Sophie’s Cuban (a full review… in pictures)
You might be surprised to realize that I have never actually given Sophie’s a proper +/- on MidtownLunch. There was a mention of the Lexington location months and months ago, the reporting about the new 56th St. location, and then the live-blogging of the Grand Opening, but never a proper page that people could refer to for locations and a real +/-. So… here it is- in pictures (the best way to enjoy a place like Sophie’s).
An inside shot of the Lexington location. You have two dining options at Sophie’s. You can sit at a table and order from a waitress (on the left), or get in the cafeteria style line and order directly from the steam tables. If you get in the line, you have to take your food to go. This is especially confusing at the 56th St. location, where the tables are in the very back of the restaurant. If you want to sit and eat, you must bypass the crowds at the steamtable, and head directly to the back to order from the waitresses. The menu and prices are the same when you sit and order (but you do have to tip, making it a little more expensive.)
The back of the 56th St. location.
Two plates of food fixing to go out, at the 56th St. location.
More food porn, after the jump… Read more »
Posted by Zach at 8:02 am, April 12th, 2007 under *Lex btw. 40+41st, *Mad btw. 33+34th, 56th btw. 5+6th, Latin, Sophies.
As you can tell, lunch time is very sacred for me. I am definitely not one of those “whenever I have time to go” kind of lunch people. With me, it’s more of an “Only 17 minutes left until the socially acceptable lunchtime of Noon” kind of thing. I still don’t understand how people can forget to eat lunch. I don’t care how busy I am, I could never forget lunchtime. In fact, if I haven’t eaten by 1pm, there’s a decent chance I’ll just pass out. I’ve never tested this theory, but I’m pretty sure that’s what would happen.
I take for granted sometimes that everyone knows about every kind of food I write about. I spend 17 posts writing about a strange bulgogi cart outside my building, but I feel like some people still don’t actually know what the hell bulgogi is. The same could probably be said about Bi Bim Bap. Maybe it’s just Korean stuff. Despite being a short walk away from Koreatown, it seems as if people are still not versed in the delicious ways of Korean dining. Well, if you’ve never eaten Bi Bim Bap, here is a quick primer. 
Bi Bim Bap is basically a deconstructed Korean rice dish. You get white rice, a number of vegetables (usually carrots, cooked spinach, bean sprouts and others) and sometimes a little bit of meat. The dish is then topped off with a fried egg, which you are supposed to break over the whole thing. It all gets mixed together with this sweet and spicy red sauce to make a rice dish/meal. It’s delicious, and in the past few months, it seems to popping up at delis everywhere in Midtown. I’ve had a decent pre-packaged version at 
I’ve always been content with the Cafe Duke version, despite the fact that it was pre-packaged- but after discovering Ambrosia, I think Duke has been unseeded. While Korean food is a unique option for Midtown Lunch’ing, Ambrosia is not. It’s just another one of those generic delis that serve everthing under the sun- complete with sandwiches, salads, pizza and the requisite by the lb. buffet. Although I’m sure some have partaken in the Mexican Fiesta station, I suggest ignoring it all and heading back to the Korean Food window in the back of the store.
There are no shortage of expensive sandwiches in Midtown. 
When opening a new business, there are two ways of going about finding a location. #1. Find an underserved area, where your presence will fill a niche that is currently not being addressed. Or there is #2. Find a successful business that is similar, open up next door, and either benefit from their overflow, or crush them under the weight of your greatness. (Or fail miserably.) Either way, I’ve seen #2 happen all over Midtown. Kobe Club & Quality Meats, the M&M store & the Hershey Store… and now- Indian Food Carts!
There are a lot of reasons to travel. Some people travel to see sights, experience different cultures, meet new people. I travel to eat. To me there’s nothing more exciting than visiting another country and experiencing the food. Get to a museum and find out it’s closed… eh, no big deal. Force me to waste a meal on bad food, and you will see one pissed off traveler. It helps that I’m pretty much willing to eat anything, so the language barrier is not a huge issue. If it looks like it tastes good, and people are eating it- I’ll eat it too. Pig intestines in Bali, anything off the street in Thailand… bring it on.
Last week, I found a place for lunch that made me feel that way, without leaving Midtown. It’s Chinese, and in the Garment District, and eating there made me feel transported to a different country. I’m not saying the food was the best, most authentic Chinese food I’ve ever had (far from it). I’m saying that this place was a dirty hole, packed with people speaking a different language. I had no idea what I was ordering, sat at a cramped table with three people I didn’t know (who also didn’t speak very much English)… and I loved every minute of it. 
When I write about a Midtown Lunch, it is supposed to be quick, easy, usually something different or interesting- and most of all cheap. Burger Heaven is not really any of these things, but a little while back I found myself eating lunch there with my wife and a bunch of her co-workers. I had never been there, but judging from the crowds it is pretty popular. Apparently there are a lot of people in Midtown who find things like a waiter, a chair, and proximity to their office more important than price and value. (These people all make more money than me.)
The burgers are actually similarly priced to the other places in Midtown ($6.25) before you start adding stuff like cheese and french fries (and tax & tip), but I ignored all this in favor of the Patty Melt- my favorite kind of hamburger, and a stand out on any menu. The Patty Melt is pretty basic when you think about it… it’s just a cheeseburger on rye bread with grilled onions- but difficult for many places to make, because you need rye bread, and a griddle- something that many of the new specialty burger places don’t have (Burger Joint, GoodBurger, etc.). So for a good old fashioned Patty Melt, you need a place like Burger Heaven.
