Archive for June 2014

2 Beans Has A Wall of Chocolate

2 Beans

Brian spotted 2Beans (Park btw 40th+41st) preparing for opening over the fall, but it wasn’t until the past few weeks that I got the chance to stop by and check it out. And holy moly, they have a wall of chocolate (plus coffee and pastries and fancy groceries.)

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Free Lobster Roll Alert: Bon Appetit is teaming up with the Red Hook Lobster Pound Truck to give out free lobster rolls today all over the city. No catch. Just show up, and get a free lobster roll.  They're starting off Downtown on Broadway btw. Dey + Fulton at Noon but then they'll be in Midtown the rest of the day. 7th btw. 36+37th at 1:30pm, 42nd btw Lex+3rd at 2:30pm, and then 42nd btw. B'way + 6th at 3:30pm.  Freeloaders, prepare to engage.

Taco Bite Takes a Bite Out of Authenticity

I haven’t worked in Midtown in over 10 years, and rely entirely on Midtown Lunch for my information. Now that I’m writing for ML, I rely on its readers to tell me what I should be eating – so when reader “locondcoco” suggested I check out Taco Bite, I headed over there.

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Brooklyn’s Grandma Pizza Does it Right

Before it gets too hot and humid, I wanted to check out the pizza truck that seems relatively new to the scene. When I walked up, there was a girl giving away samples of the regular slices, so there was a slight crowd around the truck – but it didn’t seem to be getting them any paying customers. As I watched, one man in a suit grabbed three samples, turned and walked away, saying loudly, “I’m good with samples, I don’t need to buy anything.” Umm…

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Former SMP Winner Kwik Gourmet is Still on Its Game

Speaking of street meat… underneath the scaffolding at the southwest corner of 47th St. at Park is the Kwik Gourmet cart, which you may remember as the winner of Street Meat Palooza 3 in 2010. That win was four years ago, and the cart has never had a proper review on this site. I wanted to correct that wrong (OK, and really wanted an excuse to eat street meat), and any street cart that regularly draws a line of suits from the nearby banks and offices on Park must be earning their business. A look at their lamb + chicken over rice, and some bonus shrimp action, straight ahead.  Read more »

Famous Halal Guys Going National!?: Huge street meat news out of the New York Times over the weekend about the most popular halal cart in Midtown (and winner of our very first Street Meat Palooza).  The famous Halal Guys cart has signed a franchising deal with Fransmart, the company that helped Qdoba and Five Guys go national. Within a year they hope to be in "Los Angeles, along the East Coast, across Canada and in the Middle East... An early glimpse at what a Halal Guys franchise might look like will come next month when the first shop opens on 14th Street, just off Second Avenue."

Flatiron Lunch: Stinky Bklyn Has Sandwiches and Menu Issues

Every Friday we go south of the ML boundaries in search of a delicious lunch. Sometimes it’s Murray Hill south or the Flatiron District, sometimes Gramercy and everything in between- but we just like to call it Flatiron Lunch.

I was not going to subject you all to another upscale cheese shop with expensive sandwiches since we already have Beechers (here and here) and Bedford Cheese Shop. But I decided to keep an eye on Stinky Bklyn to see if they might offer a compelling reason for a visit (beyond the pimento cheese, which I picked up for Memorial Day on the Jersey Shore. It was such a hit – I recommend you buy it for any and all situations!) Also, I got some amusement when I walked by a few months ago and the Men’s Warehouse decal was still there with a new sign advertising Stinky Bklyn Coming Soon!

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Free Pastries at Crumbs Friday: If you're feeling hungry on your way to work tomorrow, stop by one of the eight Crumbs locations in midtown from 7 to 10 a.m. for a free pastry from their new breakfast menu. Those sweets include Berliners, T-Birkes, braids, and an update on croissants, Danish pastries, cinnamon rolls and bear claws. And locations: B'way btw. 37+38th, Lex btw. 43+44th, Park btw. 32+33rd, 42nd & 8th Ave., B'way & 53rd, 42nd btw. 5+6th, and 3rd&53rd. Freeloaders should also note that it's one per person.

Shanghai Sogo Serves Up Dim Sum From a Truck


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A few weeks ago, while perusing the trucks parked on 46th between 5th and 6th Avenue, I noticed the Shanghai Sogo truck. Midtown Lunch briefly mentioned it back in October, but hadn’t had a chance to sample the wares… until now.

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Macaron Ice Cream Sandwiches are BACK at Francois Payard Bakery!

photograph by Felipe Coronadophotograph by Felipe Coronado

Macaron ice cream sandwiches are back for the summer season, with new packaging to make them easier to eat on-the-go. This year’s flavors are Salted Caramel, Pistachio Raspberry, Coconut Mango and Passionfruit Cheesecake and are available for $5 each at all NYC locations of Francois Payard Bakery and Patisserie. My personal favorite – the passionfruit cheesecake; the tartness of the passionfruit balances out the rich cheesecake flavor really well. Salted caramel is also delicious; a friend loved the coconut mango (which I couldn’t try due to my coconut allergy), saying that its flavors reminded her of summer.

Get them while you can!

Francois Payard Bakery, 1775 Broadway (at 58th). 212-956-1775
Francois Payard Patisserie, One West 58th Street, Concourse level at The Plaza Food Hall. 212-759-1600

(along with other locations outside the Midtown Lunch range, found here)