Midtown Lunch

Hello, my name is Chris, and I have a problem. I am (forgive me Zach) hopelessly addicted to Subway® sandwiches. Admission of guilt is the first step, and identifying a moral substitute for our shortcomings is the… 6th step? (I could never pay attention in those meetings). This is how I found myself as one of the first customers at the newly opened Submarina. Yes, like Subway, Submarina is a chain – perhaps less evil than the aforementioned sandwich shop, with only 78 national locations (vs. 33,346), an unassuming mission statement, and a suitably proletariat past. But my quest was to kick my $5 foot long habit, and I was lucky enough to pass by Submarina yesterday, which happened to be in the middle of their grand opening.
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• “Just started a new job in Korean.  Where should I eat?” [Midtown Eating]
• Taxing sliced bagels?  WTF! [Miscellaneous]
• Who’s up for a downtown Happy Hour meet up?  [Downtown Connections]
• That new brasserie looking place on 58th is def not a ML [Midtown Eating]
• Here are some good business lunch ideas on the East side [Midtown Eating]

And on National Waffle Day?!  That’s not right.  This is all we know right now… but we’re trying to find out exactly what happened over on 52nd btw. Lex+3rd today.  Was anybody there for the crowning of Miss and Mister Wafel?

UPDATE: We’re hearing that the building and the cops have calmed down a bit… and they just crowned Miss and Mister Wafel (around 2:20pm).  Photos and a full report coming soon.

Check out all the photos from the event (and Miss and Mister Wafel) after the jump…

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Earlier this month we had a contest giving away slots to a special preview lunch at 4Food, the crazy new social-media-meets-doughnut-shaped-veggie-stuffed-hamburger spot opening in September on Madison and 40th Street.  That free lunch is happening right now, and we couldn’t help but ask the winning lunchers to send us their thoughts in real time.

Noon – The first guests are starting to arrive…  “Scene is bustling with peeps who are part of the event.” According to Lunch’er Tina.

12:15pm – And the first burger has been consumed.  Good news for ketchup lovers, bad news for environmentalists…  From Lunch’er “Mike”   “Burger is pretty good. The staff is very nice. I don’t hate the fufu custom ketchup; I’m a Heinz guy. There’s a LOT of cardboard wrapped around the food. More people taking pictures than eating. I prefer Carnegie John but this is ok. The space is nice; kind of industrial warehouse feel.

12:23pm – Lunch’er “Tina’s” order is in.  “Pork burger w/Brussels sprouts, fontina and horseradish cream in brioche. Side of Square Roots fries.”

Check out the first bits of burger porn, after the jump…

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Every Tuesday we turn over the site to a different Midtown Lunch’er for his or her recommendations for the best lunch in Midtown. This week it’s Sydney, a receptionist who hates “health food” but is looking for a salad recommendation…

Name: Sydney

Age: 21

Occupation: Receptionist and Blogger

Where in Midtown do you Work?: Rockefeller Center

Favorite Kind of Food: Authentic Mexican food (I grew up in Arizona)

Least Favorite Kind of Food: “Health food”, i.e. energy bars, protein shakes, etc.

Favorite Place(s) to Eat Lunch in Midtown: Tacos de Cabeza & Tacos Hongos from Toloache (on 50th btw. B’way+8th), Spicy Tuna Roll and Amberjack sashimi from Hatsuhana (on 48th btw. Mad+5th), and Drunken Noodles from Little Thai Kitchen (on 53rd btw. 2+3rd)

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During Zach’s neverending search for the best chicken parm sandwich in Midtown, he came across Nino’s (46th btw. 5+6), a good, cheap Italian place that served up one of the better chicken parms he tried. I never had much reason to check the place out, until I walked by one day recently and they were advertising a special chicken sandwich with fresh mozzarella and hot peppers. That seemed worth checking out…
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Earlier this year midtown lunchers celebrated International Waffle Day at Wafels & Dinges with the wearing o’ the yellow in honor of the Belgian flag. Well, today in honor of National Waffle Day the Wafels & Dinges Truck has more ways for you to enjoy free waffles… W & D is inviting any child – or anyone who draws like a child (that’d be me & you, dear reader)– to create pictures of wafels or the Wafels & Dinges truck, which will be then decorated with the artwork. Anyone submitting a picture will receive a free wafel, regardless of their artistic talent. For the non-artists, anyone who buys something from Wafels & Dinges on National Waffle Day will have their name entered into a raffle for wafel-themed prizes.

But wait… there’s more.

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Sure, we have shish kebab on a stick from random hot dog vendors here in Midtown, but that’s a far cry from the real deal Greek souvlaki you get from carts in Astoria.  And ever since Michael Psialkis told Details Magazine that his favorite street food in NYC was those very souvlaki carts, we’ve been secretly hoping that one day Midtown would get its version.  Well it appears as if that day may have come.  Over the weekend a new Souvlaki Truck hit the streets of New York City serving up (you guessed it) Greek style souvlaki.  The owner told us they’re planning to take things slow for now…

“We are definitely looking at Midtown for lunches, as soon as we ramp up. We’re  planning a slow launch this week…mainly downtown in Soho, East Village and Lower East side…afternoons, evening and late night until we’re ready for Midtown (not to mention scoping out the parking).”

Smart move.  In the meantime, you can check out their website and follow them on Twitter.  Their menu is after the jump…

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