Midtown Lunch

Lunch’er Wayne was kind enough to send along this photo of the new location of Crisp which is coming soon to 40th Street btw. 6+B’way. While it looks like they may have a ways to go, the owner is saying they plan on opening up as soon as Passover ends (April 16 or 17th.) Don’t let the whole Jewish holiday thing fool you though, the original Crisp location (on 3rd Ave. btw. 43+44th) will be open all through Passover (unlike the Kosher falafel places, which will all be closed starting on Wednesday or Thursday of this week.)

Related:
Crisp: Abomination… Or One of the Best Falafel in the City
The Taj Has Been Temporarily Discontinued

Lunch’er Larry, who tipped us off to the Thai-Nam/Chef’s Secret change over (on 45th btw. Lex+3rd), has forwarded a copy of the menu along with this message: “Stopped for a further inspection of the Secret on my way to Hop Won… So it was a new, separate menu wrapped around the old Thai-Nam menu. Attached is a scan of the Chef’s Secret menu. Special Roll #J41 sounds interesting, if not disturbing.”

Well call me intrigued… the menu, plus a close-up of the “disturbing” #J41 is after the jump.

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So, everybody has been telling me how much they love the photos of my kid with different Midtown Lunches. So I decided to start taking more… like this one of Harry holding my falafel sandwich from Moshe’s new truck. (I swear on my life the unfortunate falafel/pickle placement was completely unintentional.)

• Darbar Grill on 55th has free appetizers every night from 5 to 8pm [Eater]
• Check out the new April flavors of Itzy Bitzy macarons, which are sold at Tafu on 51st & Lex [SENY]
• During Passover, Toloache will be serving a special Mexican matzo ball soup and tacos de brisket made with matzo tortillas [Zagat Buzz]
• Tips for attacking the by the lb. buffet at Alpine Gourmet.  Tip #1 Should be “Don’t eat at Alpine Gourmet” [BLD Project]

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 week Mamacita decides to check out Hooters, in an attempt to make up for the past few weeks of posting photos of male bartenders. Enjoy!

We all know about Hooters for their babalicious waitresses in tight short shorts and skimpy tank tops, but I’ve heard many say, in that typical “I read playboy for the articles” kind of way, that Hooters crispy hot wings are where it’s at- and might even be the best in town! I figured I had to try it for myself, after all if I could handle lunch at a strip club this should be a walk in the park right? So off I went to find out if these wings where really as good as everyone says, thus validating it as a bona fide Midtown Lunch happy hour.

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So it’s my birthday today, but I am forgoing my annual “go to a by the pound chinese buffet and eat with reckless abandon” birthday meal to have a fancy pants lunch with the wife (and baby).  I suppose once a year it’s ok to spend a little more than $10 on lunch… especially if it’s at Anthos.  (Awwww yeah lamb burger!) I feel a little bad being here with the baby in the stroller, but he’s being pretty well behaved.  Too bad the lady next to us doesn’t think so. I apologized, and felt really bad until I watched her scrape the beautifully seared crispy brown crust off top of her fish, and only eat the inside.  There should be a freakin’ law.  You know what lady… eating lunch next to my kid’s stroller didn’t ruin your lunch, you ruined your lunch!

Ah… whatever. Your birthday is just once a year! What are you gonna do…

Related:
My Lamb Burger Plea to Michael Psilakis

Bobby Flay showed up at the Jamaican Dutchy (on 51st and 7th) this morning with cameras in tow. Apparently he has an escoviche throwdown planned for next Friday, and enlisted O’Neil at the Dutchy to give him some pointers. This isn’t he first time Bobby Flay has gone to a Midtown Lunch cart for help. Apparently he got assistance from the Kwik Meal cart for his falafel battle against Taim (although I haven’t been able to track down video of it!)

Related:
Bobby Flay Throws Down With the Dessert Truck
Gold Medalist Usain Bolt Visits the Jamaican Dutchy Cart!

I know I promised that I wouldn’t post about the newly opened Famous Dave’s BBQ ever again… but apparently Midtown lunchers are interested, because a bunch of you went on opening day.  A few reports came in, telling two very different stories:

Photo Courtesy of Tasty Eating

“I went to the grand opening of Famous Dave’s BBQ on 47th and 7th Avenue today at 1:30pm. First, it wasn’t very crowded at all. Not a good sign. Next, the waitress took forever. Even the water and soda took a good 10-15 minutes. The food took a little longer. I had the Regular Ribs (4 ribs St Louis style) and it comes with a corn bread muffin (just okay), corn on the cob (dry), and 2 sides: mac n cheese (nice spicy kick) and fries (mediocre). The ribs were meaty but the flavor wasn’t really there. I didn’t really detect any long smoking flavor. It all came from the sauce. I thought I could make the same at home. My dish was $13. In all cases, it was just mediocre. Even their famous cradle of 5 BBQ sauces were mediocre. I’d would actually rather walk a couple of avenues to reach Daisy May’s ribs. Oh and my companions got the brisket, beef tips, and chopped pork. All very mediocre. Oh well, what did I really expect? -Hungry”

Yeah, none of that is really a surprise. You knew they weren’t actually going to be able to smoke meat in that space on 47th and 7th. And it’s opening day, so complaints about service are kind of unfair.

A trio of Midtown Lunch’ing dudes seemed to enjoy it though, but the amount of money they spent on lunch is downright shocking.

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Madeleine, the sweet French lady who makes Brittany crepes in the Cyber Cafe (on 49th btw. B’way+8th), posted this comment on Midtown Lunch yesterday:

“Hi this is “Madeleine the crepe lady” I am still at Cyber Cafe. Turns out the cyber cafe will not be turning into a hotel. So come and enjoy my crepes.”

Who said old ladies don’t know how to use the internet! I guess she has learned a thing or two working in the Cyber Cafe. It does seem like a good day for a crepe.

Not in the mood for a crepe, Cyber Cafe has added a new item to the menu.

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Midtown Lunch friend (and contributor) Kathy YL Chan from A Passion for Food noticed this little bit news on Chowhound yesterday: Financier Patisserie will be opening a new location in Midtown East on 1st Avenue and 54th Street.  First Ave. is a bit of a hike for most Midtown Lunchers, but it’s ok… because we just got this even bigger news from the source:  F.P. has two new Midtown locations in the works, and the 2nd one is going to be in the Fox News Building on 6th Ave. btw. 47+48th.  It will be a boutique location, like the one in World Financial Center Downtown, and will carry their famous tarts, cakes, and pastries, plus sandwiches, salads, and more… and from the looks of the menu on their website, everything is under $10.  According to Kathy, “nothing is like OMG CRAZY GOOD, but everything is like really good (if that makes sense.)” No word yet on when either location will open.

Financier Patisserie (coming soon)

• 983 First Avenue (at 54th Street)
• 1211 Sixth Avenue (at 48th Street)

Photo courtesy of The Girl Who Ate Everything (Robyn Lee)