Archive for 'The Grotto'

Top Lunches Of 2013: Banh Mi, Cheese Fries, Chicken Fingers, Shawarma Represent

Looking back through all of the lunches I consumed in 2013 made me wonder, once again, how I am not morbidly obese. There was BBQ chicken lo mein, pizza with bacon and jalapeños, cheese steaks, fancy hot dogs, and one uncooked lunch that I’ll talk about later. All in all it was a great year for lunching downtown, and we gained options like Jersey-style subs, Philly-style hoagies and Japanese curry.

While digging through all of these lunches, there were several that stood out and I whittled them down to 10. You’ll find those straight ahead, along with an honorable mention and a bonus spot for perhaps the most memorable lunch I’ve eaten in my tenure as editor of this site.  Read more »

Consider Bypassing The Grotto’s Pizza For A Focaccia Sandwich

A while ago Lunch’er Deep wrote in with a tip that The Grotto, an underground pizza shop on New St. (btw. Beaver & Broadway), had “good bread” but couldn’t really elaborate on which of the kinds of sandwiches on offer were served on these top notch carbs. With regular heros, ciabatta and focaccia sandwich on the menu, I took a gamble when I ordered a sandwich and I think I won. A look at some great sandwich bread is straight ahead.

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Grotto’s Pièce De Résistance: The Bacon Jalapeno Slice

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Last time I talked about the Grotto, there was much hubbub over the elusive Bacon Jalapeno slice.  Was it really there? Or just a figment of my imagination?  Lucky for us, Mike, owner and operator of the Grotto, stepped in to inform us that it was real and that it was now available in slice form.  While I’m sure a good number of you dropped whatever you were doing and rushed over to the Grotto to grab a slice, not everyone downtown was so lucky.  After all, it’s a big chunk of Manhattan we work in and not everyone has the flexibility to saunter down   For those unfortunate souls, I’m here to give you the scoop. I know, I know, not exactly a fair trade but I’ll do what I can.  I know it ain’t cabbage and corned beef, but tormenting pictures of some delicious pizza after the jump…
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Bacon Jalapeno Slice Available Today at The Grotto: In case you missed it, the owner of the Grotto pizzeria and restaurant responded to our readers and is making his bacon jalapeno pizza available in slice form today! Ask and you shall receive.

Pizza Goes Underground at the Grotto. Literally.

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Today was going to mark Midtown Lunch: Downtown NYC’s first foray into Chinatown, but for that occasion we wanted to make it special.  At first we thought flowers or balloons, but that seemed so cliche.  Then we thought about getting you a kitten, but buying someone an unexpected pet is never a good idea in NYC.  Finally, we decided on the perfect surprise, something we knew would make your eyes light up and maybe even cause you to shed a tear of joy.  Unfortunately, the surprise isn’t quite ready.  But it will be.  And soon.

In the mean time, let me take you on a little stroll down New Street to the aptly named Grotto.  Located in the basement at 69 New Street, the restaurant is fairly dungeon-esque with no windows, no natural light to speak of, but thankfully a pretty good ventilation system.  Not that you’ll want to inhale anything other than the heavenly aromas emanating from the ovens.  These guys are taking pizza to unseen levels as far as New York pizza is concerned, with spicy buffalo chicken, chicken parm, and bacon jalapeno pizzas.

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