Midtown Lunch

As they do every year, Gourmet 53 will be celebrating their 17th Anniversary today (11/16) from 11:30am to 3pm. Just like last year, they will be offering all lunch meals at their original 1994 price of $3 (CASH ONLY), and 10 lucky customers will win free lunch for a whole month! I speak from experience when I say the line will be disconcertingly massive, but it moves quickly and they’ll be passing around their famous coconut shrimp as well as bruschetta, so the short wait will be well worth it. See you all there!

Gourmet 53, Food Court in the Basement of 875 3rd Ave. (btw. 52+53rd), (212) 223-8481

• Pro Hot Korean is now selling fried chicken [Midtown Eating]
• Swissmaker has followed Teriyaki Boy into the void [Midtown Eating]
• Shill or no shill Gobuki is tasty [Midtown Eating]
• Don’t worry… the Happy Hour Column isn’t going anywhere [Midtown Eating]
• Zach had another kid! [Miscellaneous]

With Thanksgiving a little more than a week away, at least a few of you might be starting to figure out your Thanksgiving eve plans i.e. how to procure everything needed for dinner with the least resistance and crowds possible. And while Magnolia isn’t the tops on our bakery lists, may I present their pies for Thanksgiving ordering. Between Rockefeller Center and Grand Central, it would be easy to pick up your pie on the way our of town. A few weeks ago, I tasted their pumpkin and black bottom pecan, and was pleasantly surprised. Both were thoroughly enjoyable and I wouldn’t mind either after gorging myself on turkey and stuffing. A regular sized pie goes for $24, and Thanksgiving day ordering ends on Sunday.

Magnolia Bakery, 1240 Avenue of the Americas, New York, NY 10020, (212) 767-1123

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 Julia, a Mad (Wo)Man who wishes she was eating steak and eggs on a beach in Argentina.

Name: Julia

Age: 23

Occupation: Account Executive

Where in Midtown do you Work?: Ad agency @ 41st and Madison

Favorite Kind of Food: The best kind of food is the free kind. After all, if it’s free, it’s for me! In terms of cuisine, I will never turn down Thai, Caribbean, or anything carby and cheese covered.

Least Favorite Kind of Food: Salads that cost $9+. This is wrong.

Favorite Place(s) to Eat Lunch in Midtown: Pork Curry Katsu at Sunrise Mart (on 41st btw. Mad+5th). Ropa Vieja with yellow rice and beans and “green sauce” at Sophie’s at 41st and 3rd. Pork belly sandwich at Num Pang (on 41st btw. Lex+3rd) with a liberal dousing of Sriracha. Giant bibimbap with a runny fried egg at Bibimbap Deli on 41st & Madison. A cream cheese & jelly blueberry bagel from Delmonico’s on Lexington & 41st (Favorited because I always get a heart drawn on my bagel foil).

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When I last wrote about finding a sit-down, under $10 lunch in Manhattan’s Koreatown at Muk Eun Ji, I started by stating the obvious – the area is a treasure of affordable and filling lunch time options. But woe to those who have the tough but enviable task of deciding a venue, given the great selection – a good problem to have. If your heart is set on soondubu jjigae, the warming stew of soft tofu in a rich and spicy broth that simultaneously exhilarates and comforts, you’ll find no better on the block than at BCD Tofu House.

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Back when I was a newbie midtown luncher, I’ll admit that I made more than a few trips to Yummy Sushi in the Rock Center concourse. This was in the dark days before our fearless leader launched Midtown Lunch, so I’m going to plead youthful ignorance and the fact that it was a compromise spot I could go to with my vegetarian friend. I haven’t ordered from Yummy Sushi in ages (years?). Last week I was craving some chicken teriyaki and only had a few precious minutes to step out to grab something before back-to-back conference calls that would last until 4pm. I decided to give Yummy Sushi’s chicken teriyaki a try. That was a mistake.  Seriously… you’re not even going to believe what you’re about to see.   Read more »

Looks like the newest 2 Bros Pizza location (on 6th ave btw. 37+38th.) is in a lunch special price war with the neighboring Indian/deli/pizza place that also serves dollar slices. 6th Avenue Pizza is advertising two slices plus a soda for $2.50 and you’ll notice that 2 Bros hastily changed their sign to remain competitive. For those at home keeping score, Two-N-A-Can, the kittty-corner pizza spot formerly known as In-N-Out (on 6th Ave. and 39th) is still selling their lunch special for $2.75.

The law still stands that food trucks are not legally allowed to set up at parking meters to operate their business. And while petitions have been signed, videos have been circulated, and meetings have been held, we don’t see quite as many trucks as we used to. However, it seems as if the police have been bothering the trucks a little less frequently in the last few weeks. Have they finally found better things to do, or is it just lulling us back into a false sent of lunchtime security…

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