Archive for 'Uncategorized'

Happy 10th Anniversary to Us

Sooooo… 10 years ago today this happened.  It’s kind of hard to believe.

Sorry there hasn’t been a lot of action here lately.  I’ve been busy with a new job helping Smorgasburg (yes, that Smorgasburg) launch a market in Los Angeles on June 19th.  I also have a 4 year old weekly podcast called Food is the New Rock that some of you may or may not listen to.  I talk to chefs about music, and musicians about food… a combination of Midtown Lunch and the full time job I had when I started Midtown Lunch (shout out to Sirius Satellite Radio on 48th and 6th!)

That is to say there are a lot of exciting things going on with me personally that probably never would have happened if it wasn’t for this website you’re reading right now. And I wanted to take a moment to say that I’m enormously appreciative to all of the people who have ever read or contributed to this site in any way.  The fact that it still exists at all is because of the community of Midtown Lunch’ers that have used this blog as a place to commiserate over the shared misery that every office worker in this part of town shares.

I have spent a lot of time trying to decide what to do with Midtown Lunch since moving to live on the other side of the country 6 years ago and slowly becoming more and more busy with other things. (Did I mention I have three kids?  AND a Snapchat account?  I’m very busy!)  There’s been talk of shutting the site down, selling it, giving it to one of our longtime contributors (I’m looking at you Jamie!) or maybe even handing it over to you guys… the community.  Of course that would require relaunching the forums, and those of you who have been here awhile know how crazy an idea that is!

Anyway, I still don’t know what’s going to happen with Midtown Lunch in the future, but I couldn’t let this day go by without posting something.  Thanks again for sticking with us all these years!

Zach

Costas, a Newish Trendy Window on 35th Street Sells Arepas

I guess it’s been a while since I’ve walked down 35th Street because the woman who was working the window called Costas told me they’ve been open for 10 months. But I saw a tiny little window with a menu of arepas and I had to stop in my tracks.

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Joe & The Juice Opens Across from Bryant Park

Danish coffee and juice import Joe & the Juice gained a big NYC following when they opened two locations in Soho last year. Earlier this month, they debuted their third storefront right in the middle of Midtown across from Bryant Park.

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Another Lunch Start-Up Tries to Change the Way We Eat Lunch

First there was Maple, now there is MealPass. Could the face of lunch change forever?

The newest online lunch platform started a month or so ago in Union Square and has now become available in Midtown. Eater has the details, but the way it works is lunchers subscribe to the service for $99 per month and then they get to choose each day from 45 restaurants located between 30th and 40th Street who will provide a meal ready to be picked up every single weekday lunch. Plus, subscribers get to skip the line when they show up to get their food.

Restaurants in Midtown include Sarge’s Deli, Uncle Sam’s, and The Lobster Press.

On paper, it sounds like it might be worth trying out. If you break it down, that comes out to around $5 per lunch. That’s half the ML budget. Even when they rise the price to $119 per month, we’re still making out ok. The question remains: are the meals provided tasty and filling? And is it worth the time to go pick up each meal? We’d love to hear feedback from anybody who has given it a try or is thinking about it.

You can sign up for a membership and see a list of participating restaurants on their website here.

Penn Plates is Another UrbanSpace Food Fest

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I recently stumbled upon another food market in the vein of Broadway Bites and the Garment District. This one is slightly hidden above Penn Station between 33rd and 34th Street between 7th and 8th Avenues. It’s smaller than the other two, but that sometimes helps narrow down the choices.

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Holy Shit… Today is Our 9 Year Anniversary

Roast Pork, Rice & Plantains @ Cafe Cello, NYC Midtown

It’s hard to believe but 9 Years ago today I posted my very first review on Midtown Lunch.  I know it’s been a tough few years for the site while I’ve tried to figure out exactly what to do with it, and how to keep it going from almost 3000 miles away.  As I’m sure you know, none of us really make any money from this site.  We do it because we know it’s a worthwhile endeavor, and we also love it. And most importantly it’s a great excuse to stuff our faces every day at lunchtime.  Thanks for being so patient, and sticking with us all these years.

New Asian Food Cart Pops Up in Midtown East

Guys, I found a new cart (new to midtown, and seemingly just about 6 months old) today, and it sells something I haven’t seen at a cart previously. GET EXCITED.

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A Giant Bareburger is Coming to Midtown East

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Chick-Fil-A isn’t the only fast casual concept opening up a gigantic new location in Midtown later this year. Eater announced that Bareburger will also be gracing us with potential Midtown Lunches. Sometime in late spring or early summer, they will be opening a 5,000 square foot restaurant in the old Opal Bar space, on 52nd Street between Second and Third Avenue.

Bareburger has many locations around the city (including one out-of-bounds in Hell’s Kitchen) and makes tasty burgers with a wide variety of wild game options. The Eater article says the new space “will be dedicated to all things burger.” I’m not sure what that means exactly, but I for one am very excited.

Want to Write For Midtown Lunch?

Sorry things have been so light around here lately.  Clearly we need some help in the editorial department! Want it to be you? Ideal candidate will be familiar with the Midtown Lunch brand of under $10 lunches, with a likeminded aversion to boring sandwiches and salads from generic Midtown delis. Do you always take your full lunch hour, aren’t afraid to walk the extra few blocks away from your work, and see things before we write about them?  Even better! None of us really make any money doing this (i.e. compensation is minimal) so ideal candidate will also already have a job in Midtown that pays well, and preferably that job will not have a boss that keeps you from going out to lunch every day. To apply please send an email to zach@midtownlunch.com detailing exactly why you should be the next member of our team. And be sure to include what area of Midtown you work in…

Flatiron Lunch: Cafe el Presidente

Every Friday we go south of the ML boundaries in search of a delicious lunch. Sometimes it’s Murray Hill south or the Flatiron District, sometimes Gramercy and everything in between- but we just like to call it Flatiron Lunch.

In May, Cafe el Presidente opened what looked to be an mini version of Eataly but with Mexican food. Over the past two months they have been rolling open the different components with take out still to come on or around July 1.

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