Midtown Lunch

Island Dine is now closed in the great clearing-out of restaurants in this space. RIP jerk chicken in Midtown ;_;

The LIRR section of Penn: you will never find a more wretched hive of scum and villainy that isn’t Port Authority Bus Terminal. While there are a few standouts (I can only think of Chickpea in the Amtrak concourse and Soup Spot up on street level) there are also plenty of Tim Horton’s that would love to sell you awful food. However, in the Gibsonian brightly-lit commuter hell of the LIRR alleyway, there’s good Jamaican food to be had. With the sudden departure of Jamaican Dutchy (we can only hope it was passed to the left hand side) and the only other nearby option being the upworld Jamaican Kitchen (I won’t even deign to mention Golden Krust) it’s always good to have an option – but is it irie or should you not even bother?
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Corso is a month-old Italian coffee bar in the newly renovated Paramount Hotel on 46th street between Times Square and 8th Avenue. It being a coffee bar, breakfast seemed like the logical time to check it out, but I was pleasantly surprised to see that they had an Italian sandwich menu for lunch as well, albeit pricey at $9-$12. While I made a mental note to try them, I walked in very ready for a morning cup of joe.

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A Sacco’s Pizza slice. Photo courtesy of Serious Eats: NY

• J Kenji Lopez-Alt’s favorite corner slice is on 54th & 9th! [SENY]
• Salvation Taco’s food is good, but their location sucks [Immaculate Infat]
• Keens serves two excellent burgers in their pub room [Eater]
• A violent protest broke out at Dishes last week over fair pay for its employees [DNAinfo]
• Joe DiStefano hits up the Biryani Cart for a new street food special [Travel Channel]

When the Microsoft holiday pop-up store took over the old Planet Hollywood spot in Times Square, I thought maybe this chain thing would go away. No such luck. Although the facade looks like a mess, apparently the inside is now open.

I’ve always envied people who have a little candy or soda convenience shop in their office building to supply their 4pm chocolate pangs. But, to have an Indian lunch buffet in this same snack store? Now THAT’S taking it to a whole new level. As you enter 420 5th Avenue on the 38th Street side, there’s no indication whatsoever that such a place exists. It felt almost as if I was searching for a speakeasy Indian buffet, but thanks to a tip from Midtown Lunch’er Kimberlee, we turned the corner and there, in plain sight, was the lobby bodega, which is accessible to the general public (not just lucky employees of this building).

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I was heartbroken when the Schnitzel & Things storefront (3rd btw. 45th+46th) closed down recently, just days after I shared some of my favorites from their menu with all of you. But while I was sad to see them go, I was looking forward to seeing what would open next. Now we know that in Schnitz’s stead will be… Turkish and Mediterranean cuisine. What does everyone think? Excited for doner kebab and mixed grills, or were you hoping for something different?

Every Friday we go south of the ML boundaries in search of a delicious lunch. Sometimes it’s Murray Hill south or the Flatiron District, sometimes Gramercy and everything in between- but we just like to call it Flatiron Lunch.

My spies informed me two-three weeks ago that the spot formerly occupied by Eat-a-Pita at 30th and Park finally opened as Spreads. And considering these spies (okay, really just friends that work across the street) went several times in the first week, I figured I would skip the First Look and jump right in.

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The Wheeltapper Pub (44th St. btw. Lex+3rd Ave.), a railroad-themed bar in the Fitzpatrick Grand Central Hotel, is advertising a “Dine ‘N’ Dash” lunch deal from 12-3pm, Monday through Friday. It’s a bit outside the ML limit, but for $12.99 (plus tax and tip), you get soup and your choice of a sandwich or salad from a special menu, a good deal considering most of their sandwiches are about $14-16.

The sign also says that “We guarantee you an enjoyable lunch within 30 minutes of placing your order” or your lunch is free. Of course, if all that means is your sandwich will be brought out within a half hour of ordering, that’s not too impressive.

I had a burger at Wheeltapper a few years ago after a late night at work. It was good, but not quite memorable. They do have an outdoor patio area though, so this deal might be worth checking out on a nice spring day, even if it is a bit pricey.