Midtown Lunch

When Kolache Mama closed on 45th Street between Madison+Vanderbilt, they were the second such business to close in that very location. One might even say the spot was cursed… that is, until now. Chickpea of the “always baked, never fried” Downtown falafel fame had moved uptown, and by the looks of Friday’s crowd, it’s here to stay. I’ve never seen anything on that street with lines out the door!

Read more »

Just a friendly reminder for all you cookie lovers out there… Dorie Greenspan’s “Cookiebar” returns to Mizu today (the hair salon on on Park Ave. btw. 59+60th.)  We normally wait until the afternoon to post about sweets, but considering how quickly these cookies sold out last year we wanted to give you a head start!  It opens at 10am and will run through Friday.  Curious what it’s all about?  Here’s the cookie menu, and here’s Brownie’s report from last year’s pop up.  Good luck!

As you may or may not know I kind of love breakfast at Tri Tip Grill (in the Rock Center Concourse), so I was pretty excited to see this deal in my Rock Center tenant newsletter: Purchase a breakfast burrito anytime during the month of Feb. and get your choice of a buck muffin or brandy french toast for free! Just use the code TRI BREAKFAST. One promotion per person (naturally), and breakfast is only from 8-11:00am.

Photo courtesy of Ramen & Friends

• Cha Pa will make bun with spring rolls if you ask [Ramen & Friends]
• The Stage Deli is way better when there are no tourists around [Eater]
• Follow FoodParc’s Twitter account for free stuff [Wined & Dined]
• Starting a food truck?  Here are 10 do’s and don’ts [Eater]
• After Tribeca, Midtown has the most restaurants in all of NYC [Gothamist]
• A video tour of the new Rock Center Jacques Torres [Feast NY]

If you like to eat, chances are you like to drink (read: a lot of you are freakin’ lushes), so every week 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.

Cherry Tree bar in Brooklyn has been one of my weekend hangouts for many years now. I’d be there on an early Sunday afternoon playing darts and talking to the bartender when, like clockwork, owner Patrick Donagher would stumble down from his apartment -upstairs of the pub, looking like a handsome hungover train wreck, then order a drink. Sometimes a young lass or three with tousled bed hair would follow him. Times change and he’s branched out and started his second bar Rattle and Hum in midtown. Last I heard he even got hitched! But one thing remains the same, his bars have a love for cask ales, excellent draft beers, and predilection for having young beautiful waifs bartending.

Read more »

Good news for Red Mango fans! The K-town outpost located inside Food Gallery 32 is now open for business. However, this Red Mango represents a complete shift from the traditional fro-yo format and pricing program, going the DIY/pay what it weighs route instead. Customers choose a cup size and pull their own fro-yo from an impressive line-up of flavors. They’ve kept their original formula on hand, but have added pomegranate, dulce de leche, black cherry, vanilla, melon, lemon, and pineapple flavors, and hinted at additional varieties coming soon.

Read more »

Yesterday Kati Roll debuted their latest creation, a shrimp masala roll by Top Chef Angelo Sosa, and Fork in the Road was there to test it out.  Their verdict?  “The shrimp were cooked on a grill, but evidence of their coconut milk and chaat masala marinade was a bit more elusive. That said, the shrimp was definitely flavorful, if a bit overcooked.”  Kati Roll… pack up your knives and go.  We kid Kati Roll, we kid.  The review goes on to say that all in all it was as “delectable” as their other creations.  Read the whole review here>>