Archive for January 2015

Xian Famous Foods Expands to South Midtown With Largest Location Yet

For those of us stuck in the 30s at lunchtime, we’ve always wondered if the line from Xi’an Famous Foods would ever get long enough to stretch down to our neck of the woods.  Luckily we’ll never have to find out!  The spicy hand pulled noodle shop opened their second and MUCH needed Midtown location recently, and it’s a big one. Now let’s just make sure everything’s up to par with their 45th Street store!

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Culture Espresso Now Serving Meat Hook Sandwiches

For those who are ignoring the weather forecast and went into work today, you can be the first to have a taste of The Meat Hook’s sandwiches in Manhattan. The Williamsburg butcher and sandwich shop is supplying Culture Espresso with some of their critically-acclaimed sandwiches. Today is a test run so they are only offering The Italian (pepperoni, mortadella, soppresatta, and mozzerella) and a Vegan option that is comprised of a bunch of pickled vegetables, vegetable spreads, etc.

Today is just a test run at the 38th Street location. They won’t be a permanent fixture until next week, once the blizzard passes through.  So go stock up on the sandwiches now before we get pummeled with all this snow and have to hibernate in our offices.

Culture Espresso, 72 West 38th Street (btw 5+6th). 212-302-0200

Your Lunch Container is Changing

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Most food carts already seem to use plastic or paper containers for their food, but now they have one less choice. NYC City Council passed a ban on expanded polystyrene (read: foam) food containers that will be effective July 1. An article in Scientific American states that the styrofoam containers cannot be economically recycled and so New York has taken a cue from other cities, like Seattle and Washington D.C., that have effectively banned the containers. Hopefully, that means no more off-styrofoam flavors in our street meat.

Eater’s Midtown Lunch Map: Our pal and former contributor Jarret M is now running Eater's forums, so it didn't surprise us to see this Midtown Lunch map pop up over on their site yesterday.  It won't break any new ground if you're a regular reader of this site, but it's pretty looking and a nice confirmation that our hard work is still semi appreciated by the upper echelon food blogs!

Get Your Fingers on Sticky’s Chicken Fingers

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Sticky’s Finger Joint became somewhat of a sensation among the NYU crowd down on 8th Street. It was never my scene, but I stopped by once or twice to fill a craving and their creative chicken finger creations did the trick. They’ve spread out to another bro-heavy neighborhood which is thankfully also just on the border of the ML parameters. For those who work on the south end of Midtown East, you should check it out.

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Crisp Express Out, Legit Tacos Grand Central In

If someone were to ask me where to find good tacos in Midtown East by Grand Central, I would likely give a halfhearted suggestion for the Oaxaca on 47th + Lex, or one of the many food trucks that parks on that block between Lex and Park, but then the well would run dry. That was why I had low expectations when we got a tip that a new Mexican spot called Tacos Grand Central had taken the place of Crisp Express in the small space on 43rd btw. Lex + 3rd. Would we finally have a go-to place for tacos and burritos?

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It’s $2 Tuesday at the Midtown East Schnipper’s: Today is the one year anniversary of the Schnipper's on Lexington btw 50+51st, so to celebrate they're selling a bunch of their menu for just $2.  On the list?  The cheeseburger, bacon cheeseburger, chicken club, crispy sandwich, the chick filet, mac & joe, french fries, market salad and the caesar.  Limit 2 items per customer while supplies last, and the burgers have to be cooked medium or well done.  Enjoy!

Shabu Shabu Kobe Has Japanese Groceries and Lunch Specials

We got a tip recently about a brand new Shabu Shabu place that is just the latest Japanese restaurant with an attached Japanese market. Shabu Shabu Kobe had stopped serving lunch by the time I arrived (3pm), but I got some photos of the menu, the groceries, and an exciting peek at their upcoming breakfast specials.

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Sad News in K-Town as Gahm Mi Oak Shutters: Bad news for old school Koreatown fans... Eater has reported that Korea-town favorite Gahm Mi Oak has closed for good. It's a real shame, considering the restaurant has been open for 25 years, and this would be the perfect time of year to indulge in their Sul Long Tang (milky ox-bone soup).

Service Entrance Hole-in-the-Walls — The Kosher Sushi Edition

The last thing you’d want a sushi place to be is sketchy AND cheap. I’ve been eyeing Sushi Fussion for a good half year since it opened, wondering if I would end up in ER from food poisoning, but sometimes you just gotta take one for the team, and that’s where the best stories come from.

I’ve walked by this restaurant’s sign (a simple flag) SO many times, but never bothered to check it out since I get sick of everyone around me wanting sushi ALL the time, even in this polar vortex weather! Can’t say the hidden entrance really helps, either.

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