Midtown Lunch

I think I’m finally ready to go out on a limb here, and say that Crisp is one of the best falafel places in the city.  That’s right.  The yuppie-fied, way overpriced, unconventional falafel place (on 3rd Ave. btw. 43+44th) is serving up some of my favorite falafel in New York City.  Is their bread as good as Olympic Pita (on 38th btw. 5+6th)?  No.  Is their menu as authentically Israeli as Azuri Cafe (on 10th Ave. and 51st). Uh… definitely not.  And yet, each time I go there I really enjoy trying the strange flavor combinations they create.  Sandwiches you cannot find anywhere else in NYC.  And for that they deserve some recognition.

Last week, they introduced their entry into the Midtown Lunch Sandwich Challenge. The Taj: Falafel with mango chutney, lime chili pickles, greens, cherry tomatoes, poppadums, and a cold curry sauce inside a traditional Israeli pita. I tried it on Friday, and it solidified my feeling that Crisp may be one of the best Falafel places in New York City.

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If you have ever dreamed of watching a video of Josh Ozerksy eating 7 hamburgers, your prayers have been answered. The editor of The Feedbag did a blind burger taste test, and Five Guys (on 55th btw. 5+6th) beat out P.J. Clarke’s and the Burger Joint at the Parker Meridien. Veselka came in first place.  Surprisingly City Burger (on 39th just East of B’way), which Ozersky is a big fan of, wasn’t included in the taste test. [Always Hungry]

Photo by nycblondieandbrownie

• The Treats Truck is now stocking a full array of St. Paddy’s Day cookies [Blondie and Brownie]
• It looks like the Rainbow Room won’t be converted into office space after all [Diner’s Journal]
• Surprise!  The grilled cheese sandwich at Applebee’s on 50th St. isn’t good [NYP]
• The guy eating everything on Tony’s Top 100 List hits up Sophie’s Cuban for the “Pernil With a Twist” [Amuse My Bouche via TONY’s Feed Blog]
• Kathy’s most excellent cookie list includes Oren’s (which has multiple Midtown locations) and Bouchon Bakery [A Passion for Food]
• Adam Roberts has devised a Foodie Scavenger Hunt that includes the Biryani Cart on 46th & 6th [Amateur Gourmet]

But wait… there’s more. Midtown East izakaya action, another drugstore sandwich, something bad from Bouchon Bakery, and another photo of my kid with food (sorry, I’ll stop posting them when he stops doing adorable shit at lunch) all after the jump…

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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. Today, Mamacita hands the reins over to (former Profiled: Midtown Lunch’er) Blondie, from Blondie and Brownie, to tell us about Bamboo 52- where she and Brownie had their One Year Blog-versary party on Wednesday night. Congrats ladies on a great first year! (It seems like you’ve been around much longer…)

When Brownie and I decided a boozy celebration was in order for our blog-versary, we couldn’t decide on the proper place for happy hour. Should we venture out to somewhere new and possibly awesome, or should we stick to an old tried-and-true? Tried and true won out and we ended up at Bamboo 52, a girly Theater District lounge with an identity crisis.

Like many of the drinking establishments in that weird land between Midtown and Hells Kitchen, Bamboo tries to appeal to a large demographic: tourists, Midtowners, matinee ladies, bridge-and-tunnel folk, basically anyone on their way home from work, or on their way to a musical (jazz hands). Bamboo’s schtick is sushi and a 9-hour happy hour. I’m a proponent of the latter. It’s a pretty decent happy hour if you know the unwritten rule: stick to the mixed drinks, they’re basically the only things ½ off. Don’t buy beer, sake, or shots and you’re good.

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For those who didn’t mind seeing Garrett’s go away, because “Dale & Thomas is better”… well, not better enough to last through this economy. Commented by Blondie, and confirmed by this photo: the Dale & Thomas popcorneria on Broadway and 48th has also closed.  Basically, if you can’t make money selling your tailor-made-for-tourists popcorn in the heart of Times Square (home to a Hershey Store and M&M store that co-exist on the same block) I think you may have to reevaluate your business model.

There was a time when the $9 Indian buffet was the norm in Midtown (remember Rangole?).  Those times have long gone, but it looks like the economy may be reversing the trend. Kashmir Buffet (on 8th Ave. btw 39+40th), which closed a few months ago to become the “Cave Lounge”, has reopened for lunch only.  The all you can eat Pakistani/Indian buffet is $8.99, and just before Noon yesterday looked tasty and fresh (unlike the upstairs, pay-by-the-pound Kashmir Express, which always looks like it’s been sitting out for hours).  They had at least three or four choices of meat, plus some interesting looking sweets (that are usually featured in the upstairs window) plus bread is included. I think originally the buffet may have been $8, but whatever. Considering that most buffets in Midtown are $10 and above, I’m all for it! Welcome back…

Photo of the inside is after the jump.

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Both Grub Street and TONY’s Feed Blog give you a first look at the newly opened HB Burger (on 43rd btw. B’way+6th) in the old Spanky’s BBQ space.  The owner brags that “nothing on the menu tops $9″ (good, I guess), and they have sauteed onions (for free), tator tots, homemade sodas, and milkshakes with liquor in them (also good).  But I just can’t get excited about a burger place that is owned by the Heartland Brewery. Is that wrong?  (Admittedly I’m still mad about the onion ring incident.) Plus, items individually may cost under $9, but a burger, fries, and a drink will altogether cost you quite a bit more.  Any ML early adopters willing to take one for the team, and let us know how this place is?  Either that, or we’ll just wait for A Hamburger Today to weigh in. (I’m pretty sure they are legally obligated to go to all of these places…)

HB Burger, 127 W 43rd St. (btw. B’way+6th), 212-575-5848