Midtown Lunch

This burger got one star for the NYT this week. Photo by exflexitarian

• Ed Levine weighs in on the NYT Shake Shack review [AHT]
• Tracy Morgan loves Midtown’s Benihana [Grub Street]
• The bulgogi beef bowl with everything from Korilla is really good [Me So Hungry]
• Eric Ripert’s guide to eating in Midtown West [SENY]
• Ma Peche isn’t as good without Tien Ho [NYC Foodie Girl]
• A burger place has opened in Los Angeles called the Shaka Shack!? [Midtown Lunch: LA]

If you like to eat, chances are you like to drink (read: a lot of you are freakin’ lushes), so I thought maybe it was time to introduce a happy hour column to the site. Every week, our Happy Hour Correspondent posts about a different bar in Midtown that fits the Midtown Lunch mentality: unhealthy food, not lame (unless it’s lame in a cool way), and most importantly… cheap. This week we’re excited to welcome a new contributor ML fold… Jackie.  Make her feel welcome.

Ladies, if you’re going out to happy hour looking to get hit on, Whiskey Trader is not for you. That said, if you’re going out to throw down some (CHEAP!) beers, watch Jeremy Lin defy all Asian and Ivy Leaguer stereotypes, and enjoy the company of your friends and coworkers, Whiskey Trader is for you!

As a self-proclaimed scotch drinker and Ron Burgundy (“I love scotch. Scotchy, scotch, scotch. Here it goes down, down into my belly…”) groupie, there was no way I’d feel comfortable not pushing Zach to let me review a whisky bar for my first Midtown Lunch post. Unlike Mamacita who originally discovered this gem by (a happy) accident two years ago, I used Google as my discovery method at choice. Type in midtown whiskey bar and this place will be found at the top of the list.

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The Chicken Bar on 45th street and 8th avenue is all boarded up, with renovation signs adorning the plywood. I haven’t been to this location since Ranch 1 re-branded themselves as Chicken Bar several years ago, but Zach was a fan of the brand back in the day. We all know how “renovations” can go, and what’s particularly disturbing is that their website is not available either. I guess it could always be another re-branding … suspicious, indeed.

Chicken Bar, 717 8th Avenue (at 45th street)

Today is the first Friday of Lent, which for many practicing Catholics means no meat. For the past few years I’ve rounded up some Lenten faves. Check out a few of my top picks after the jump. Read more »

Every Friday we go south of the ML boundaries in search of a delicious lunch. Sometimes it’s Murray Hill south or the Flatiron District, sometimes Gramercy and everything in between- but we just like to call it Flatiron Lunch.

As promised last week, I ate at the newly open Wahoo’s Fish Taco (on Park Ave. btw 24+25th, and am pleased to report that it does not disappoint! I even went twice to be sure… uh… you know.  For science.

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• Is there anything more shocking than a MLer who’s never tried falafel? [Midtown Eating]
• Park Ave. has become quite the food truck hot spot [Midtown Eating]
• Still no signs of Little Morocco [Midtown Eating]
• Looking for 99 cent pizza near 37th & 5th [Midtown Eating]
• Does the Royal Grill Cart make a tasty chicken biryani, or is this just a shill [Midtown Eating]

It looks like the massive Midtown burger explosion of 2010 has finally caught up with at least one spot in Midtown.  The Goodburger on 45th street btw. 5+6th has been shuttered.  Apparently their rent got raised, and there’s just “too much food on the block” so they had seen a decrease in customers. I’m sure having Shack Shack two avenues to the West, and Bill’s Bar & Burger 5 blocks to the north didn’t help either.  Goodburger fans shouldn’t worry though.  The rest of the locations are doing just fine, and ready to pick up the slack from the 45h street location.  Thanks to Lunch’er Marissa for the tip.

Ladies and gentlemen, the bulgogi burger is officially having a moment on Midtown Lunch. The concept recently resurfaced in the forums when Bon Chon’s version allegedly got a facelift, so of course I had to try it. However, whenever this Bon Chon burger comes up, there are those who inevitably mention Angelo Sosa’s rendition at Social Eatz. We’ve tried the famous Bibimbap Burger, and we’ve tried the Hanoi Burger. Does the Bulgogi Burger have what it takes? Can it take the title of Best Bulgogi Burger in the East (50’s)?

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When fellow luncher Asafoetida broke the news that Yagura (41st btw. Mad+5th) had a makeover plus a price hike, I said “nooooooooooo” in my head (I was in the office so I couldn’t really yell). Last time I was there I had a pretty darn good oyakodon and for $5.93, it was pretty hard to beat. With the price hike I wondered if it would still be a good deal. Luncher Asafoetida also said Yagura added pastry to the menu. Well, a makeover, price hike and pastry? I had to check this out for myself.

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