Midtown Lunch

If you like to eat, chances are you like to drink (read: a lot of you are freakin’ lushes), so I thought maybe it was time to introduce a happy hour column to the site. Every week, our Happy Hour Correspondent “Mamacita” will post about a different bar in Midtown that fits the Midtown Lunch mentality: unhealthy food, not lame (unless it’s lame in a cool way), and most importantly… cheap. This week, the Happy Hour Post is good enough to double as a regular Midtown Lunch post. And quite frankly, what better way to kick off Memorial Day Weekend with a lunch of pizza and takeout beer in a soda cup!

There are almost more Pronto Pizzas in Midtown than there are generic delis. If you are in the mood for dodgy free street sushi you can go to the one on 55th St. If you are yearning to bite down on a terrible looking gyro, then head to one of the two Prontos on 48th (I don’t know what the other one is good for.) But if cheep-ass beer and pizza in an … umm … “unpretentious” atmosphere is what you’re looking for, than the 41st Street Pronto is the dive for you!

Read more »

If you like to eat, chances are you like to drink (read: a lot of you are freakin’ lushes), so I thought maybe it was time to introduce a happy hour column to the site. Every week, our Happy Hour Correspondent “Mamacita” will post about a different bar in Midtown that fits the Midtown Lunch mentality: unhealthy food, not lame (unless it’s lame in a cool way), and most importantly… cheap.

1 2 3, Burger, Shot, Beer is out of bounds for anyone in Midtown East, but if you work on the Westside this is a popular spot to meet up with friends and enjoy one dollar mini burgers, two dollar mixed shots and you guessed it -three buck beers. The bar attracts a few local suits and neighborhood regulars but mostly younger bar-hoppers looking to get trashed and watch a game on the many large flat screens.

When navigating this bar it’s important to note the pricey things to avoid. First, steer clear of the shots. It’s a thimble sized shot and only comes in their pre-mixed girly drinks: Kamikaze, Lemon Drop, DoMeAgain, Screaming Orgasm… etc. Not worth it. I wouldn’t mess around with the $3 beers either- instead go with the Beer Tube! For $30.00 you get more bang for your buck plus it just seems right given the bright neon décor and cheap greasy food you will devour. In addition, it’s a hoot to see the petite Asian bartender (or any of their barely legal wait staff) fill up this huge beast.

That photo is after the jump…

Read more »

I haven’t really found any inexpensive Mexican bars in Midtown. There’s some fine places to get Mexican food, like El Rey del Sabor, or the out of bounds Tulcingo Del Valle (and I finally got Zach to write about Las Poblanitas this week!) But none of those places really qualify for a ML happy hour. So, when Cinco de Mayo came up this Tuesday I was a bit at a loss where to take everyone. We decided to make the best of it and just bar hop in search of a good margarita and happy hour. Every bar was offering Cinco de Mayo specials after all, so we kept it simple.

Our first stop was the Cornerstone Tavern. They had $5 margaritas, Hornitos shots, Coronas and an assortment of $4 drafts. Free chips and salsa were at the bar and the decorations came straight from your local party store. The ‘ritas were too sweet, but satisfied the craving. I doubt they have free chips on a regular night and the happy hour special wasn’t that great so I’d suggest skipping Cornerstone (which is what we did after one drink.) That’s when we came across Opal: a cocktail lounge serving up 2 for 1 quesadillas and drinks ’til 9pm. This was clearly the place to go. There were two bars sections, and the main bar in the front had some of the coolest punk rock artwork that I have yet to see in the corporate blandness of Midtown.

Read more »

If you like to eat, chances are you like to drink (read: a lot of you are freakin’ lushes), so I thought maybe it was time to introduce a happy hour column to the site. Every week, our Happy Hour Correspondent “Mamacita” will post about a different bar in Midtown that fits the Midtown Lunch mentality: unhealthy food, not lame (unless it’s lame in a cool way), and most importantly… cheap. This past week, Mamacita was out of town, so she had a friend check in with this quick report from a visit to Black Finn.

I just got back from Chapel Hill, NC where I stuffed myself with pulled pork, pork ribs, hushpuppies, southern fried breakfasts and sweet tea. I plan on spreading my swine flu to all you midtowners! Due to my absence I was AWOL for any happy hours in NY with my friends. But like they say, when the cats away the mice will play. My favorite lush Scarlett took up the baton for this week’s happy hour and here is her lubricated take on BlackFinn, a bar where I guess all the midtown white boys rock out. -Mamacita

“That place was hysterical. My friend Kim told me there was a DJ but I kind of can’t believe it. I think the guy must have had Top 40 hit CDs– he would play ACDC and then Kelly Clarkson then an R&B hit, then Earth Wind and Fire, then Michael Jackson………. so funny. We got there at like 6 and by 7 it was elbow to elbow crowded with the WHITEST people I have ever seen in my life. Other than a few token asian girls, my gf was the only person who looked like they had any flavor in the joint.

Read more »

If you like to eat, chances are you like to drink (read: a lot of you are freakin’ lushes), so I thought maybe it was time to introduce a happy hour column to the site. Every week, our Happy Hour Correspondent “Mamacita” will post about a different bar in Midtown that fits the Midtown Lunch mentality: unhealthy food, not lame (unless it’s lame in a cool way), and most importantly… cheap. This past week it was Mamacita’s birthday… so she decided to get down and dirty at Port 41.

I heard stories told about Port 41 but had avoided reviewing it, that is, until this week when I needed somewhere special to go for my birthday. This is not exactly the place ordinary people would consider celebrating their birthday, but I’m not an ordinary gal. So I gave myself a tetanus shot and ventured forth to celebrate.

Back when I wrote about Dave’s Tavern I stated that, “Dave’s inhabits the armpit that lies between the Lincoln Tunnel and Port Authority.” Commenter Wayne noted at that time that if “Dave’s is in the armpit then Port 41 is in the asscrack.” Truer words were never spoken. Anyone who has walked by or dared trod inside the seedy den that is Port 41 knows that it rife with filth and depravity. There are bikinied bartenders in their skivvies dealing out cheap beer to fat bikers, day laborers and tattooed hoodlums. In the mix are worn pool tables, a boxing game, and for some reason a taxidermy hippo’s head that beckons you to give in to the drunkenness.

Read more »

If you like to eat, chances are you like to drink (read: a lot of you are freakin’ lushes), so I thought maybe it was time to introduce a happy hour column to the site. Every week, our Happy Hour Correspondent “Mamacita” will post about a different bar in Midtown that fits the Midtown Lunch mentality: unhealthy food, not lame (unless it’s lame in a cool way), and most importantly… cheap.

Faces & Names draws its moniker from the many oil paint caricatures of various famous folks that adorn the walls. While amusing enough, beyond the décor what you have is basically your usual Midtown lounge. As you enter there’s a large bar that sits in a square at the center. There’s plenty of bartenders and beer taps on either side offering your usual favorites of Guinness, Yuengling, Bass, Sam Adams, Stella and Sierra Nevada to name a few. The full range of cocktails is available and this is definitely a place where you can order a fancy girl drink and not get a sideways glance.

Read more »

If you like to eat, chances are you like to drink (read: a lot of you are freakin’ lushes), so I thought maybe it was time to introduce a happy hour column to the site. Every week, our Happy Hour Correspondent “Mamacita” will post about a different bar in Midtown that fits the Midtown Lunch mentality: unhealthy food, not lame (unless it’s lame in a cool way), and most importantly… cheap. This week Mamacita decides to check out Hooters, in an attempt to make up for the past few weeks of posting photos of male bartenders. Enjoy!

We all know about Hooters for their babalicious waitresses in tight short shorts and skimpy tank tops, but I’ve heard many say, in that typical “I read playboy for the articles” kind of way, that Hooters crispy hot wings are where it’s at- and might even be the best in town! I figured I had to try it for myself, after all if I could handle lunch at a strip club this should be a walk in the park right? So off I went to find out if these wings where really as good as everyone says, thus validating it as a bona fide Midtown Lunch happy hour.

Read more »

If you like to eat, chances are you like to drink (read: a lot of you are freakin’ lushes), so I thought maybe it was time to introduce a happy hour column to the site. Every week, our Happy Hour Correspondent “Mamacita” will post about a different bar in Midtown that fits the Midtown Lunch mentality: unhealthy food, not lame (unless it’s lame in a cool way), and most importantly… cheap.

My eternal search for the elusive free canapé happy hour led me this week to the Pig n’ Whistle on 47th Street. Opened in 1969, the Pig n’ Whistle was originally a restaurant in the Old Townhouse of President Taft on West 48th street and now it has many outposts in Manhattan. There isn’t a discounted happy hour, but beer was a sort of reasonable $6.50 for import drafts and $6 for mixed drinks. But from 6pm to 8pm they provide the free hors d’oeuvres!

Read more »

Blogger and Profiled Lunch’er Andre Mika sends word that the old Kati Roll space on 46th Street (which has been empty since they moved to 39th St. almost two years ago) has finally been filled. “In case you missed it, our friends at St. Andrew’s Scottish Pub (44th Street) have opened a new location (the old one will close soon) at 140 West 46th Street btw 6th and Broadway.” A call to the new location confirms… the old 44th Street location is now closed, and the new St. Andrews officially opened yesterday on 46th with full food service.  Lunch is out of the ML price range, but Mamacita seemed to enjoy the Happy Hour.

If you like to eat, chances are you like to drink (read: a lot of you are freakin’ lushes), so I thought maybe it was time to introduce a happy hour column to the site. Every week, our Happy Hour Correspondent “Mamacita” will post about a different bar in Midtown that fits the Midtown Lunch mentality: unhealthy food, not lame (unless it’s lame in a cool way), and most importantly… cheap.

I was having a hard time picking a place for this week’s ML Happy Hour until my friend Marrie suggested Russian Vodka Room (RVR) and their $3.50 happy hour of house made infused vodkas, $5 cosmos and $4 beers. Not only that, but a quick perusal of “Yelp” reviews garnered this recent gem:

“I’m not sure if you have to be Russian to appreciate this joint or what. Or British? there were some 50 something British folks getting sauced and raunchily flirting with each other right next to my date and I. One of these Englishmen actually stole my seat at the bar while i stood up 2 inches away from it! I witnessed another pinching the nipple of a gentlewoman through her fishnet top….”

Well I guess I better find out how classy this place really is! I put a call out to my only Russian-speaking friend Chandra and we headed over with some of our other pals. Happy hour is from 4 to 7pm and what we encountered was a dark, moody bar with a decidedly Russian feel and lovely waitresses quickly serving up some of midtown’s most interesting vodka shots.

Read more »