I’ll complain that charging $10.35 for a burger, fries and soda combo is too expensive, or $11+ for a sandwich is just plain stupid.  But then, over the weekend, I’ll spend twice that amount on an appetizer at one of my favorite restaurants (sweetbreads at Prune?  Hello!).  Value is about expectations and balance.  It is feeling that what you sacrifice in quantity, you gain in quality, and the whole thing works out so that you are charged accordingly.  And while for me, Goodburger and FreeFoods NYC have priced themselves just outside that value threshold, I can’t help but think that a place like ’wichcraft teeters right on the edge.

There is no question alot of the menu will leave you hungry, and feeling ripped off, but with some clever ordering I think you can feel like you had a quality lunch, for an expensive, but acceptable price.  Plus, I love Craft, really like Craftsteak, love Tom Collichio, and even though my first trip to ‘wichcraft, ended with my wife being hungry (and angry we paid so much for such small sandwiches), I vowed to give the place another shot.

Basically what I’m saying is this.  If you are a fat man (like me) and enjoy quantity (like me), ‘wichcraft is overpriced for what it is:  tiny sandwiches that leave you hungry in the belly, and lighter in the wallet.  But if there is that small part of you that occasionally likes to trade a little quantity for quality (mixed in with a dose of celebrity chef), there is a better way to order at ‘wichcraft, to get you out for under $10, and feeling satisfied.

A breakdown of the menu, after the jump…

So right off the bat, let me say- there is no filling sandwich at ‘wichcraft, no matter what you order.  There is no big.  Only small, and really small.  But if you are looking for quantity, there are definitely some heartier choices and they don’t necessarily mean a higher price.

Sandwiches for the Super Skinny (aka Fat Man Beware)…

• Most of the Cold Sandwiches.  If it says that it is on “bread”, it means sliced bread, and sliced bread almost always means small.  You are going to do a little better with “Baguette” or “Ciabatta”, but all of the cold sandwiches on bread are pretty tiny.

• The Grilled Cheese Sandwiches.  The Fontina is by far the worst at $9.50.  There is no question that black trumpet mushrooms with white truffle fondue is a delicious combo, but if you are looking for filling, you’ll want to stay away from expensive ingredients like this.  They cost more, but don’t fill you up as much.  The other two grilled cheese sandwiches are tiny as well, but at least they clock in at $5.50 and $6.50 respectively, leaving you a little room to fit some more eats under the $10 cap (a soup or side dish perhaps?).

And now for us fatties… once again realize that none of these sandwiches are going to leave you stuffed- but they are heartier choices than the ones listed up above, and will leave you feeling slightly less ripped off.

• Roasted turkey ($9.50) - Meat is going to be a huge help in getting more full, and they give you a decent number of layers, in addition to a couple strips of bacon, and some avocado- another big plus.   And while the ciabatta roll is not huge, it’s heftier than then the sliced bread.
• Chicken Breast ($9.75) and the Meatloaf and Cheddar ($9.50) - I didn’t get to try these two sandwiches, but I’m assuming the same concept applies as in the roasted turkey sandwich.  Meat = More Filling

• Slow Roasted Pork ($8.50) - You know how I get about pork.  Photo says it all… although the pork sandwich at Sophie’s/Tina’s is a much better value (that thing is ginormous), you may feel better about yourself after the ‘wichcraft one.

For a decent middle ground, go for the hot marinated eggplant sandwich ($8).  Without meat it’s a little less filling, but it’s on ciabatta, so it’s bigger than the cold sandwich options.

In the end, the most filling option may be the soup and sandwich.  $8.50 will get you half a cold sandwich, plus a soup which can be pretty filling (it also comes with two little bread stick cracker things).  But I think the real winner may be to order the $5.50 whole grilled gruyere sandwich, with the $4 cup of soup.  $9.50 + tax, and the most food for your money.

Or you can just do what most people that eat at ‘wichcraft do.  Get a job that pays six figures so you don’t mind ordering two sandwiches, and spending $20 on lunch!

‘wichcraft, multiple locations in Midtown

• Bryant Park Kiosks (40th-42nd St. on the 6th Ave. Side)
• Rockefeller Center Concourse (on the West side of the concourse, near the bathrooms on the way to the Post Office)
• 555 5th Ave. (on 46th St. btw. 5th & Madison)
• 245 Park Ave. (near 47th St.)
• 34th & Broadway (*Coming Soon*)

According to their website, a 3rd Midtown Qdoba (on 46th btw. Madison & 5th), is coming soon.  I tried the newest one on 53rd St. & 3rd Ave., and I have to say I don’t find it to be that much different then Chipotle (or, as the kids say- “meh”.)  The selection at Qdoba is a little larger, so the chances of finding that one thing you can tolerate is greater- but I ain’t willing to put in that kind of time.  So, if you’re sick of Chipotle, and looking for something new, you’ll probably enjoy Qdoba.  If you hate Chipotle, and are hoping for that burrito savior, I’m guessing this probably won’t be it.  (The Baja Fresh vigil continues…)

While Chipotle expands its Midtown holdings, other Midtown Lunch favorites are branching out.  Five Guys & Sakae news, after the jump…

The Citysearch blog is reporting that Midtown Lunch favorite Five Guys Burgers & Fries will open its second Manhattan outpost this weekend in the West Village.  Eater has got the photos.  This is great news for those of us who get weekend cravings for Five Guys, but wouldn’t be caught dead in Midtown on a Saturday.

And they’re not the only ones setting up shop in the W. Village.  With the conveyor belt on 43rd btw. Lex+3rd barely operational for 3 weeks, Sakae Sushi has it posted on their website that the 2nd NYC Location will be opening in the West Village, at 135 West 3rd Street.

Thanks to Lunch’er Liz for the tips, and as always if you have some info, news, or recommendations, email it to zach@midtownlunch.com

Anyway, regardless of its origin, Mongolian BBQ is here, and people love it.  I’m constantly asked “Where can I find some good Mongolian BBQ in Midtown?”  Which is a tough one for me to answer, because I don’t usually eat Mongolian BBQ.  And there are four words to explain why: Pay by the Pound.  Take me to an all you can eat Mongolian BBQ (like Fire & Ice in Boston), and I’m a madman.  You force me to weigh my food and there’s going to be trouble… but for the sake of you people, I headed to Food World- the freshest looking Mongolian BBQ I’ve seen in Midtown.

What I got, Mongolian BBQ Porn, and a +/- after the jump…

I’ve seen a few Mongolian BBQ places in Midtown, but Food World is a really good combination of size, and freshness.  Everything looks really clean and good, and if you are skeeved out by normal by the lb. buffets, you can take comfort in knowing that this food is going to be cooked, *after* you remove it from the public trays, making it a lot cleaner.  Mongolian BBQ is not a difficult concept to understand, but the instructions are summed up pretty well in this photo:

At almost $8 a lb., the rules of Mongolian BBQ are very similar to the rules of the by the lb. buffet.  Big Money Items.  You gotta do it.  Nothing on the buffet costs more than $8 a lb, so no matter what, you’re getting ripped off- but by loading up on the meat and seafood you are at least getting closer to that $8 a lb price point.  Normally I would be worried taking seafood off a buffet like this, but Food World’s shrimp and scallops actually look reasonably edible- especially compared to other Mongolian BBQ’s I’ve seen.  (They hadn’t been deveined though, which I know will be an issue for some folks.)

Starch is the killer, and Food World makes it real tough, offering multiple noodle choices which all look delicious.  It was too much for me to handle, and I caved- turning my stir fry into a chow fun sauteed udon style noodle dish.  I tried to make up for it by adding more beef, and less veggies but I knew I was screwing myself.  It doesn’t take a rocket scientist to figure out that noodles + water + oil soaked griddle = heavy.

Once you fill your bowl, you go over to the cooking station and select your sauce.  Most Mongolian BBQ’s will add the sauce for you, but Food World allows you to add your own sauce, and mix and match as you please.  They also have fresh ginger and garlic, which allows you to really get creative based on your own personal tastes.  It can be a little overwhelming trying to choose a sauce, and adding it yourself, but it is a great perk for those who always find that places like this add too much or too little sauce.

I went with the “Ginger Sauce”, and tossed in some extra fresh garlic for good measure.  They have about ten sauces in all- so to try all of them and report back would have been too much Mongolian BBQ, even for me.  I have my limits, people.  The Ginger Sauce and garlic combo was pretty awesome- but if you have a favorite, feel free to post it as a comment below.  

With the sauce applied, we were ready for cooking.  With sword-like giant sticks to move the food around, the guy behind the sheild-like griddle moved with the quickness and efficiency of a soldier in the Mongol army.  You like that?  Actually, they just looked like guys with giant chopsticks cooking Chinese food on a giant round griddle.  Nothing Mongolian about it.

After a few minutes of cooking, I head over to judgement day.  With the over/under set at one pound, I put all my money on the “Over”, and won pretty handily:

It’s too bad nobody was there to take my sucker bet.  The meal was delicious, but I couldn’t help but think that for $6, I could have had the Beef Chow Fun at Hing Won- and it would have tasted exactly the same, if not better.  Of course, I would have missed out on all the fun of picking out my own ingredients, plus the company of any co-workers who will only go to crappy & generic Midtown delis.

I can’t say Food World is the best Mongolian BBQ in Midtown, but it is the nicest one I’ve seen.  Have you been to a better one?  Do you have a favorite flavor combo?  Feel free to post it as a comment below…

THE + (What someone who likes this place will say)

• The ingredients all looked really fresh and good
• The food is cooked *after* you take it out of the public trays, making it much cleaner then normal by the lb buffet food
• The Food World Mongolian BBQ has scallops and big shrimp, both of which were delicious and as fresh as can be expected.  This makes it less of a rip off.
• Big selection
• I love coming up with my own food creations, so I love Mongolian BBQ

THE – (What someone who doesn’t like this place will say)

• I am a fat man, and should never pay for my lunch based on what it weighs
• It’s tough to get away from Mongolian BBQ for less than $9, making it a total rip-off!
• If you want Chinese stir fry, you can get it pre-made at a Chinese restaurant for much cheaper then $8 a lb.
• I would never eat seafood from a generic Midtown deli

Food World, 20 E. 46th St. (btw. 5th + Madison), 212-661-1110

More Mongolian BBQ photos on the Midtown Lunch Flickr Photo Page

Many people feel the sandwiches here are not worth the price, unless you’re enjoying them outside in Bryant Park.  But it’s been fricking hot out lately- so maybe you’d like your overpriced sandwich in the air conditioning.  Don’t let the picture fool you… the no line, empty tables thing isn’t going to last for long- and they don’t have the online ordering up and running yet, so get it while the gettin’s good.

‘wichcraft, 555 5th Ave. (entrance on 46th St. btw. Madison & 5th)