Midtown Lunch

Pumpkin Cake from the Treats Truck. Photo by Blondie and Brownie

• More of Danny’s thoughts on the Black Label burger at City Burger [Food in Mouth]
• Another shrine to La Frieda beef will be opening in Bloomingdales next month [The Feedbag]
• A super expensive new French Austrian bakery has opened in the Plaza Hotel [Serious Eats: New York]
• The pumpkin cake at the Treats Truck is delicious [Blondie and Brownie]
• A lot of the best Asian sweets in the city can be found in Midtown [Restaurant Girl]

Speaking of burgers…. I guess I knew it was only a matter of time before somebody stepped up and complained about the mini-post we did a few months ago about the Ruby Tuesday Burger:

“I don’t usually feel the urge to comment on anything directly online, but I feel compelled here to make sure that everyone understands just how awful the Ruby Tuesday’s burger is. I had their triple meat burger (ooh 3 types of meats ground together!) a few months ago, or whatever they call it, it’s awful, don’t do it to yourself, it’s not worth the money! Any money! I wouldn’t eat it if it was free (that’s a lie – but I would hesitate). It was just a not-good tasting burger, not seasoned well and didn’t taste like good quality meat. Soggy bun, sad lettuce…. go anywhere else and save your taste buds!!!”

Considering that it’s Ruby Tuesday, I wouldn’t have thought this needed to be said.  But I trust A Hamburger Today when it comes to burgers, and they said it was decent.  (It has problems, but nothing that would be considered “awful”.)  Have any other lunchers subjected themselves to a Times Square tourist lunch, and want to weigh in?  Sure, Midtown Lunch is against crappy chains like this in theory- but I just want to make sure they get their fair shake.

The former newsstand that houses Taj Delhi Chat, Khodiar Lunch Services gujarati food, and the latin food that used to be in the Blimpie, has reopened… but strangely enough, it is possible that they never even closed.  The tip we received was not confirmed with a photo, and the owners of the newsstand claim they were never closed (except on Thanksgiving.) It would normally be suspicious (places have been known to hide their DOH’ing), but the claim is confirmed by the Health Department website, which shows that they passed their most recent inspection.  Just wanted to set the record straight, and let you know there is clearly nothing wrong with the best Indian food place in Midtown! Plus, as one commenter remarked a few weeks ago, they have redesigned the space.

The photo is after the jump…  Read more »

 

Is it possible that the secret to great roast pork and roast duck lies in the caked on juices that occur after years and years of use? That’s what one commenter suggested about Ying Du’s roasted meats, which made a return last week after disappearing following a visit from the DOH.

“I went last week on Monday and can confirm that the roasted meats are indeed back at Ying Du, and they still cost $5. I went with the roast pork and roast duck combo. I agree that the flavor isn’t nearly as good as before the DOH close, and I can only assume that it’s because they were forced to clean everything and remove the years of built-in flavoring.”

Let this be a lesson to all you neat freaks and germaphobes. Dirty = Delicious!

Unbelievable. How many times has the Old Bridge Deli been seized for not paying their taxes, and yet they somehow manage to find a way to reopen.  Clearly I don’t understand how business works.  Most importantly, I hope they fixed the rolly wrap machine.

Danny (from the blog Food in Mouth) went to City Burger and got them
to serve him their new black label burger (even though technically it
doesn’t debut until tomorrow.) He forwarded the picture along and had
this to say in the comments:

"I think there are a variety of ways to look at this burger. From the
Midtown Lunch perspective of a $10 lunch… I would guess a $13
cheeseburger is not for everyone."

"From a cheeseburger to cheeseburger comparison perspective, this is
definitely worth trying. Yes it’s an expensive take-out burger but it
tastes different. I can’t tell you if it lives up to this black label
hype, but it definitely has a completely different taste. If you’re
really into trying the various burgers in this city, you owe it to
yourself to at least try this one. I think of those that do, many will
come away with a kinder impression of City Burger.

With all that said, there was no line when I went, so the criticism of
the service may still stand."

Good first impression…especially coming from Danny, who got to try
the burger as a regular customer, rather than at a special tasting for
reporters. (He clearly didn’t mention to them that he was a blogger,
or else they probably wouldn’t have served him a day early.)

Despite the high prices, and the economic issues facing lunchers, it appears as if Free Foods NYC (on 45th btw. 5+6th) is doing well enough to open a second location where F&B Gudtfood used to be (on 52nd btw. Lex+3rd). Lunchers looking for the best bargains won’t care about this one, but if you are really into organic food, and don’t mind spending the extra money- this is your best option in Midtown.  Even I’ll admit, their buy the pound buffet (which is quite possibly the most expensive in the city) looks pretty damn tasty.  It’s what I refer to as the “If I were a rich man” lunch.

The sign says that they are planning on opening fall of 2008 (which would be now), but from looking at the plywood, I’m guessing it won’t be for at least another month.  A photo of that (for those of you who get excited about construction sites) is after the jump.

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Got a bit of terrible news in the comments the other day about La Strada, the former pizza place turned Latin food joint on 56th btw. Park+Lex. “DID THIS PLACE CLOSE? The other day it was totally shut!” Phone number is “temporarily disconnected.” That can’t be good… luckily for those who work in the upper reaches of Midtown East (which is already pretty desolate) there is the Tina’s Restaurant on 56th btw. 5+6th for the their rice and beans fix.

Some big news reported by the Feedbag yesterday… City Burger, which has gotten mixed reviews since they opened on 39th St. just East of Broadway, will reinvent themselves starting tomorrow as “a temple to classic burger cookery. Griddles have replaced the grills, the menu has narrowed, and the focus is now on the glories of La Frieda beef.”

According to the owner “We’re cooking the city’s best burgers! Our rivals aren’t Wendy’s and McDonald’s. They’re Shake Shack and The Spotted Pig and Corner Bistro and the city’s other great burgers. And I’ll put ours up against any of them.” 

  Read more »

Grub Street reports that the final new Chipotle opening in 2008 will be on Madison and 39th, on December 11th- and they’ll be celebrating old school style on December 10th with free burritos from 11 a.m. to 8 p.m.  6 p.m. No acoustic bands, no Halloween costumes, and no charity tie-in… just free food, given away to hoardes of freeloaders, just like the old days.  I’m down with that.