Midtown Lunch

To the many Arby’s fans that had cried when the one and only Arby’s in the city closed, happy birthday! Few months ago I had noticed construction work had started in the old Pinnacle Bagel & Deli space (3rd btw 46+47th), which prompted me to start daydreaming about what sort of deliciousness will take over that space. Well thanks to lunch’er Larry B, we finally know what’s taking over the space, Arby’s and Nathan’s!! (Really?! Ugh!)

Or is it…? See what I saw instead only after few hours that photo was taken.

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They were hiring two months ago, and now it looks like Steak ‘n Shake will open this week on Broadway btw. 53+54rd. There’s countdown signage in the window indicating they plan to open their doors in just three days, and a sign below announces that the first 150 customers will win 52 weekly coupons for any steakburger, fry and shake combo. That’s a lot of Steak ‘n Shake, but the franchse has a surprising amount of internet buzz for a burger chain, so it might be worth your time (and wallet) to be there early! (Thanks to Lunch’er Mike for the tip.)

Steak ‘n Shake, 1695 Broadway btw 53+54, 212-247-6584

Recently I found out that one of my coworker started eating California rolls for breakfast (along with her cup of coffee). It may sound a little weird but why not? So obviously that got me craving sushi. Luckily Dainobu is right around the corner from my office and since I still haven’t tried their sushi I thought it would be a good time to do so (also I was still on the lookout for their fantastic looking spider roll that Zach got few years ago). Once I got there, I found something else completely that caught my attention: kaki fry! (aka fried oysters) Dainobu, selling fried seafood?! It was too crazy for me not to try it. Also, the box was still warm, a good sign that they were still some what fresh. (Freshly cooked, anyway.)

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We received sad news in the comments last week. Sam, the halal cart vendor on 35th Street, near 6th Avenue suffered a heart attack while setting up for business Thursday morning and died shortly afterward. Last year, his cart caught my attention due to his method of mixing the sauces in with the meat when on the griddle. The technique helped get him a respectable 7th place in last year’s street meat-palooza.

More importantly though, Sam was warm and friendly to all of his customers. During my visits to the cart, he flirted with the ladies, joked with the guys and put everyone at ease. Days after I wrote the post about his cart, he had it printed up and displayed it proudly for all to see.  His hospitality and pride in his work will be greatly missed.

Photo courtesy of Robert Sietsema/Fork in the Road

• The pizza sandwich is the only good thing at Potbelly [FitR]
• A “Serious” look at Cafe China [SENY]
• Mexicue is now serving something called a “Burrito Bullet” [Eater]
• Steak n Shake set to open in Mid January [Grub Street]
• Jamaican Dutchy is opening an outpost in San Francisco!? [Eater]
• Foodparc’s 3Bs is now serving more than just a great burger [AHT]

If you like to eat, chances are you like to drink (read: a lot of you are freakin’ lushes), so it seems only natural to have a happy hour column on the site. Every Friday afternoon our Happy Hour Correspondent “Mamacita” will post 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.

Sunday marks the 77th birthday of the one and only king of Rock n’ Roll: Elvis!  So slip on your blue suede shoes because it’s time to take care of business (TCB baby!) at these local bars:

• Rodeo Bar is having a Elvis Birthday Bash featuring live rockabilly music by The Lustre Kings. Happy hour is 4-9pm with $7 lime and strawberry margaritas, $4 drafts, and $4 wine specials. Plus check out their free happy hour food and all day Recession Special (A can of PBR and shot of House Whiskey) for $7.
• Bierhaus will get their jailhouse rock on this Monday, Jan 9th. Highlights include a three piece band and celebrity keg tapping at 8pm.
• Live Bait was closed for renovations, but with their nip/tuck finished it’s time to channel your inner King Creole and welcome them back over some $5 peel and eat shrimp with $5 drafts.
• Le Poisson Rouge is out of bounds but their “Oh! You Pretty Things:
  David Bowie + Elvis Presley Birthday Bash” this Sunday is worth the trip. Get your tickets here.

It’s now or never folks, go forth and make Elvis proud -just don’t pass out in the bathroom.

It was just back in May that we first learned that Chicago sandwich chain Potbelly would be opening a location in Rockefeller Center. And since then, they’ve continued to expand in Midtown at a feverish pace. In addition to the new location on 37th and 7th, yesterday we got word that another store will be opening in the spring. It will be located at 366 Fifth Avenue (between 34th and 35th) on the ground floor of the New York Accessories Exchange Building. There’s no signage up yet, but the security guards in the building (who seemed very excited about the new addition) said it would be taking the place of shuttered shoe store Make 10.

Most people hit up Sapporo when in need of a nice, big bowl of hot ramen. In a crowded noodle market, though, Sapporo doesn’t particularly hold up well against the competition (a fact proven again by this year’s reader poll.) Don’t count them out of your lunching rotation, though: The noodle joint also serves up several homey and delicious donburi (meal over rice) that make a trip to west 49th street very worth while.

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