Midtown Lunch

Michael Psilakis’ lamb burger at the Bon Appetit Pop Up Cafe and Supper Club fully lived up to expectations on Friday.  $10 for the burger and fries was easily the best deal of the week (if you got there just before Noon and didn’t have to wait a half hour in line); and the burger was pretty awesome (if you like the spices you’d find in a kofta kebab).  Greasy in the best possible way, not dry at all, and perfectly complemented by the roasted red pepper/feta spread.  So I was pretty excited to discover that Psilakis serves this at his upscale Greek restaurant Anthos (on 52nd btw. 5+6th)… and doubly disappointed to discover it costs $20 (or $28 as part of the prix fixe lunch deal.)

Come on man- can’t you throw us Midtown Luncher’s a bone? I understand Anthos is a super expensive restaurant, and you’ve got to pay the bills… but what about a bar deal?  Or a take out deal!?!  $10 lamb burger (with a small handful of fries), available for take out only.  Even if it’s only one day a week… I’ll take it!  Need… lamb… burger.  So good… but not worth $20.  Sorry, I’m a cheap bastard. Hook us up Psilakis!

The Bon Appetit Pop Up Cafe (on 57th btw. B’way+7th) opened at 11 a.m. this morning, and I was there first thing to see what they’ve got on tap this year (what can I say, I’m a fat bastard- and I clearly have nothing better to do with my time.) Basically Bon Appetit has set up what amounts to a temporary lunch spot, featuring sandwiches, salads, soups, and sweets from chefs like Mario Batali, Cat Cora, Tyler Florence, and John Besh (New Orleans represent!)

The food is expensive when compared to most of our favorite Midtown Lunch’ing spots, about average when compared to most higher end delis, and downright cheap if you want to compare it to the food served at most of these chef’s restaraunts (the ones who actually have restaurants, that is.) Either way, for those of us who slave away in lunchtime boredom, the pop up cafe is a nice once a year change of pace. Plus they have free food samples, free booze samples (?!?!), and demos with some of the famous chefs.

A look at the food after the jump… Read more »

Bon Appetit’s Pop Up Supper Club and Cafe is back, and opens tomorrow (Thursday) at 11 a.m. (on 57th btw. B’way+7th, in the old Hard Rock Cafe space.)  By day the “Supper Club” is essentially an upscale generic Midtown deli stocked with food made by famous chefs. If you went last year, you know what to expect- but for those who didn’t, here is the Midtown Lunch coverage from last year. 

There are things to complain about (“everything is slightly smaller and more expensive than it could be” “I would never eat food made by [insert chef name here]”) but in the end it’s pretty cool to have these new lunchtime food options, made by famous chefs, for under $10. The pop up supper club is open from October 23-31st (weekdays only) from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. and will feature sandwiches, salads, soups, desserts, and daily specials made by Mario Batali, John Besh, Michael Psilakis, Pichet Ong, Charlie Trotter, and more. There will also be live demos from chefs like Cat Cora and Tyler Florence to name a few.

For complete details, including menus and schedules, go to http://www.basupperclubandcafe.com

Yesterday, Midtown Lunch became Chef central with the opening of Bon Appetit’s “Pop Up Cafe” in the old Hard Rock Cafe space on 57th btw. 7+8th.  Open from 11am to 3pm, the Cafe is essentially a gussied up Cafe Metro, serving up fancy sandwiches, soups & salads created by famous chefs like Govind Armstrong (Table 8), Cat Cora (Iron Chef), Giada De Laurentiis (Food Network), and Emeril, plus desserts from Will Goldfarb (Picnick) and Pichet Ong (P*ong).

Everyday there will also be demonstrations from the Chefs, plus free samplings of wine, Ice Cream from Haagen Dazs and chocolate from Ghirardelli to make you not care that you just spent $9 for a sandwich!  I don’t normally like paying so much for this kind of lunch- but what can I say?  I’m a whore for celebrity chefs…

Fancy salad, sandwich and soup porn, PLUS a schedule of events (and photo of my free ice cream!)- after the jump… Read more »