Midtown Lunch

It’s funny.  This will be my fourth post about Chipotle since Friday… and I’m embarassed.  Not just for my blog- but for Midtown too.  Why is everyone in my office so excited for Chipotle?  And why did I get so caught up in it?  I don’t even like Chipotle!  It just goes to show how starved we are in Midtown for good food.  So sick of the same things day after day, a mediocre overpriced McBurrito is like some sort of Holy Grail of dining.  Here’s what I said about Chipotle a month ago, when I heard it was opening in my building:

For me, Chipotle is like a bad Chinese Buffet.  I have to go back once every three months, and feel sick, to remind myself why I only go once every three months.  See, I distinctly remember what my brain told me the last time I ate Chiptole… “Never eat here again”.  But that was three months ago, and my burrito starved body is wondering, “Maybe this time it will be different…everyone seems pretty excited… maybe I was wrong about Chipotle.” 

Well, it hasn’t been three months… but last night I finally discovered a way to enjoy Chipotle.  Eating there for free.  Free food always tastes better… it’s just a fact.  And Chipotle proved that once again last night.  We got one of those passes for free dinner on Monday night, and decided to check it out then, rather then wait on line today during free Buritto day (which is from 11am to 8pm by the way).

What we ate, and the Chipotle +/- after the jump… Read more »

Every once in awhile a dilemna arises in life, that not only shakes you to your core, but defines you as a human being.  Who you are.  What you believe in.  Yesterday, I received some information.  Valuable information.  Information that you all clearly want.  And it is that knowledge, that information, that has led me to the crossroads that I am at now. 

Tell the world this info… and risk ruining it for the few people who happen to walk down 48th St. everyday (and their friends who they plan on telling).  Or, keep it to myself- and live with the shame of knowing I betrayed everything this site stands for, just to make getting my free burrito a tiny bit easier.

That’s right…. the day has finally arrived.  Wednesday (7/19), the Chipotle on 48th st. between 6th and 7th avenue is opening to the public- and to celebrate (as all new Chipotle’s do), Tuesday (7/18) is free burrito day.  That’s right.  On Tuesday, from 11am to 8pm, everyone willing to wait in line for god knows how long, will be rewarded with a free burrito and soda.

We could argue all day about whether or not the burritos at Chipotle are good.  What we can’t argue about is the intrinsic goodness of free food.  And free food always tastes good… maybe I’ll finally actually enjoy eating at Chipotle.

Check back Tuesday for pictures of the insanity… and updates.  Percentage of people in line who’s time away from work is worth more then a $7 burrito- 96.4%.  Effect that will have on the line.  Zero.

Chipotle, 49th St. between 6th & 7th Avenue. (Shit, you don’t need the address… just look for the gigantic line)

Discovered a fancy chocolate loophole the other day while eating underneath Rockefeller Center.  After having a couple of slices at Two Boots (the +/- of which we can argue on a later date) my wife decided she wanted a little something sweet… little being the key word.  All weight issues aside, there are tons of choices to satisfy a sweet tooth.  Ben and Jerry’s 50 yards away, a chocolate dipped cone from Mr. Softee on various corners of Midtown.  But since small was what she was looking for, I suggested going upstairs to La Maison du Chocolat– an upscale chocolate boutique on the first floor of Rockefeller Center.

There’s no question this place is expensive… not just compared to a snicker’s bar or many other cheaper chocolate options- but even compared to some of the other (some may say better) upscale chocolate shops in Manhattan (the amazing Jacques Torres comes to mind).  But, this is Midtown… and the choices at lunch are a little slimmer- and my wife would rather pay $1.40 for something small, then less for something larger and more fattening.

So with that in mind, we went into La Maison du Chocolat, and she picked out a small round thing with hazlenuts in it.  When we went to pay (cost… $1.41), the cashier offered BOTH OF US free samples from a little platter he had behind the counter… and I didn’t even have to buy anything.

That’s 3 pieces of fancy chocolate- price to us $1.40.  Factoring in the two free pieces of chocolate made the price seem a lot more reasonable.  Now, I can’t guarantee that they do this all the time (and for everyone)- and there’s no question you have to buy something to get the free sample, but it was worth telling the story, just in case they do it all the time.  Let me know if it works for you! Good luck… and don’t tell them I sent you.

La Maison du Chocolat, 30 Rockefeller Center (at 49th St.), 212-265-9404

48th St. between 5th and 6th was a madhouse today at lunchtime as shocked (and not so shocked), but mostly confused lunch’ers attempted to eat at Variety Cafe… which has been closed by the Health Department.

The funny thing is, they hung a sign next to the Health Department notice, claiming to be “closed due to improve our service”.  The sign went on to implore eaters to “look forward to our updated look and quality service… We will re-open as soon as possible.”  Apparently “updated look” will be the Variety Cafe, without a Health Dept. Closed notice on the front.

Apparently the two signs worked on one lady who walked away shaking her head exclaiming “Closed by the Health Department.  I just don’t understand…”  What’s there to understand lady.  It means the big salad you ate last week, probably had more then just the 6 toppings you chose.

Nothing has appeared on the NYC Health Dept. website yet explaining specifics about why Variety Cafe was closed.  Their last score was a 7 in 2005 (28 and above is failing).

EDITOR NOTE:  We have created a new “Closed for Health Reasons” Category, which given our content, and location will probably have to be used more often then any of us would like.  Hing Won, you’ve been warned. (Why are all my favorite places so dirty!)

There are very few things I enjoy eating more then pork.  Any kind of pork really, but my favorite is definetely the roasted kind where the skin gets super crispy.  It usually comes from the shoulder, and you can get it at Cuban restaurants, or Christmas parties in Miami (my hometown).  But I have had delicious roast pork in other places too (if you’re ever in Bali I can recommend a great place for roast suckling pig).

On Friday, with Margon closed (great Cuban food on 46th between 6th & 7th) I headed to Cafe Cello- a similar type of place recommended to me by numerous people… The sign out front was not exactly reassuring. It had clearly been dumbed down to attract a less then adventurous New York food crowd, who would be more likely to go into a place if it sees the words “cafe”, “deli” and “American”.

But, once inside, my fears disappeared.  The food looked really fresh and delicious (in contrast to Margon, which for all it’s positives, can sometimes not look so great depending on the day.)  All the food is in trays under glass, so ordering is as easy as looking, deciding and pointing.  The day I was there, it wasn’t too crowded- but I’ve heard you want to get there early, because once they run out of something, they don’t make more.  And by something, I mean the maduros (fried ripe plantains) which apparently are the first things to go!

Anyway, once I laid eyes on the roast pork (with the crispiest most perfect skin), ordering was pretty easy.  Along with a nice size portion of pork (pulled with tongs off what appeared to be a shoulder), they give you your choice of white rice w/ black bean soup, or yellow rice with pinto beans already mixed in, and maduros (there was still some left at 1pm)- all for $7.  PLUS, they threw in a piece of the skin on top.  Delicious!!!  And the skin was perfect.  If you love roast pork, then Cafe Cello is your new favorite place.

The rest of the menu, and a +/- you’ll definetely want to read, after the jump… Read more »

Fresh off my disappointment of no Hallo Berlin Cart on Wednesday, I was forced to find lunch in an area I haven’t eaten in before.  Walking back to work, I went down 52nd Street between 5th and 6th where I found a bunch of lunch options. But because of my “condition”, one stood out as the clear choice.  Yips.

I am addicted to cheap chinese food… and Yips is the kind of place I have trouble walking by.  The food is right there, in all it’s steam plate glory… calling to you… “Please point to me”.  With all the choices right there, waiting to be picked in any number of combinations, it’s hard for me not to eat at these kinds of cheap chinese food places… so right off the bat, I can say- if you are not into this kind of eating, Yips is not going to be the place to change your mind.

Most places like this suffer from the same problems.  Is the food authentic?  Usually not.  Is it as fresh as it could be?  Usually not?  Is it restaurant quality?  Usually not… and Yips is no different.  But it’s got a lot of choices, and many of them you don’t normally see at places like this.  Garlic (Salt & Pepper) Shrimp, Honey Roast Pork, Curry Fish Balls, Spicy Thai Chicken, Some sort of fried cutlet, and numerous soups joined the usual suspects.  And they had a Tue&Thurs. specials board, so it appears as if they change some of their items around every few days.

When you walk in, there are three or four different places you can get in line to pick your food.  On first glimpse, they look mostly the same, but some of them have different things.  Usually I like to ignore the menu, and just order with my eyes… but here that’s a little tough because there are a few different places to order.  My suggestion would be to look up at the bulletin boards hanging behind each station, and choose which line to get in based on that.  There are a ton of choices, and the board (while it doesn’t seem complete) will help you to at least narrow it down.

What I ordered, and the +/- after the jump… Read more »

Fresh off my disappointment of no Hallo Berlin Cart on Wednesday, I was forced to find lunch in an area I haven’t eaten in before.  Walking back to work, I went down 52nd Street between 5th and 6th where I found a bunch of lunch options. But because of my “condition”, one stood out as the clear choice.  Yips.

I am addicted to cheap chinese food… and Yips is the kind of place I have trouble walking by.  The food is right there, in all it’s steam plate glory… calling to you… “Please point to me”.  With all the choices right there, waiting to be picked in any number of combinations, it’s hard for me not to eat at these kinds of cheap chinese food places… so right off the bat, I can say- if you are not into this kind of eating, Yips is not going to be the place to change your mind.

Most places like this suffer from the same problems.  Is the food authentic?  Usually not.  Is it as fresh as it could be?  Usually not?  Is it restaurant quality?  Usually not… and Yips is no different.  But it’s got a lot of choices, and many of them you don’t normally see at places like this.  Garlic (Salt & Pepper) Shrimp, Honey Roast Pork, Curry Fish Balls, Spicy Thai Chicken, Some sort of fried cutlet, and numerous soups joined the usual suspects.  And they had a Tue&Thurs. specials board, so it appears as if they change some of their items around every few days.

When you walk in, there are three or four different places you can get in line to pick your food.  On first glimpse, they look mostly the same, but some of them have different things.  Usually I like to ignore the menu, and just order with my eyes… but here that’s a little tough because there are a few different places to order.  My suggestion would be to look up at the bulletin boards hanging behind each station, and choose which line to get in based on that.  There are a ton of choices, and the board (while it doesn’t seem complete) will help you to at least narrow it down.

What I ordered, and the +/- after the jump… Read more »

The Northwest corner of 54th st. & 5th avenue was surprisingly empty today.  Normally it is home to the infamous Hallo Berlin Cart, THE place for German sausage in town.  I figured what better time to review it… one day after the German soccer (football if you want to be a snob about it) team was knocked out of the World Cup.  I was hoping the Cart could bring solace to any fans of German soccer looking to drown their sorrows in one of the best German delicacies the city has to offer.

But the cart was nowhere to be found… and I can’t help but wonder, if yesterday’s game has anything to do with this?  Is it possible that Rolf Babiel was too depressed to come to work today?

Hoping to get to the bottom of this, I phoned Hallo Berlin’s actual restaurant on 10th Avenue and 44th street… but they were no help.  Partially because whoever answered didn’t speak english very well, but even after my question was finally understood, they told me the cart should be there.

Anyway, sorry to all the German Soccer fans looking for solace today… the actual restaurant is open, if you want to drown your sorrows with a beer after work- but the cart’s whereabouts are a mystery for now…

Hallo Berlin Cart, Usually at the Northwest Corner of 54th St. & 5th Avenue

Hallo Berlin the Restaurant, 626 10th Ave. btw. 44th & 45th st., 212-541-6248  

Oh Indian Burrito!  Where have you been all my life???  I don’t really know if the owners of Kati Roll would refer to what they sell as an “Indian Burrito”, but as far as I’m concerned, if the shoe fits…

It’s Indian food.  It’s a burrito.  Indian Burrito.  Done.  Sure, there’s no rice, no beans, and instead of a tortilla, it’s a piece of fresh paratha (Indian flat bread).  But it is rolled up, and it is eaten with your hands.  Indian Burrito.  Indian Soft Taco is also accepted.

Very rarely do I find a place that serves something I’ve *never* eaten or seen before… so Kati Roll was definetely one of my more exciting finds when looking for places to eat near work.  Sure, I’ve had tons of Indian food before, but never in such a convenient, made for New York lunch kind of way. 

The menu has ten options, or fillings for your fresh made piece of paratha.  The fillings are Aloo Masala (spicy potato), Achari Paneer (Indian Cottage Cheese in spicy pickle), Chicken Tikka, Beef Tikka, Shami Kabab (Spiced mutton mince kebab), or any one of those fillings mixed with Unda (spiced Indian Egg omelette).  Or you can just get the Spicy Egg Omelette by itself.

You can order one roll for $3 to $6 (depending on the filling), or two for slightly less (they give you a discount when you order two of the same roll).  I’ve had the Chicken Tikka which is fantastic.  The chicken is really good, and covered in red onions with a slight lemon flavor.  Really, really good.  I’ve also had the spicy potato- which is really spicy… but also delicious, if you like potatoes.  Very similar flavor to a samosa, just without the fried stuff around the outside.  The paratha is grilled fresh on a gigantic skillet in the back, so it is really really good (albeit pretty greasy).

There are a few tips to make your visit a little bit easier… so check out the +/- after the jump Read more »