Midtown Lunch

Last week, we found out that E&E Grill House (on 49th btw. B’way+8th) would be offering all of their lunch-time sandwiches for $9 on Mondays. Since we liked their candied bacon BLT and house made potato chips, we were eager to try their other, pricier sandwiches for the $9 special.

They are indeed pricey for what are seeming sandwich commodities — a grilled chicken with avocado for $12, a cheeseburger for $13, a steak sandwich for $14 and even that BLT, delicious but dear at $11. Whats-more, is that there’s nothing particularly groundbreaking or sexy about the sandwiches to justify that price, and perhaps the most provocative thing that’s happening at E&E Grill House are the Broadway stars that supposedly frequent the place, which they vaingloriously promote on twitter . But we can get behind their effort at making the sandwiches more accessible, and we can also get behind their steak sandwich Monday lunch special.

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I’ve been going to Woorijip (on 32nd btw. B’way+5th) for the better part of a decade, so I’ve seen much change come to this bargain cafeteria-style, almost-24 hour, K-Town stalwart. While the menu is constantly evolving and the portions do seem a bit smaller these days, it’s still a bargain lunch lover’s paradise. Case in point, my new favorite item is just $1…

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Shorty’s pork and rabe sandwich. Photo courtesy of SENY

• This 30 Great Sandwiches list includes a few from Midtown [SENY]
• Tabata is the best of the latest NYC ramen newcomers [Village Voice]
• Five Guys’ grilled cheese sandwich is not bad [SENY]
• Margon puts potato sticks on their steak sandwich [SENY]
• Robert Sietsema doesn’t like MomoMilkBar’s Thanksgiving croissant [FITR]
• Hide Chan Ramen is almost just as good as Ippudo, without the wait and the noise [Gothamist]

If you like to eat, chances are you like to drink (read: a lot of you are freakin’ lushes), so every Friday afternoon our Happy Hour Correspondent “Mamacita” 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.

It is always hard to lose a loved one and I shed an 80 proof tear when I heard the tragic news that the Subway Inn had apparently closed. Upon hearing that reports of its death had been greatly exaggerated, I breathed a mightily sigh of relief. However, all this did give me cause to reflect on just how desolate this particular area of Midtown is, especially for one with my refined taste in drinking establishments. But ladies and gents there is one other grimy flickering light raging against that vast sea of darkness. Friends, I give you The Carriage House.

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The shipping container that is Snack Box is finally open for business in Times Square. The menu is described as “American street food,” from the owners of Republic and BONDST. What does that mean? You can get hot dogs, pastries, pretzels, coffee, etc that are pretty commonplace from the ubiquitous carts around town … but here, they’re all in one spot, and most likely a little cleaner than the dirty water dog guys, if you care about that sort of thing.

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While waiting for for my food at BV’s Burger last month, a non-burger menu item caught my eye. Filet Mignon Chili for $6.00. Well, hello! That’s a sexy enough sounding dish to make me begin regretting my burger order. But, in the end, I figured it best to try the namesake item on the menu before branching out.

The other day I returned for some chili goodness, and while the burgers were good … this might be better!

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It’s one of the curses of New York City that some of the best foods that would be cheap eats where they came from are super pricey here. In the years since quality barbecue arrived in New York with places like Blue Smoke and Hill Country, it’s been the rare spot that has been anything like a Midtown Lunch. Nearby, I was happy to find some good deals at RUB NYC, but it has stood as the exception to the rule. But, has that changed?

Back in September, I reported that BBQue’s Smoke Shack was opening up on 6th Avenue just a few doors down from the Limelight. It’s now open for business and this week, I took the opportunity to get a closer look.

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