Midtown Lunch

It was reported on Thursday that Pinche Taqueria was taking over the old Mantra space on 2nd Ave. & 52nd Street, but a walk-by on Friday afternoon yielded this email from a Midtown Lunch’er:

“I just went by the Old Mantra and saw ZERO sign of anything new happening. There is no way this place is opening up, unless they’re operating without any signs of their own. Am I missing something?”

That doesn’t sound promising.  But what about our tacos?!?  There must be an explanation…

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Huge news via Eater: “Pinche Taqueria is opening a third location in the old Mantra space at 986 Second Ave (at 52nd) tonight at 5 o’clock. Downstairs it will have the usual Pinche setup with the same Pinche menu of tacos, burritos, quesadillas, and tortas… they’ll be open after 5 p.m. today through Saturday. Next week they’ll start opening during lunch and doing deliveries throughout Midtown East.” Sure, it’s one avenue outside the standard Midtown Lunch boundaries- but whatever! For Pinche Taqueria it’s totally worth it. This just in: Be afraid Pampano Taqueria (on 50th & 3rd).  Be very afraid.  Your overpriced, Midtown East, hipster Mexican food reign of terror has just come to an end!

Photo courtesy of Kathy YL Chan

When I started up the Midtown Lunch Sandwich Challenge I don’t remember if I mentioned anything about the boundaries of Midtown Lunch, which right now are 3rd Ave. on the East, 8th Ave. on the West, Central Park to the north, and 32nd St. to the south (got to include Koreatown, right?)  I started these boundaries because, while I feel there are some who will venture to 2nd Ave. or 9th Ave. or 28th St., the majority of lunchers confine themselves to this area.  And in the end, you have to the draw the line somewhere.  I will, occasionally, though break my own rules if there is something really out of the ordinary good.  Something you can’t get anywhere else in Midtown (i.e. Baoguette.)

I don’t know if Manchester Pub’s pork tenderloin sandwich fits that criteria, but they submitted it as an entry to the Midtown Lunch Sandwich Challenge- and it sounded good enough to get me to trek over to 2nd Ave. to check it out.

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Great news on the Tehuitzingo front, which was closed by the DOH for an expired permit over the weekend.  The out of bounds Mexican bodega, on 10th btw. 47+48th, reopened yesterday- and I confirmed with the owner’s son that the landlord issue has been resolved. They came to an agreement over the rent and signed a 6 year lease… so Tehuizingo isn’t going anywhere for awhile.

The newer location of Lazzara’s Pizza, located just out of bounds on 9th Ave. btw. 44+45th, has just introduced a recession special from 11:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m.: If you purchase a soda, you can get a single slice of pizza for 99 cents (and a second slice for $1.50.) They’re also selling a full 6 slice pie for $8.99 (normally $11.50). Both deals are walk in only, and not available at the original location on 38th btw. 6+7th, but it may be worth the extra walk if you’re as cheap as I am.

Times Square Alliance, the ogranization known most notably for putting on the annual ‘Taste of Times Square‘, is promoting a month-long “Taste Bud Stimulus Package” where local restaurants offer discounts until the end of January. Just like the Taste of Times Square, the list of restaurants run the gamut from expensive, to crappy, to touristy, to expensive touristy crap (Applebee’s anybody?).  And a few of the deals you can get at any time (i.e. the $10 beer and burger deal at House of Brews).  But there were a couple that caught my eye… like 15% off at Empanada Joe’s (I still haven’t completely given up on that place), and there is a special $10 lunch menu at the just out of bounds Bourbon Street Grill on 46th btw. 8+9th (what can I say? I am a sucker for New Orleans.)

I headed over there yesterday to check out their muffuletta.

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I may be in the minority, but I happen to like the banh mi at Boi to Go (on 2nd Ave. btw. 42+43rd), and their newly opened Boi Sandwich (on 3rd Ave. btw. 44+45th).  But even I’ll admit, it’s only good for Midtown.  Put their $8 Vietnamese sandwich in Chinatown and I probably wouldn’t even give it a second look. So dreaming of something a little better, I decided earlier in the week to venture just outside the Midtown Lunch boundaries to try Baoguette, Chef Michale Huynh’s new take-out Banh Mi counter on Lexington btw 25+26th Street. It replaced a closed down Blimpie (unlike our three closed Blimpies which remain empty) and I have to say, if you work in the southern part of Midtown- the choice between waking 8 blocks north to Boi Sandwich, or 10 blocks south to Baoguette is no choice at all.

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Got an email from Blockheads Burritos the other day, which has one location in the Midtown Lunch boundaries (3rd Ave. btw. 33+34th) and two locations just outside of the ML boundaries (one on 50th btw. 8+9th, and one on 2nd Ave. btw. 50+51st).

“I am the Administrative Assistant over at Blockheads Burritos and I’m very interested in getting our locations on your map. How can we go about this? Can you send me some literature or a link? Maybe even a call? Thank you in advance!”

I’ll tell you how you get on the map… serve good lunch food, for cheap- and if the Midtown Lunch readers deem you worthy, then you get added to the canon of official Midtown Lunches.  I admit Blockheads is not completely off the radar…  it’s been mentioned by a few commenters and Profiled Midtown Lunch’ers (most notably Kristy) and I have considered crossing 8th Ave. on many occasions to try one of their burritos.  But part of the former L.A. resident in me feels a little bit of skepticism towards this after-work-party-spot.  They do have a $9 lunch combo (which includes chips, salsa, and a soda) which is intriguing. 

Anybody been?  Thoughts?  I’ll leave this one up to you guys…