Midtown Lunch

I never made it to Battery Park City to check out Samantha’s which was apparently a bastion of good, authentic Italian food. They shuttered, and in its place Benvenuti opened. Pictures of all their fresh pasta and other various Italian goods caught my attention, as did the fact that they were really proud of their Sicilian pizza. So I resolved to trek across the West Side Highway (and through a bunch of construction sites) for my lunch and I wasn’t disappointed.

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The Eddie’s Pizza Truck has been roaming the streets for a while serving its bar pies with toppings like pulled pork with Maker’s Mark carmelized onions. A while ago they added some sandwiches to the menu and after a mostly positive report on the porchetta variety from Blondie, I decided that someday when I was feeling indecisive come lunch time I’d go back for something that wasn’t pizza. That day happened earlier this week when it was rainy and disgusting and walking more than a few blocks for lunch was out of the question and it just so happened Eddie’s Pizza was parked on Water St. Read more »

If you were one of the people who got sad when the original Ray’s Pizza (no, really) closed on Prince St. btw. Mott & Elizabeth never fear because the replacement is not too shabby. The straightforwardly-named Prince St. Pizza opened just last week and specializes in square slices and rice balls. An inquisitive neighbor peppered the counter guy with questions while I was in there and I learned that they’re not messing around with anything healthy like salad. The lightest option you’re going to find is a thin-crust slice.

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I’m not really sure why I’m on such a sandwich kick this week, but bear with me! It seems like many of the new trucks and shops opening downtown seem to involve meats (or cheese) crammed between two pieces of bread. The Our Heros truck materialized on Wall St. in late December selling Italian-American sandwiches, salads and soup. It doesn’t sound too exciting on paper, but an endorsement from Midtown contributor Brian piqued my interest and when I heard the distinctly New York accent coming from the guy working at the truck I felt safe in my lunch choice.

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There are so many small cafes in Soho that it’s hard to distinguish which of them could possibly have food that’s not expensive without scouring their menus. I recently saw a couple of reviews of sandwiches at Fiat Cafe on Mott St. (nr. Spring) on Serious Eats and while the visuals didn’t blow my mind, the prices were pretty unbelievable for the neighborhood. It’s pretty rare to find a great, filling sandwich here for less than a 10 spot, but Fiat Cafe’s top out at $7.50 – even the ones with meat on them! I could definitely get behind this place.

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Most people who know of Saluggi’s in the uppermost part of Tribeca on Church St. (btw. Canal & Lispenard) know it for pizza. A look at the menu online told me this maybe wasn’t the best place for a solo diner to go. When I got there I discovered they have a special of two slices and a soda for $6.50, but I already had my heart set on one of their sandwiches – particularly the sausage and broccoli rabe variety. Read more »

You can’t even call Pane Panelle a sandwich shop as there are no seats (other than outside) and you have to step aside to make way for deliveries going into the kitchen. It’s essentially a hallway. That being said, it’s kind of genius for an upper crust restaurant such as Stuzzicheria to open a lower-brow sandwich place by simply blocking off part of its dining room and having a separate door. Put up a couple of signs advertising that you exist and you’re done. There are six sandwiches to choose from here along with a lone “appetizer” of sorts. And those sandwiches come with one killer side. Read more »