Midtown Lunch

Fans of the latin food chain Sophie’s Cuban might have noticed something strange about two of their three Midtown locations.  The branches of Sophie’s that were located on 56th btw. 5+6th and on Madison btw. 33+34th, are now called Tina’s Restaurant.  Both storefronts still have the same menu, and what appears to be the same food… only now they are called Tina’s instead of Sophie’s.

According to a Sophie’s rep:

“Sophie’s has been a family operated business for over ten years in Manhattan. There arose a difference of opinion about how to operate the business among the family members operating Sophie’s Cuban Cuisine restaurants. Sophie’s management believes that outstanding quality, service, cleanliness, and value to our guests are the most important elements of our business. Tina’s is no longer associated with Sophie’s Cuban Cuisine.”

Based on that quote, you would think the issue was one of standards, but according to one of the employees at Tina’s it had more to do with franchising fees, and the fact that the members of the family who own the two Tina’s locations just didn’t want to pay them.  The owner of Tina’s didn’t return my calls.

Still, Sophie’s soldiers on with their franchising.  Finally, some news on the 40th St. location- plus a new food court location, after the jump… Read more »

It looks like we are just days away from the opening of Singaporean conveyor belt sushi chain Sakae Sushi on 43rd St. btw. Lex+3rd.  Already enormously popular in Asia, this will be their first location in the USA, complete with signature computerized ordering and hot water spouts (for refilling tea) at every table, plus the main event… little plates of sushi ushered from seat to seat via conveyor belt.   

Two emails were sent out today about the place, with both Urbandaddy giving the impression that the place is already open (it’s not), while and Thrillist are reporting a Friday grand opening (albeit without hot water spouts, which they report will be installed in the next month).  (Urbandaddy did make a fleeting mention of the Friday opening, so I’ve modified the post to reflect that.  I just didn’t notice it when I read their email.) The photo above was taken at Sakae Sushi today at 2pm, and our sources are saying they *hope* to be open on Friday, but if not Friday- then “probably” Monday.  With the way red tape works in NYC, I’ll believe it when I see the conveyor belts fired up, and moving little plates of raw fish.  Either way, as soon as I know, you’ll know…

Every Tuesday I turn over the site to a different Midtown Lunch’er for his or her recommendations for the best lunch in Midtown.  Being that Broadway pretty much occupies much of the Western boundaries of Midtown, it’s surprising that it has taken this long to get someone who works at a theater.  Meet Justin, a theatre manager who claims to live right on the edge of excess… 

Name: Justin

Age: 31

Occupation: Theatre Manager

Where in Midtown do you Work?:Jujamcyn Theaters – 44th b/w 7th & 8th

Favorite Kind of Food:Food at the margin of excess. The best local cooking plays with the limits of what is reasonably tasty and even edible: deep-fried, fat-laden, sugar-filled excess. Good pizza, good fried chicken, “Thai-style” spicy yums, good sugary baked goods are New York cuisine at its best.

Least Favorite Kind of Food: Too much of a good thing. At the margins of excess, it is really easy to go too far and screw things up. Greasy pizza, flaccid, sketchy shawarma, Japanese curry that kicks around your system for a few days: these are few of my least favorite things. There’s only so much glaze a donut can take.

Favorite Place(s) to Eat Lunch in Midtown: (West side, represent! These places may be “out-of-range” by Midtown Lunch standards, but the first two offer delivery)
– Wondee Siam I (9th & 52nd) – Yum Kor Moo Yang (BBQ Pork Yum)
– Island Burger (9th & 51st)- Capo San Lucas Salad (with the chicken)
– 99 Cent Fresh Pizza aka “dollar pizza” (9th & 40th) – Slice of pizza

The “go-to” lunch place you and your co-workers eat at too often: Green Symphony (43rd b/w 7th & 8th) – “Healthy” buffet-style joint with soups, sandwiches and a design-your-own-salad station. This place is definitely a step above the buffet places I got used to downtown, but it’s inconsistent and pricey. We go here 2x+ a week.

Place you discovered thanks to Midtown Lunch: Five Guys NYC. I had no idea.

If you could work anywhere (just because of the lunch) where would it be and why? I like John Burdett’s descriptions of the street food culture on Soi Cowboy in Bangkok.

I’ve never read any of John Burdett’s books (Bangkok 8, Bangkok Haunts), and I’m pretty sure Soi Cowboy is known more for its prostitution (and gross tourists) than its good eats- but I too am a fan of the street food of Thailand.  In fact hearing the word soi can only remind me of Kaow Soi, a Chiang Mai curry noodle soup, with no relation to the street in Bangkok (soi just means ‘side street’), one of the best things I had while visiting Thailand a year ago.  A photo after the jump… Read more »

1:15 and the Five Guys on 55th btw 5+6th seems to be at normal
capacity. Only about 2 or 3 people on line, and 5-8 people waiting for
their food. Has the craziness died down, or are Mondays just slow as
everyone recovers from weekend eating and drinking?

It was almost a year ago this week that the infamous “$1 Bulgogi Sandwich Cart” popped up on 49th St. btw. 6+7th.  It disappeared for a little while, and then reappeared- serving cheap plates of bulgogi (Korean stir fried beef), with a weird undercooked yellow rice, and the smallest portion of kimchee (Korean pickled cabbage) I’ve ever seen. 

It wasn’t until a month later that we got the infamous $1 Bulgogi sandwich, promised by the original sign- but it was nothing more than two pieces of white bread with bulgogi sandwiched in between.  Very disappointing.  Months went by, as they tinkered- raising the price of the pretty mediocre sandwich from $1 to $2, before getting rid of it entirely, and replacing it with a bulgogi sandwich on a roll for even more money.  This might have been good, if it wasn’t for the cucumber, and american cheese they decided to use as condiments.

They introduced a bi bim bap, which was pretty unimpressive, and even kimbap (Korean sushi) appeared on the menu- although they never seemed to have it.  But the real turnaround began with the introduction of Galbi (a thicker cut of Korean bbq’d beef).

The Bulgogi Cart of today, after the jump… Read more »

_{With the sign gone, is it safe to put this one to bed?
R.I.P. Yum Thai (44th btw. 6+7th)}

• The Blimpie with Latin Food on 6th Ave. has closed [Midtown Lunch Comments]
• Yvo checks out the newest member of the Totto family, Soba Totto [Fesity Foodie]
• Ryan Sutton calls Pop Burger a wildly overpriced “Breastaurant” [Bloomberg]
• Midtown is clearly ground zero for new Hotel restaurants [Gridskipper]
• Jimmy Fallon eats at Mandoo Bar, and Parker Posey was at the 2nd Ave. Deli [NY Mag]

 

House of Pita has become the little falafel stand that could, re-opening their operation on 8th Ave. btw. 39+40th, in the space formerly occupied by Mandler’s Sausage Co.  This comes a little over a month after their 2nd location, on 46th btw. 5+6th closed after 6 months in business.  According to the owner, the 46th St. location was always only going to be a temporary location- they were just forced out a little earlier then they expected.

The new House of Pita on 8th has the same falafel, salads and pickled veggies you loved at the original 48th St. window, but they are now serving meat dishes, most notably- chicken shawarma.  Because House of Pita was always a dairy (no meat served), and the new location will serve meat, the owner felt it would be misleading to keep the original name, so he plans to change it to… Chicken Bar.

Why does that name sound familiar??? Read more »

This past week saw the grand opening of a entirely new concept in fast food eating right here in Midtown.  From the owners of Zen Palate (a mid-range mini-chain of vegetarian restaurants here in the New York), comes Zen Burger, a vegetarian McDonald’s that they hope will change the face of the fast food business. 

Now, when I say Zen Burger is a vegetarian McDonald’s, I really mean vegetarian McDonald’s.  From the backlit menus behind the counter, to the numbered list of combo meals, this is a fast food joint through and through.  They even have the option to super size.  Those expecting some sort of crunchy, granola bar eating, meat hating, haute cuisine vegetarian concept are going to be sorely disappointed.  Zen Burger is cheap fast food-  and this might surprise you (considering there is no pork anywhere on the menu), but I actually really like it.

Curious what this Zen Burger food looks like?  I do something you never want to do at McDonald’s (take a bite and look inside), after the jump… Read more »

While I was away in Chile, I turned the site over to you for the first ever Midtown Lunch Readers’ Poll.  All of the nominees had to have lunch for under $10 (except the buffet category, where a $1 exception was made), and they all had to be within the Midtown boundaries (32nd St. to the South, Central Park to the North, 3rd Ave on the East, and 8th Ave. to the West).  Thanks to everyone who participated.  Thousands of votes were cast, and here are the results:

Best Fast Food Indian: Kati Roll

Despite changing locations this year (Kati Roll is now on 39th btw. 5+6th), Indian burritos just barely beat out old steam table standby (and former neighbor) Minar, on 46th btw. 6+7th.  35% to 32%  Editor’s Pick: Man do I miss being 2 blocks away from Kati Roll.  It’s the unanimous winner.

Best Cheap Chinese Food: Hing Won

“Cheap” is code for fast food, take out Chinese, and while Szechuan Gourmet (on 39th btw. 5+6th) may possibly be the best Chinese food in Midtown- Hing Won/Hop Won wins the battle of the steam tables, easily beating out the competition.  Editor’s Pick:  No secret here.  Hing Won was my first Midtown Lunch post, and still remains my favorite Chinese food take out in Midtown.

Best burger, best street carts and a best pizza shocker, after the jump… Read more »

After 10 days of eating my way across Chile, I can’t say I was too excited for lunch yesterday.  A week and half of amazing Chilean food is not easy to replace with a boring $9 sandwich.  The only Chilean restaurant I know in the area is Pomaire on 46th btw. 8+9th, but that is way out of the Midtown Lunch price range.  Hopefully some cheaper options exist (or will pop up in the future).

Here are some of the lunch’ing highlights from my trip, that I am hoping are available somewhere in Midtown:

“Un Completo”, aka a Chilean “Hot Dog with the works”- only instead of sauerkraut and relish, it’s topped with salsa, tomatoes, guacamole and mayo.  This one was enjoyed New Year’s Eve in Valparaiso. ($1)

Empanada de Pino –  Baked pastry filled with meat, egg and olives.  Delicious.  This one (the first of many on the trip) was enjoyed just outside the Mercado Central in Santiago.  They also make cheese and seafood version (plus fried versions), but this one is the most common. ($1)

Raw seafood, the national drink of Chile (and it’s not a Pisco Sour), plus the artery clogging mountain of meat and french fry wonderment that is Chorrillana, after the jump… Read more »