Midtown Lunch

If you’ve ever visited the Ear Inn on Spring St. in Soho, you likely walked past Pao on the corner of Greenwich without even noticing it’s there or what it was. I know I’ve done it on more than one occasion, but their lunch menu stood out to me because there aren’t many places in the city offering Portugese food, and probably even less with lunch time sandwiches for less than $10. You have a few options for $10 or less at Pao including a steak and cheese sandwich, one with tuna and capers and the one I chose which is pork marinated in white wine and laurel ($7.95). I wasn’t entirely sure what laurel tasted like, but I had faith it would be good.

And it was! If you’re used to eating pork sandwiches like a Cubano that has cheese, pickles, ham and a whole lot of other flavors going on, this might disappoint you. It’s a flattened piece of white meat pork that tastes of the white wine and a faint flavor of the laurel, supplemented by sauteed onions and a super-soft bun. The sandwich is a decent size, although those with large appetites are probably going to wonder where the rest of their lunch is. Also, the menu online said the sandwiches come with chips, but those had been replaced by the inferior matchstick potatoes and a smattering of whole black olives. You might have to supplement this lunch with a bag of chips from the deli.

If you work nearby and are sick of Pret or food truck fare, perhaps you might want to check out Pao before heading up the street for the liquid part of your lunch.

Pao Restaurant, 322 Spring St. (at Greenwich), (212) 334-5464