. Like all else, it’s severely overpriced at $3.75. The only difference is that this does. Not. Taste. Good. At. All. Dry, and dusty, the banana is faint, the cinnamon-sugar unidentifiable, and the cacao pieces simply misplaced in such a loaf.

Cupcakes are a better bet, though tiny and just as pricey as the loaves. The Pinot Noir-Chocolate with Salted Caramel Glaze is a dark and chocolaty two-biter. A fine way to end the meal if you’re feeling just a touch too healthy after all that raw and vegan business.

The loaves and cupcakes are placed next to the cash registered along with cookies and macarons. I’ve yet to have the cookies and macarons… perhaps I shall make a return trip tonight!

By the way, there always seem to be samples (of the dessert sort) to the right of the cash register. What I like to do is grab one sample when I walk in, and have another while they ring up my food, and a third right before I walk out the door. It makes me feel just that little bit better for eating such overpriced food.

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 

Photos and post by Kathy YL Chan

I guess that 2pm refill is the final one, so if you want to take advantage of this deal, it’s clearly best to get there right at 2:15pm.  I actually got a related question emailed to me this week:

“Have you ever posted about the afternoon discounts that exist in Midtown? Two that come to mind are half-price baked goods at Cucina in the Metlife lobby after 3 pm, and discounted pizza at Naples 45, also in the Metlife building. Also there is half price sushi after 3 at Cavonberry’s Deli on E 46th (btwn 5th and Madison). I’m not into any of these except the cookies at Cucina, but i’m curious about what else might be out there for afternoon snacking.”

Like I said, I usually pass out if I haven’t eaten by 12:07 so this isn’t really my area of expertise.  I’m pretty sure this topic has been mentioned before, but it could use a refersher thread.  Feel free to comment below…

In other chain burrito news, if you work on the west side and were jealous of the east side Qdoba alternative- the west side will soon be getting its very own Qdoba on 50th btw. 6+7th.  Huzzah! 

Have you seen a new place set to open up in Midtown?  Email the news, with or without a photo to zach@midtownlunch.com

Please warn fellow Midtown Lunchers [about John's Shanghai on 46th btw. 6+7th).] Here’s the review I posted on MenuPages: “I’ve ordered here many many times before and have never been so disappointed. Sure, restaurants have their off days, but today’s food was a complete insult. I had 6 orders in total, none came close to mediocre. General Tso’s chicken was just a pile of red chicken, no broccoli on the side or anything. Chicken and Brocolli was sweet. Double Sauteed Pork was sweet rather than spicy, and pork slices were too thick. Thought that was bad, here’s the icing on the cake. Soy Sauce Chicken over rice, they had the nerve to give us re-cooked chicken. I’m Chinese, I know! It looks like leftover soy sauce chicken reheated in the steamer. The skin on the chicken had shrunken a bit and the color from the soy sauce had come off already. Why would you dare serve something like that to a customer?!!?!?!??!?!!! I will NEVER order from them again!” Thanks, Lily.

Wow… I don’t even know what to say to that.  Luckily, John’s Shanghai has never really been considered a Midtown Lunch, so I don’t even really need to waste any time trying to interpret that rant.  The email I got about Ambrosia was a little more upsetting.  Why the generic deli (that became a ML favorite by adding Korean food) might have me re-thinking my ”Best Bi Bim Bap in Midtown” claim- after the jump…    

The Bi Bim Bap from Ambrosia (45th btw. 5+6th), April 2007.

I check out the site everyday (awesome site btw) and have never really commented but I just HAD to today. I decided to order the Bi Bim Bop from Ambrosia. So I called in to order pickup. When I got there to pick up my food, I found out the prices had increase!! AGAIN!! I’ve only been working in midtown for a year now. So the bi bim bop use to be 6.95. Then late last year, it increased to 7.95, and now its 8.95!!! What really gets me is that the banchan comes in smaller portions now and they give you less variety! You use to get like 4 side items w/ soup and now its only 3! Lastly, they have gone production line style. When I got there to pick up my food, there was a huge stack of maybe 10 premade bi bim baps. Which is actually okay with me as long as the food is the same BUT they have actually stopped doing the over-easy fried egg with the yolky goodness and have now replaced with it with the non-superior version of a sliced egg omellete. This place used to be my favorite, but now with the subtle changes in the food and the two price hikes in the last year. I just don’t know anymore.

The same dish in August 2007. Definitely more banchan in the April 2007 photo, but more variety in the August photo- although where’s the beef!?! I’d hate to think what it looks like now… photos don’t lie people.

Thoughts?  Feel free to contribute in the comments. Got a grievance you’d like to air? Email it to zach@midtownlunch.com

As you know, I don’t really write about breakfast in Midtown, mostly because I don’t eat breakfast in Midtown.  Lunch is more my thing.  But occasionally something will come along that just demands to be written about.  Like this, which I noticed on Goodburger’s Breakfast menu:

Whaaaa???  Are you kidding me.  Seriously.  I mean… No you didn’t! Oh, and in case you were wondering, those *are* harsh browns underneath the burger.  Greatest breakfast sandwich of all time?  I’m trembling just thinking about it. 

The real thing, in all its glory, after the jump…

For $5.95, you get hash browns, topped with a hamburger, topped with a fried egg.  $6 may seem like a lot for breakfast, but it comes with a free coffee (making it a slightly better deal), and after one bite, you kind of feel like Goodburger is the one getting ripped off.  I’ve only had it once, so I don’t know if it’s too early to say this… but I think I’m in love.

Despite what the flyer above says, I think they actually serve it until 11am- but I hereby declare it my mission to get this thing added to the Goodburger lunch menu.  And no excuses!  “We don’t time or room on the grill to fry eggs during lunch-”  blah blah blah.  Quit your whining and make it happen Goodburger!  This is how you carve your niche in the Midtown burger scene.  The crabcake sandwich is good, but this takes it another level.

Best… breakfast sandwich… ever.  (Now can I be on your wall?)

Related: Original Goodburger Post (with list of locations)

With so many quality burger places open in Midtown these days, each place needs it’s own special thing to differentiate themselves from the others.  The way I see it, Burger Joint has the sweet location, Five Guys is for free toppings and freshly cut fries, Pop Burger is the choice if you want sliders, and while the newly opened City Burger is still working out their kinks, it’s clear they’re working off the notion that you wouldn’t mind having some chicken wings or mozarella sticks with your burger.

Goodburger, on the other hand, has never done enough to get me back there on a regular basis.  There is no doubt it is a tasty hamburger, made from quality beef, but it’s always been expensive (the value meals are over $10), and the patty is just not that big.  With all the other options (and my willingness to travel more than a few blocks away from my office) I just didn’t really have a reason to go… until now.

At the beginning of March, Goodburger introduced the “Crabby Patty” to their menu, a deep fried Maryland crab cake sandwich for $7.99.  It’s not on the menu screen, and sometimes they forget to put out the little stand that advertises it, so make sure you ask for it specifically.  I stopped by last week to check it out, and was pretty pleased with the results. 

Deep fried, and super crunchy on the outside, the inside has more real crabmeat then you would expect from a fast food place (but less than you would get from a fancy restaurant), making it about right for the $8 price tag- which, while expensive for a lunchtime sandwich, is not so bad for a quality crabcake.  The hamburger bun is fine, and I was down with their homemade “remoulade tartar sauce” (a tasty blend of ketchup, mayo, and pickles).  Nicely done, with extra kudos for the Spongebob reference.  (Now can I be on your wall?)

Goodburger, Multiple Midtown Locations

• 23 w. 45th St. (btw. 5+6th), 212-354-0900
• 636 Lexington Ave. (at 54th), 212-838-6000
• 800 2nd Ave. (at 43rd), 212-922-1700

Thanks to “Angie’s Matt” for the original comment alerting me to the Goodburger Crabcake.  Do you have a tip, suggestion or news to share?  Email it to zach@midtownlunch.com

So the news broke on Weds, and was confirmed yesterday that Rupert Murdoch plans on moving the Wall St. Journal from their Downtown offices to the News Corp. building on 6th Ave. & 48th St., smack dab in the middle of Midtown.  Well, let me be the first to say welcome!  We’re actually neighbors (I work in the McGraw Hill Building across the street), and there are plenty of great lunch options within walking distance of our block.

According to the NY Observer, you guys are leaving behind PJ Clarke’s.  Well don’t you worry, the original one is here in Midtown- although 3rd Ave. is a pretty long walk away. 

Some much closer options, after the jump…

• 46th btw. 6+7th – Venture one block south and you’ve got some of the best that Midtown Lunch’ing has to offer.  The Biriyani Cart on 46th & 6th serves up great Chapati Rolls (Indian soft tacos), or wait in line at Minar, the steam table Indian place a little farther west.  I’m sure the people you will be interviewing will be drawn towards the clean, and suit friendly looking Havana Central, but try to resist and head to Margon across the street for some real Latin food, at half the price.
• Street Meat – I don’t know what the street meat scene is like Downtown, but if you are a fan, you just landed right in Street Meat Ground Zero.  There are plenty of options right outside your building, but if you want the good stuff I would walk a few blocks south to the Kwik Meal Cart on the SE corner of 45th & 6th, or a few blocks north to the famous chicken/lamb and rice cart on the SE corner of 53rd & 6th.  Hope they have good bathrooms in the News Corp building.
• Kosher Stuff – Our proximity to the diamond district means plenty of Kosher options.  Go old school at the hidden Diamond Dairy on 47th btw. 5+6th, or grab falafel and chicken shawarma at Kosher Deluxe on 45th btw. 5+6th.
• Good Burger - The new location on 45th btw. 5+6th is the closest fast food burger to your building worth mentioning.
• Del Frisco’s Steakhouse (6th Ave. btw. 48+49th) - I’m not exactly sure how the WSJ works, but I’m assuming people who write about Wall St. don’t make as much money as those who work on Wall St., so I’ll let you in on a little secret.  At the Del Frisco’s bar you can order a plate of steak tips and mashed potatoes for $9.95.  Hob nob with all the suits, without having to pay through the nose (or throw down a corporate card, which is clearly the only other way anybody could actually enjoy eating at Del Frisco’s.)

Good luck and welcome to the hood!  Feel free to bookmark the site for future use (and beware of the commenters).

Once again, I’d like to congratulate burger lovers working in the 40s.  You finally have a burger place to call your own.  If you haven’t been to any of the Goodburger locations, and want to read about the food- almost all of what I wrote in November of last year, about the location on Lex., still applies, the one notable exception being that now the combo costs $10.35 instead of $9.95, which means- technically for this to be Midtown Lunch, you will need to forgo fries or a drink.  It’s just not right.

The new location on 45th btw. 5+6th (which opened yesterday) is a lot larger than the location in Midtown East, and has an upstairs seating area. 

An actual goodburger, plus a sign worthy of being put on Suicide Food, after the jump…

Expensive, but pretty damn tasty.  The onion rings (which you can sort of see in the background) were really crispy, and didn’t taste like they were cooked frozen from a bag (Pop Burger are you paying attention?).  Even more exciting, you could really taste the beer! (Always a good thing right?)

And finally, my favorite part of the new Goodburger:

Not as good as the new Kati Roll Menu (or my all-time favorite “Pig cutting himself up to make saucisson postcard“), but I still love it.  Thanks to Suicide Food, I think I’m now obsessed with finding crap like this.  There’s nothing funnier (or creepier) then an animal trying to convince you to eat it.  You are perfect little cow.  Never change.

Goodburger (New Location), 23 W. 45th St. (btw. 5+6th), 212-354-0900

the other Midtown Location is on Lexington & 54th St.