Midtown Lunch

There are several restaurants in the Financial District that fall outside the $10 price range at lunch, but sometimes I’m still curious about them. One of those places is Smorgas Chef on Stone St. just off of S. William St. The Swedish meatballs on the menu kept luring me in, but even the open-face lunch sandwich is $12 and the entree version costs even more. But what about the $10 appetizer of meatballs, mashed potatoes and lingonberry? Would it be enough to satisfy at lunch?

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The only previous experience I’ve had with Swedish food involves the IKEA cafeteria and I’m sure that’s about as close as most people have gotten to that country’s cuisine. As much as I love the dirt-cheap food there, I also know it’s like eating in a hospital cafeteria and no one ever said that food was good. Enter FIKA Swedish Espresso Bar, which started out in midtown but now has its flagship location down on Pearl St. (at Coenties Slip). While technically an espresso bar, they also make their own chocolate and serve both cold sandwiches and hot entrees and soup. I ventured down to see what was good to eat besides the meatballs. Read more »