A new kiosk has opened in the Gray Bar passageway of Grand Central Station – just outside Beer Table Pantry and Joe’s Coffee. If you ever crave a taste of the artisanal food being produced in King’s County and don’t feel like transferring to the L train, this is the spot for you.
Posted by brianhoffman at 1:30 pm, January 25th, 2013 under *Grand Central Terminal, With Love From Brooklyn.
I’ll admit, when I first heard about April Bloomfield’s new Murray Hill Mexican spot, Salvation Taco, I didn’t expect it to fit into the Midtown Lunch budget. But, once I saw the prices on the menu, I had to take closer look. Last week Blondie and I headed over to investigate. As with all newly opened places, many things, including the menu are still in flux, so remember this is just a first look.
Posted by ultraclay at 10:45 am, December 19th, 2012 under 39th btw. 3rd+Lex, Salvation Taco.
The NW corner of 45th street and 6th avenue used to be a food truck favorite spot, bringing a regular swath of trucks almost every day of the workweek. Then, the NYPD crackdown in Midtown ruined the fun, forcing trucks to find other often less lucrative locations to park during the lunch rush. But, it seems that slowly things have been reverting back to the good ol’ days. This week, on Tuesday, Schnitzel & Things couldn’t park at their planned spot on 40th & 6th due to construction, so they moved uptown to 45th & 6th.
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Posted by Rachel Goldner at 2:00 pm, December 13th, 2012 under 45th and 6th, Mexicue, Schnitzel & Things, Treats Truck.
I always enjoy going to Grand Central Market (inside Grand Central Station, enter on Lexington and 43rd), but it’s usually more of a look-but-don’t-touch excursion. It’s nothing like the accessible-to-all Grand Central Market in Los Angeles I used to visit when I lived there and that Zach is lucky enough to be near. The one in New York is separate from the restaurants — you’ll find those in the Dining Concourse. But in the market section I almost never buy anything unless I’m looking for an odd ingredient or cooking something for a special occasion. Most of the stuff they sell at Grand Central Market is high quality, sure, but FAR more expensive than what I can get in my neighborhood. I’ve looked around for lunch there, and even tried a few things. But what can you get there for our $10 limit? It turns out, there are a few things… but usually in small packages. Here’s a sampling.
Posted by jenjfen at 1:30 pm, August 15th, 2012 under *Grand Central Terminal.
Earlier this week in the forums, one of our readers tipped us off on a new rice cart hoping to find a spot by the Time Life Building this week (50th + 6th). Rice pilaf you say? With chicken or beef? And whatever sauce you want? I was intrigued, so I headed to the miniature food-city-on-wheels to see what I could find. Dwarfed by its gigantic neighbor, the Nuchas empanadas truck, I found a flashy, unweathered food cart with a sign saying Rice The Great. This must be it. Mighty in name, small in size.
The cart has a very simple menu of a small pilaf platter for $3.00, a large rice pilaf platter for $6.00, or a pilaf burrito for $6.00. With any of these meals, you have a choice of either chicken or beef. Sodas and Dirty chips are $1.00 each. With the platters, you can get salad on the side with oil & vinegar or Italian dressing. As for sauce, you have a choice of house white sauce or house red sauce.
Posted by jenjfen at 11:19 am, August 1st, 2012 under 50th btw. 6+7th, Rice the Great Food Cart.
A few weeks ago, I noticed a coworker eating a lovely-looking Japanese style Katsu pork curry at his desk. I thought he might have gone to one of my favorites, Go! Go! Curry, but it’s a bit of a jaunt from our office. He had gotten it at “one of those Japanese places” across from the NY Public Library. Cafe Zaiya and Yagura have been around forever, but Sunrise Mart (41st btw. 5th + Madison) was most intriguing to me so I made a note to come back.
Posted by jenjfen at 11:30 am, July 19th, 2012 under 41st btw. 5+Mad, Sunrise Mart.
Yesterday kicked off Restaurant Days at Rock Center, an outside picnic of sorts highlighting merchants at Rockefeller Center. As a long time Rock Center worker–we’re talking over 10 years now–I’m up on my lunch options in the Rock Center concourse and surrounding environs. Are Rock Center days my favorite food event of the year? No. I’ll be the first to admit that there are definitely skippable offerings, but among those ordinary (or shall we say “everyday values”) there are gems worth seeking out. I scoped out the scene yesterday and here are my picks. Read more »
Posted by Brownie at 11:45 am, July 11th, 2012 under *Rockefeller Center.
If you missed out on the Rock Center restaurant days in May, no worries, you have another chance tomorrow. Tuesday, July 10 through Thursday, July 12 from 11:00 a.m. to 2:30 p.m., Rock Center restaurants will set up tables with special lunch offerings on Rockefeller Plaza, 49th and 50th Streets between 5th and 6th Avenues. Participating restaurants include Bouchon Bakery, Tri Tip Grill, Bill’s Bar & Burger, Ben & Jerry’s, Del Frisco’s Grille, Morrell Wine Bar & Café, Harry’s Italian Pizza Parlor, Godiva Chocolatier, The Sea Grill, Blue Bottle Coffee, Rock Center Café, Brasserie Ruhlmann and Magnolia Bakery. As in years past, ‘wichcraft, is offering up a special signature sandwich for the event, this year it’s a shrimp salad on a buttered potato roll.
Posted by Brownie at 3:00 pm, July 9th, 2012 under *Rockefeller Center.
Park Italian Gourmet has gotten a lot of attention on Midtown lunch over the years from Zach and other Midtown Lunch’ers – most recently back in 2010 in this post, but it’s never gotten a formal +/- review until now. I spotted this gem right away and I thought it would be good to get the word out yet again.
I should first warn you not to let Park Italian Gourmet’s name fool you. When you hear the name, you might think of either an overpriced Italian restaurant aimed at tourists or another midtown “gourmet” deli with scads of trays filled with greasy slop. But as soon as you see the sign you can tell there’s something special about Park. And there are more than a few midtown lunchers who know the secret: Park Italian Gourmet is a divey Italian deli where grumpy people serve up delicious sandwiches. Just my kind of place.
Posted by jenjfen at 11:45 am, June 25th, 2012 under 46th btw. 5+6th, Park Italian.
Last night was the annual gala Grand Gourmet at Vanderbilt Hall in Grand Central Station. I was fortunate to attend (as was our lucky winner Luncher meyekull) and I stuffed myself silly getting samples at almost all 39 of the food vendors. Most of the tastings were from fancier restaurants that are quite a bit out of ML’s price range. However, surprisingly enough my favorite happened to be a true Midtown Lunch.
Posted by brianhoffman at 10:15 am, May 11th, 2012 under *Grand Central Terminal, Dee Daa Balanced Thai To Go.
