Archive for '*Rockefeller Center'

Rock Center Greenmarket Returns in September

Rock Center Greenmarket

Are you a Rock Center worker that’s been wondering what’s happened to the annual Greenmarket? For the past few years, it’s magically appeared for about a month or so starting in late July, but this year there’s been a Koons topiary taking up valuable space. No worries, my friends, we will be eating pumpkin whoopie pies soon enough: the Greenmarket is scheduled to return every Wednesday, Thursday and Friday from September 10th to October 10th. Just in time for gourds.

Rock Center Greenmarket Returns Today

Hoda Kotb at the Rock Center Greenmarket
(Brownie spotted Hoda one day, I’m holding out for Jimmy Fallon)

A sure sign of summer is the reopening of the Rockefeller Center Greenmarket (Rockefeller Plaza btn 50+51st) this morning at 8am. The market will run every Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday from 8am until 4pm with a rotating roster of Greenmarket regulars, until August 30th. Time to gorge yourself with apple cider doughnuts and whoopie pies all in the name of supporting your local foodshed. Extra bonus points if you spot an NBC celebrity!

Check out the whole daily schedule of vendors after the jump…

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Blimpie is the Worst Lunch in Midtown According to 30 Rock Series Finale

We’ve always known that the TV show 30 Rock was actually filmed in Queens, and not right in the center of our lunch wasteland. But that hasn’t stopped us from imagining that the food loving Liz Lemon was eating at the same Midtown lunch places as us all these years. In Season 1 that dream seemed possible when Kenneth’s church was filmed as a secret doorway in the back of Margon, but mostly the references to food and lunch were relatively vague. Until last night that is! We here at Midtown Lunch consider it a pretty huge victory that a major segment of last night’s series finale of 30 Rock was devoted to making sure that Lutz didn’t get to order the crew’s final lunch from Blimpie.  Momofuku and Per Se were yelled out as suggestions before Liz settled on Nobu 57… but the running gag was that Blimpie is horrible.  Maybe they only felt that way because they never go to try the Indian Blimpie.

Anyway, thank you 30 Rock.  Not only for 7 great seasons, but for putting the important job of picking lunch for your office up on the pedestal where it belongs. If you could pick one Midtown Lunch to go out on, what would it be?

Restaurant Days at Rock Center Has a Ton of Great Deals

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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 »

Restaurant Days Return to Rock Center Tomorrow

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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.

Free Hot Chocolate Tasting Alert!

Rock Center Hot Chocolate Tasting

Yesterday, Brownie and I happened upon this free hot chocolate tasting in the Rock Center concourse, in front of the ice skating rink. All the Rock Center chocolatiers are represented: Jacques Torres, Bouchon, La Maison du Chocolat, and Godiva. Each is handing out little samples of their hot chocolate, gratis of course.

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You Can Get Schweddy Balls at Ben & Jerry’s Rock Center

Schweddy Balls

When I first heard about Schweddy Balls, Ben & Jerry’s latest Limited Edition flavor named for the classic Alec Baldwin SNL sketch, I had to go check the Rock Center shop to see if they had scoops. And come on, Schweddy Balls are tailor made for amusing interactions.

Me: “hi, I’d like a cup of Schweddy Balls.”
Woman in business suit next to me: “Getting some Schweddy Balls today?”
Me: “Yup.”
Woman in business suit next to me: “Me, too. Those are some good Schweddy Balls.”

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Your First Look at Harry’s Italian Pizza Bar

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When I passed by Harry’s Italian in the concourse at 30 Rock on Monday, I took a few other photos of the new shop. Get a closer look, including a menu shot, after the jump.

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Taste of Summer Returns to Rock Center (With a Sneak Peak of Harry’s Pizza)

Taste of Rock Center

Taste of Summer has returned for the next couple of days, giving us another chance to sample some of the best Rock Center has to offer. Last year, Chris stopped by and got an early taste of Bill’s Bar & Burgers. This year, you can get a taste of the new Rock Center concourse pizza place Harry’s, which is scheduled to open in the beginning of August. All of the Rock Center lunch spots are there: ‘wichcraft, Cucina & Co, AJ Maxwell’s, ML favorite Tri Tip, and even Manchu Wok with a $4.99 special. I would have loved if they were offering a nice little buffet, but logistics probably got in the way.

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Are the Cucina & Co. Friday Sliders Worth the Hype?

Every day, the Chef’s Table at Cucina & Co. in the Rock Center Concourse offers a different lunch for $9.50 from 11:30 to 12:30. The lunches change each week (Brownie enjoyed their pork tenderloin medallions with pasta), but Fridays are always the same. Chef Juan anchors each week with his cheeseburger sliders, and they’re popular enough to have gotten the attention of Concourse neighbor Tri Tip. We’ve never had the sliders though, so I decided to head out for an early lunch last Friday (the Chef’s Table is known to run out of food). See what I found after the jump.
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