Midtown Lunch

There used to be a deli called Cafe Express on 7th Ave btw 29th and 30th (they closed couple years ago to make room for a stupid Pret A Manger ) that served my favorite roast beef sandwich. It had roast beef, mayo, fried onions and was sandwiched between 2 delicious slices of focaccia bread. It was such a magnificent sandwich, that I got really sad when I found out the place was closed. Since then I haven’t really eaten a good roast beef sandwich in Midtown during lunch. So when I found out that Melange Green & Gourmet has a roast beef sandwich that was supposed to be great, I knew I had to give it a try.

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Now, I have to admit, we don’t tend to go nuts over sandwiches here at ML. Schnitzel? Sure. Grilled cheese with chorizo and bacon? All over that freaking thing. FREE FOOD? OMG! Yes. But getting pumped up for cold cuts on a roll is another thing. So when our boss kept asking, “Has anyone tried Melange (on 39th btw. 3rd+Lex) AKA the new Milant yet?” I knew we were talking about the return of some serious sandwiches. Zach’s old standby – Milant’s #13 – is now Melange’s H5 comprised of breaded chicken cutlet, fresh mozzarella, pesto sauce and sundried tomato on French bread for 5.99. And on a good day (like when H5 is put up on the dry erase “Specials” board outside) it comes with free soup too! So is Melange offering Milant’s awesome food under its new name? Find out after the jump…

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Milant is back! Sure, we’ve said it before, but the small deli is really back this time under a new name, Melange (on 39th btw. 3rd+Lex). One of the original owner’s son runs the business now so ownership stayed in the family. Apparently, dad’s still helping out and cooking, so the name change probably has more to do with distancing themselves from the issues that plagued their former self than any meaningful changes. The great news? The place is spotless and they’ve retained all of the awesome sandwiches plus added a whole bunch of new ones along with breakfast, a salad station, and hot bar.

Check out their sweet lunch specials and sandwich menu after the jump…

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This was not a good week for Mom and Pop, old school Midtown Lunch spots.  Following the sad report that Fashion Soup (on 41st btw. B’way+5th) is now closed, and unloading all of their equipment- comes this expected, but still hard to take, news.  “This morning there are two for rent signs on the front of Milant with numbers. All over for the place. -Lunch’er Andrew”.  The owner is looking for a new space, but it’s still a terrible blow to lose a place (even temporarily) that was once considered the best sandwich spot in all of Midtown. And right before summer too!  Where are we going to go for gazpacho now? The ML flag will fly at half mast today.

Could this finally be the end for Milant, the little deli (on 39th btw. Lex+3rd) that just two years ago was considered by many to be the best place for sandwiches in Midtown? After a couple of DOH closings, and a noticeable drop in business, Milant was finally sized by the Marshal last week on behalf of their landlord.  I’ve seen places bounce back from this before, and when I ate at Milant in April everything was delicious… but clearly things are not looking good.

A close up of the Marshal’s notice is after the jump.

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There was a time, not long ago, when Milant (on 39th btw. Lex+3rd) was considered the best sandwich place in Midtown.  Then the DOH hit, followed by a weird period where they were closed more than they were open. Since that time, I’ve only been back to Milant once- for a good lunch, which I enjoyed– but there is no question their reputation has been hurt.  On Friday I walked by Milant once again, to see what was cookin’, and found they had quietly entered the Midtown Lunch Sandwich Challenge.  Sort of…

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This was posted in the comments on Friday about Milant, the sandwich shop that has been plagued by quality questions since they spent much of the past few months closed:

Before the “renovations,” I had been going to Milant at least once a week. No longer. On Wednesday, 8/27, I returned to Milant and ordered a sandwich and soup. Also purchased two “buttercrunch” candies to bring home for my wife. She wound up saving her candy to eat on Thursday. Last night, she opened the cello to discover the candy teeming with bugs. Definitely not from our home. Utterly disgusting. A complaint has been lodged with health dept.

Ouch. I had lunch there last week and thought my sandwich was good, but have always been skeptical about that candy in the window. We’ll see how effective Health Department Complaints actually are.  If you noticed Milant closed this week, email me at zach@midtownlunch.com

Always up for challenging my stomach, I decided to hit up Milant yesterday (on 39th btw. Lex+3rd) despite the fact that they’ve been closed for most of the past month or two. Since they were shuttered by the DOH, there has been concern about the freshness and cleanliness of what was once considered Midtown’s finest sandwich place.  All the food in the display case looked fine, although there is a creepy-ness that will probably only go away after multiple visits without incident (i.e. sickness). I went with my standby #13.  Chicken cutlet, fresh mozarella, sundried tomatoes, and pesto. 

Check it out, plus more- after the jump…  Read more »

Milant (on 39th btw. Lex+3rd) re-opened today, after a run in with the DOH and a complete “rennovation” of their kitchen. The refrigerator case that houses most of the sandwich ingredients was totally cleaned out, so they were only serving smoked turkey sandwiches today (I passed.)  I guess this is good news, considering that at one time Milant was my favorite sandwich in Midtown, but I can’t help but shake the feeling that something is still off with the place.  Questions still linger about the cleanliness, and the really old looking stuff they still have for sale in the windows and on a little shelf on the sidewalk doesn’t help. 

The guy behind the counter told me the fridge will be re-stocked tomorrow, and the full menu will be available, so Milant lovers should keep their fingers crossed.  If any super-fans go, let us know in the comments how it is…