Midtown Lunch

We’ve already mentioned midtown newcomer Treehaus (3rd Ave. and 51st St.) for its next-level buffet options, but they’ve now stepped up to the plate with an offering for the Midtown Lunch Sandwich Challenge (remember that old thing!?)  The Crispy Buffalo Chicken, which is priced at $8.50 ($9.25 with tax), is actually a wrap- which generally speaking can’t compare with proper sandwiches — after all, flour tortillas are often just soft, one-note, well, wrapping for ingredients that could otherwise benefit from a nice, crusty roll or slices of bread. Treehaus finds, however, finds a way to elevate the humble wrap by toasting a wheat tortilla in a panini press, giving it nice grill marks and a bit of texture.

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It’s been just over two years since Cer Te (on 56th btw. 5+6th) began pumping up crazy ass sandwiches for our ML Sandwich Challenge, many of which had made it on to their menu as permanent fixtures or weekly specials.  Last year they put a twist on things by turning over the sandwich creating duties to you, the reader, and it was so successful (Chubby Chinese Girl, anybody?) they’ve decided to do it again.  Starting today, Cer Te will begin taking suggestions for sandwich specials.  Got some crazy ass idea you’d like to see Chef Edward tackle?  Just email it to MyDreamSandwich@certenyc.com, and who knows… maybe you’ll be the next Chubby Chinese Girl. According to the email they sent last week, the prize for having your sandwich selected is bragging rights (plus having a sandwich named after you for a month), but I’m sure we can pressure them into giving out a prize too. Maybe a gift certificate? It’s the least they can do for such kick ass sandwich ideas.  UPDATE: They’ve agreed to award a $100 Cer Te gift certificate to the winner!

Two weeks ago, Cer Te (on 55th btw. 5+6th) challenged the Midtown Lunch community to come up with special sandwich ideas for each of the next three months. (Cer Te has had a “special sandwich” every month since we launched the ML Sandwich Challenge last January.) Well… they got a ton of entries, and after careful consideration here are the three winners!

February: Warm, Soft, Crust baguette holding tender orange coated roasted duck meat slices with cilantro, a bit of hoisin sauce and a dab of chili, topped with cucumber and pickled radish strips (Submitted by Lunch’er Cindy aka ChubbyChineseGirl)

March and April are after the jump…

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Fresh off their “Best Sandwiches in Midtown” victory in the 2009 Reader’s poll, Cer Te (on 55th btw. 5+6th) has decided to up the ante by turning over their sandwich of the month to you… the ML readers.  They sent over the details in an email this afternoon:

We’re happy to announce that we’re taking the Midtown Lunch Sandwich Challenge in a new direction, this year we want to challenge YOU! Starting this week, we will be accepting sandwich ideas sent to sandwich@certenyc.com. Starting February (which is actually our one year anniversary creating sandwiches for Midtown Lunch) we will choose one sandwich per month to be featured- the sandwich will of course be named for its creator. In some circumstances, if we see fit to quality of the sandwich, we will modify it to Cer te standards- but ultimately it will fit the vision of it’s creator. We will meet with the creator and give them a tasting of their sandwich before we debut it to the public, and at that time we will ask for their recommended changes and perfect the sandwich!

So there it is. Got a dream sandwich you want to see Cer Te tackle? Email it to sandwich@certenyc.com

A couple weeks ago I kind of flipped out gushed over the new fried burger being sold at the Schnitzel & Things Truck.  I got pretty excited after eating the grease soaked monstrosity- not just because it tasted really good, but also because its unabashed grossness was quite simply unmatched by any Midtown Lunch I have ever had (and I have had quite a few.)  Well, in a surprising turn, the schnitzel burger’s reign atop the grossest-sandwich-in-Midtown heap was short lived.  Because last week I tried Cer Te’s October entry in the Midtown Lunch Sandwich Challenge, the “Tuscan Cheesesteak” ($8.95), and it is without a doubt the most deliciously gross, out of control gut bomb, I have ever had in Midtown, in sandwich form.

Cer Te (on 55th btw. 5+6th) has had a long history of creating sandwich craziness for the ML Sandwich challenge.  But the “Tuscan Cheesesteak” takes the cake.  So much so I devised a list of reasons why you shouldn’t eat this sandwich.  That list, plus a closer look at the madness is after the jump…

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At the beginning of the month, Cer Te (on  55th btw. 5+6th) announced that they would be offering a whopping 5 specially designed sandwiches every Monday and Tuesday throughout the month of August. Lunchers would then be asked to vote on their favorite, and the winner would be offered every day in September as Cer Te’s official entry into the Midtown Lunch Sandwich Challenge.  It took me two weeks to get it done, but I finally tried every one of the five entries.

Check them out after the jump…

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Whoever does marketing for Cer te deserves a gold star.  Since we launched the Midtown Lunch Sandwich Challenge Cer Te, on 55th btw. 5+6th, has used it as their own personal promotional machine- which of course was ok with us because we were getting amazing sandwiches.  There was the Thanksgiving Dip (which I believe is still available on Thursdays), the Bayou, the Primavera, the Mexican torta, and the soft shelled crab.  And of course that whole lobster roll thing, which was kind of an honorary entry.

The slightly upscale deli took the month of July off, but they plan on coming back with a bang in September and want you to help pick the sandwich of the month.  Every Monday and Tuesday, today through the end of August, they will be serving 5 (yes, five) special Midtown Lunch sandwiches and asking you to vote for the best one.  Shameless promotion designed to get Midtown Lunch’ers to come in and eat five sandwiches?  Of course. But once you see some of these sandwiches, maybe you won’t mind as much.

Check out the list after the jump…

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So, the Midtown Lunch Sandwich Challenge keeps rolling along- but as of now it just seems like the Cer Te show. You guys said you wanted it to keep going, so Cer Te (on 55th btw. 5+6th) keeps pumping out the sandwiches.  (Maybe yesterdays coverage will encourage other Midtown businesses to get on board!  What are you waiting for people?  A challenge has been issued!)

The June offering from Cer Te is a soft shelled crab sandwich, and I stopped by yesterday to try it for myself.

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Following in the footsteps of Chop’t, FreeFoods NYC (on 45th btw. 5+6th & 52nd btw. Lex+3rd) is introducing their own version of the banh mi today.  Of course “their version” means it’s free range chicken and wildly overpriced.  It comes topped with pickled carrots, toasted peanuts and red chili mayo on a Sullivan Street Bakery baguette. If you thought paying $8 at Boi Sandwich was ridiculous, I can’t imagine how you’ll feel spending $11 on this version of a banh mi. Unless some (rich) early adopters say it’s the greatest sandwich of all time, I don’t think I’ll be breaking the ML price boundaries for this.

Also happening today in the Midtown Lunch sandwich world… Certe (on 55th btw. 5+6th) introduces their June entry to the Midtown Lunch Sandwich Challenge: a beer battered jumbo soft shell crab with bibb lettuce, remoulade sauce on a toasted butter potato roll ($8.95).  Nice.  I love soft shelled crab, so I’m thinking this sandwich will continue the same streak of awesomeness that brought us the Thanksgiving Dip and The Primavera.