Midtown Lunch

In case you haven’t checked your calendar, today’s October 1st and there’s a new line up of custard flavors at the Shake Shack (on 8th Ave. and 44th) including Pumpkin Pie, S’mores, Orange Fennel, Coconut Caramel, Concord Grape, Apple Cinnamon Raisin, and Shackenstein (it’s almost worth it to come into midtown on a Sunday just to find out what Shackenstein, is…almost). And I just noticed via Shack Shack’s official Facebook Page that Shacktoberfest is back at every Shack location from 10/1 until 10/10.

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I’ve always enjoyed Katz’s deli, and I’ve recently become a Shake Shack convert. So I was instantly sold when I heard about Shake Shack’s “Deli Dog” offering ($5.25), the progeny of a holy union of two iconic New York culinary staples – Katz’s world famous pastrami and a classic all beef New York hotdog. In keeping with the classic NY deli theme, Shake Shack is also offering an egg cream ($3.50).  Both specials are available for this week only.

I’ll admit, I had my doubts – is this creation simply a Danny Meyer gimmick? Or would this juxtaposition of smoked brisket and hot dog bring honor to both Midtown and classic New York flavors? And why is this egg cream so darn expensive? I case the encased meat offerings after the jump.

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Have you been wanting to try the concretes or shakes at the new Midtown Shake Shack (on 44th & 8th), but didn’t want to wait in the crazy lunchtime line?  Good news for you!  It looks like they’ve added a “C line” to the Times Square location.  Eric, the luncher who was kind enough to send us this photo of the new sign, was concerned that this might be a weekend only kind of thing… but we’re going to assume hope that it’s permanent.

Related:
Your Guide to the Theater District Shake Shack Concretes
How to Determine Your Shake Shack Wait Time

Yesterday I found myself giving Midtown some weekend love in the form of showing a tourist family member around. (I know, it sucks.  But it had to be done.)  I decided my sweet reward would be a little concrete action from the newly open Shake Shack (on 8th Ave. and 44th) I’ve been hearing about (lines be damned!) And guess what? No line. None, whatsoever. Maybe all the tourists were down in Madison Square Park? Or maybe they’re just scared of 8th Avenue? Regardless, if you’re dying for one of the new concretes,  (or feel the need to pick up a little onesie for a cute baby) clearly the weekend is the time to do it… although I’m guessing it’s just a matter of time before the tourists get hip to the new location and descend en masse. Can’t bring yourself to venture into Midtown during the weekend? At least prepare yourself for the lunchtime wait with our handy guide to the Shack Shack line.

My 11:45 am trip to Shake Shack (on 44th and 8th Ave.) on Monday morning was smooth sailing (great for me!), but that relatively short line on the first real day of Midtown Lunch service wasn’t a very good indication of what the mob scene has now become. As the week has gone on reports have poured in between Noon and 2pm from the new Shack- and, no surprise, it can get pretty bad.  It’s only a matter of time before they Disneyland the sidewalk up with a rope line and “Your Wait Time From Here…” signs.  In the meantime, as a service to Midtown Lunch’ers, we have created a thorough guide to determining how long the wait is going to be.

So before you throw your arms up in disbelief and head to Schnipper’s, gauge how long the wait will really be after the jump…

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Blondie is hanging at the Biryani Cart right now (on 46th and 6th), which is being filmed by Food Network Canada for a upcoming series on food carts. (And at Noon they were looking for people to eat on camera!)  Lunchtime is usually a little hectic at the Biriyani Cart, but it’s child’s play compared to what’s going on at the new Shake Shack over on 8th Ave. right now…

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