Midtown Lunch

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 “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. This past week, Mamacita was out of town, so she had a friend check in with this quick report from a visit to Black Finn.

I just got back from Chapel Hill, NC where I stuffed myself with pulled pork, pork ribs, hushpuppies, southern fried breakfasts and sweet tea. I plan on spreading my swine flu to all you midtowners! Due to my absence I was AWOL for any happy hours in NY with my friends. But like they say, when the cats away the mice will play. My favorite lush Scarlett took up the baton for this week’s happy hour and here is her lubricated take on BlackFinn, a bar where I guess all the midtown white boys rock out. -Mamacita

“That place was hysterical. My friend Kim told me there was a DJ but I kind of can’t believe it. I think the guy must have had Top 40 hit CDs– he would play ACDC and then Kelly Clarkson then an R&B hit, then Earth Wind and Fire, then Michael Jackson………. so funny. We got there at like 6 and by 7 it was elbow to elbow crowded with the WHITEST people I have ever seen in my life. Other than a few token asian girls, my gf was the only person who looked like they had any flavor in the joint.

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You know… maybe I don’t want to know. Some things are better left as “evidence of” as opposed to “actual sighting”. I had a pork noodle soup at Hing Won today (on 48th btw. 5+6th), and lord knows that place has seen its fair share of roaches. But they don’t have booths. Szechuan Gourmet has booths… don’t they? Do they serve pork noodle soup? I guess he didn’t specifically say it was Chinese food. Menchanko Tei (on 45th btw. Lex+3rd) serves ramen with pork in it. Technically that could be considered pork noodle soup… oh man, I’ve got to know!

This, you’re not going to believe. (Not so much where, but the “what happened next”)

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Quick lunch at Hing Won (on 48th btw 5+6th), followed by a couple of wagers on the Kentucky Derby at the OTB right next door. Who says you can’t spend part of your lunch hour at the OTB! In addition to the 48th st location, there is one on 3rd Ave and 44th, plus you can place bets at Inside Track on 53rd and 2nd, the Playwright on 35th btw 5+6th, and Winner’s Circle on 7th Ave and 38th. Good luck…

Oh, and go Desert Party!

Gee, do you think Midtown Lunch’ers would be interested in a truck that sells sandwiches modeled after the Rutgers grease trucks?  Uh… I’d say so.  Papa Perrone (on 55th btw. Mad+Park) answered the call of the Midtown Lunch Sandwich Challenge yesterday by serving up a chicken fingers, mozzarella sticks, and french fries sandwich with marinara- a well known combo made famous by the Rutgers grease Trucks.  I showed up just after Noon to get mine (knowing that if Papa Perrone only had enough mozzarella sticks and french fries for 20 sandwiches, these things were going to run out fast.)

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It just goes to show, you can’t believe everything you read… from the owners of the new Baja Fresh (opening on Lex btw. 44+45th): “We will definitely not be opening the week of May 11th.  We are hoping to open the week of May 19th, but it might not even be until the week after that.”  They claim to have no idea how that reporter got the May 11th date, but wanted to make sure there weren’t a bunch of disappointed Midtown Lunchers come the week of May 11th.  As soon as the staff is trained, the gas is on, and food is ready to be served, they’ll let us know. (Me thinks we might be building this up a bit too much… I hope they don’t disappoint.)

Today’s Pork from Cafe Cello (on 46th btw. 5+6th)

I swear, if one more person even jokes about not eating pork anymore because of this swine flu stupidity I’m going to throw up in my own mouth. I’m sick of it. It’s not even fun to joke about. There’s nothing wrong with eating pork people! Which makes this news even more infuriating: Gyu-Kaku (the Japanese BBQ restaurant on 3rd Ave. and 50th) refused to serve a customer any of their pork dishes last night. Way to fan the flames with ignorant business practices.

Thankfully Cafe Cello (on 46th btw. 5+6th) has returned just in the nick of time. Their delicious roast pork is back! And the only thing you have to be scared of is their recent DOH closing… but when meat looks this good, I’m willing overlook a bit of “evidence of roaches”.

Related:
The DOH Has a Purpose Beyond Closing Our Favorite Restaurants (And it Rhymes With Twine Glue)

“Why don’t you write about the places on 9th Ave.!?!” is a question I get a lot.  My reply is usually some form of “Well then I have to go to 2nd Ave., and 26th street, and 65th Street… and then it never ends.”  Essentially, you have to have boundaries or else it’s complete chaos.  And while there are people who work on the outskirts who will travel to 2nd Ave. or 9th Ave. for lunch, most Midtown Lunch’ers will not… unless there is something that is going to make everyone say “oh man… I need that now.” Like banh mi, or tacos, or thai food, or $1 fried chicken.  Or gyros (and Greek pastries!)

The age old gyro question came up again last week, when Profiled Lunch’er Harry asked if there was a real Greek gyro to be had in Midtown.  Street carts, chop their gyro up and fry it on the griddle, rather than allowing it to fully cook on the spit, Gyro II leaves a lot to be desired, and while Famous Chicken Place does a bang up job- we still don’t have a real deal Greek gyro in the ML boundaries.  Unless you are willing to travel to 9th Avenue. Uncle Nick’s and Posiedon Bakery were (enthusiastically) recommended in the comments… and when commenters speak, I listen. And boy am I glad I did.

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