Midtown Lunch

Midtown workers shouldn’t have all the fun, so to even the score, I’ve brought on Daniel Krieger as an official Downtown Lunch Correspondent to write up some of the tasty stuff you can get in the lower half of Manhattan. He’s a great photographer (ensuring good food porn), but more importantly he is a lover of cheap, unique and delicious eats (or as I like to call it- Midtown Lunch’ish food.)  I don’t know what’s up with Daniel lately.  Last week he wrote about a salad (shameful) and this week he’s found an $11 burger.  You know how I feel about lunch that costs more than $10.  This better be good…

My encyclopedic girlfriend said I will lack context if I don’t mention the history of Jerry Joseph–the pioneer behind Jerry’s Cafe, a newly reopened Tribeca restaurant dealing in comfort food. I didn’t know the background story of this early Soho settler, but read all about him with a quick google search.

So I no longer lack context now… just tact, basic personal hygiene, and friends (any applicants?).

I love a good burger, so earlier this week I decided to check out the palm-filler at Jerry’s. I was greeted with a perfectly cooked pattie topped with blue cheese. The brioche bun sucks up just enough of the grease from the burger but maintains its integrity as you eat..which I like. I’m not a fan of sloppy falling apart burgers or any food like that, in general. The fries were great..all in all it’s a top notch burger and fries for $9 ($10 with cheese).

Which brings me to one of my favorite downtown burgers.

At Spaghetti Western, they serve a 1/2-pound-puck-of-chuck perfectly covered with cheese for $11. I’ve had this burger a few times over the past few years and it pleases every time. I love the appropriately sized seeded bun as well. The fries are decent but could have been crispier on my most recent visit.

So 11 bucks might be a bit much for the Midtown Way, especially in these “I’d gladly pay you Tuesday for a 700 billion dollar loan today” times. If it’s any consolation though, these two contenders are still about $164 dollars less than this high-rolling monstrosity, also found downtown.

Spaghetti Western, 59 Reade Street (btw. Bway+Church), 212-513-1333

Jerry’s Cafe, 90 Chambers Street (btw. Bway+Church), 212-608-1700