Midtown Lunch

It looks like Mad For Chicken isn’t the only K-Town spot looking to reboot.  Restaurant Forte Baden Baden, a happy hour favorite of not only Ultraclay, but also of Peter Meehan from the NYT, has recently undergone a face lift and a name change. The slick new signage is more in keeping with its downstairs neighbor, Haru Hana, although the ownership and menu is the same. I guess a little re-branding every once in a while can’t hurt, although ‘Baden Baden’ is a lot more fun to say than ‘Dduk Tak’.

Related:
Midtown Happy Hour: Baden Baden is All About the Chicken

Photo courtesy of Lunch’er Daniel T.

If you haven’t had a chance to try the Bob & Jo Korean fusion truck we told you about back in July, today’s your big chance.  They’re parked on 52nd btw. Lex+3rd 51st btw. Park+Lex right now.  Also, Comme Ci Comme is on 36th & Broadway (with grilled tilapia), Bian Dang is on 46th & Vanderbilt, the Red Hook Lobster Pound Truck is on 46th btw. 5+6th, Gorilla Cheese is on 47th & Park (with a shawarma grilled cheese!?), Kimchi Truck is on 46th & Lex, Wafels & Dinges truck is on 49th & 3rd, and Korilla, Coolhaus, Cupcake Stop, and Feed Your Hole are in the Flatiron.  As always check the ML Twitter Tracker before heading out.

Yesterday’s free sandwich giveaway was just a test run… New York’s first outpost of the Earl of Sandwich chain (52nd St between 5th and 6th Ave) is scheduled to open for regular lunch service today at 11am. To celebrate the opening, the descendant of the original inventor of the sandwich, John Mantagu the 11th Earl of Sandwich, will be on hand for the ribbon cutting ceremony, along with pals Kenan Thompson (SNL) and Miss New York USA Amber Collins.

• Taim Mobile’s sandwiches are way better than their platters [Midtown Eating]
• BLT is opening a new restaurant on 45th btw. 5+6th [Midtown Eating]
• Has anybody seen the Caribbean Spice cart? [Midtown Eating]
• What the hell do people order at Kushi-Q?  [Midtown Eating]

We reported a few weeks ago that the former Mono + Mono, former Mad For Chicken, former BonChon location on 5th btw. 31+32nd had closed down and was in the process of re-naming itself Mad For Chicken once again. Well they’re back open now and yesterday, I stopped in for a quick peek. The new official name is Turntable Mad For Chicken (!?), and the hostess told me it’s the same company and most of the menu remains the same. How can they even begin to compete with nearby BonChon and Kyochon if nobody knows what the hell to call this place!?! These people have officially gone mad!!! Anybody been to this new incarnation yet?

I may have once griped that midtown is where authentic ethnic food goes to die. With all of the generic delis, weak sauce dumplings and ‘Momofuku meets Chipotle’ concepts, I breathe a sigh of relief when an institution like Alfama (52nd between 2nd and 3rd) graces midtown with their presence. But Alfama, a fairly well regarded Portuguese transplant from the West Village, is certainly beyond our price range at Midtown Lunch. However, they’ve recently rolled out a line of inexpensive, fresh savory and sweet baked goods, which they start serving at 7am in the morning – perfect for a breakfast on the go, or an afternoon snack.

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It’s been 2 1/2 years since we first begged Momofuku to come to Midtown. Obviously Má Pêche opening was huge, and we love everything that they’ve done for the lunchers of midtown. But we also love Momofuku’s pork buns, the lusciously fatty and sweet morsels that launched an empire. But up until this week, Ma Peche was pork-bun-less.  No longer. Yesterday Eater broke the huge news that pork buns are now available at Má Pêche for both the sit down lunch service, as well as the take-out service at the bar ($10 for 2). Naturally I used this as a excuse ran out and immediately got an order, and can confirm that these babies are just like the version we’ve enjoyed countless times from the Downtown Momofuku locations. Between this and the Ippudo news, our long held East Village jealousy might finally be coming to an end.

Related:
Your First Look at Ma Peche’s “Midtown Lunch” Specials