Archive for March 2013

Try Satya Eastern Kitchen For The Grilled Chicken Sandwich

Editor’s Note: This article was clearly written before Passover… Rachel is a good, observant Jew and will not be eating this sandwich this week.  But it doesn’t mean you can’t!

I’ve been meaning to try Satya Eastern Kitchen — which debuted at 46th and 8th Avenue about six weeks ago — since passing it in a cab, on my way home from a late night of work. Not because of the food, per se, but because after doing a little research on the place, it seemed to incorporate various elements of other Midtown Lunch favorite spots. The building facade and Satya’s lit up sign remind me of the Shake Shack down the street, the restaurant concept is reminiscent of an Asian Chipotle (and we have yet to get a ShopHouse outpost in New York) and the ordering system is a la Schnippers. Asian fast casual? Ok, I’ll bite.

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Pizza by Certe is Selling Matzo Pizza This Week


Photo by Pizza by Certe

Depending on how strictly you observe the holiday’s Kosher laws, Passover can be a tricky time for Jews trying to find lunch in Midtown. The observant will most likely pack lunch for the week, but for those of you who do eat out and are looking for options, relief comes from an unlikely source.

Pizza by Certe (on 56th btw. Park+Lex) is offering Matzo Pizza with tomato sauce, mozzarella & grana cheeses and basil all week. Usually I’d be skeptical, but Pizza by Certe doesn’t usually do things that taste half-assed, and that photo looks pretty enticing. We can’t vouch for Kosher for Passover certification on all the ingredients, of course, but early adopters, let us know how it is in the comments. And, if you have other Passover-friendly lunch ideas for the ML community, include those recommendations too!

Win Tickets to SVP’s Great Street Meet!: Andrea over at Downtown Lunch has the full scoop on the Street Vendor Project's upcoming event on April 2 called The Great Street. (You might know them from a little event that they host called The VENDYS!). The Great Street Meet is an opportunity to eat some tasty food from vendors and hit up an open bar, not to mention celebrate the passing of the the recent City Council bill to cut the $1,000 vendor fines in half. That's a win street food lovers everywhere! Buy a ticket before Friday, you’ll be entered in a drawing for a fancy street meat dinner at Ma Peche. Check out their site to buy tickets and learn more about how to win.

Island Dine is a Hidden Jamaican Paradise in Penn Station

Island Dine is now closed in the great clearing-out of restaurants in this space. RIP jerk chicken in Midtown ;_;

The LIRR section of Penn: you will never find a more wretched hive of scum and villainy that isn’t Port Authority Bus Terminal. While there are a few standouts (I can only think of Chickpea in the Amtrak concourse and Soup Spot up on street level) there are also plenty of Tim Horton’s that would love to sell you awful food. However, in the Gibsonian brightly-lit commuter hell of the LIRR alleyway, there’s good Jamaican food to be had. With the sudden departure of Jamaican Dutchy (we can only hope it was passed to the left hand side) and the only other nearby option being the upworld Jamaican Kitchen (I won’t even deign to mention Golden Krust) it’s always good to have an option – but is it irie or should you not even bother?
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Get Your Free Waffle Today From W&D: Between 12-1 today, Wafels & Dinges will be celebrating International Waffle Day (not to be confused with National Waffle Day, of course) by giving out free waffles at all of their locations. Find the Kastaar truck on 50th btw 5th and 6th and they have a cart slightly out of bounds just north of Columbus Circle (Broadway and 66th). Freeloaders engage!!

Italian Coffee Bar Corso is Now Open in the Paramount Hotel

Corso is a month-old Italian coffee bar in the newly renovated Paramount Hotel on 46th street between Times Square and 8th Avenue. It being a coffee bar, breakfast seemed like the logical time to check it out, but I was pleasantly surprised to see that they had an Italian sandwich menu for lunch as well, albeit pricey at $9-$12. While I made a mental note to try them, I walked in very ready for a morning cup of joe.

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Lunch Links (The “Best Corner Slice” Edition)


A Sacco’s Pizza slice. Photo courtesy of Serious Eats: NY
  • J Kenji Lopez-Alt’s favorite corner slice is on 54th & 9th! [SENY]
  • Salvation Taco’s food is good, but their location sucks [Immaculate Infat]
  • Keens serves two excellent burgers in their pub room [Eater]
  • A violent protest broke out at Dishes last week over fair pay for its employees [DNAinfo]
  • Joe DiStefano hits up the Biryani Cart for a new street food special [Travel Channel]

At Lunch Now: I Guess No One Could Stop This From Happening

When the Microsoft holiday pop-up store took over the old Planet Hollywood spot in Times Square, I thought maybe this chain thing would go away. No such luck. Although the facade looks like a mess, apparently the inside is now open.

There’s a Secret Indian Bodega Buffet at 420 5th Avenue!


I’ve always envied people who have a little candy or soda convenience shop in their office building to supply their 4pm chocolate pangs. But, to have an Indian lunch buffet in this same snack store? Now THAT’S taking it to a whole new level. As you enter 420 5th Avenue on the 38th Street side, there’s no indication whatsoever that such a place exists. It felt almost as if I was searching for a speakeasy Indian buffet, but thanks to a tip from Midtown Lunch’er Kimberlee, we turned the corner and there, in plain sight, was the lobby bodega, which is accessible to the general public (not just lucky employees of this building).

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Turkish/Mediterranean Joint to Replace Schnitzel & Things


I was heartbroken when the Schnitzel & Things storefront (3rd btw. 45th+46th) closed down recently, just days after I shared some of my favorites from their menu with all of you. But while I was sad to see them go, I was looking forward to seeing what would open next. Now we know that in Schnitz’s stead will be… Turkish and Mediterranean cuisine. What does everyone think? Excited for doner kebab and mixed grills, or were you hoping for something different?