The Perfect Porkless Meal

There are a handful of Irish pubs within a block from my office, but the one frequented the most by my co-workers is The Perfect Pint. It almost feels like Cheers, where everybody knows your name. I had been there before for drinks, but had never eaten there. I went with my boss and a girl who was visiting from our Frankfurt office. I thought we should take her somewhere a little more exciting since pubs are pretty common in most European cities, but The Perfect Pint it was.

I had no clue how popular The Pint was as a lunch spot. The 2nd floor was completely full, so the hostess seated us on the 3rd floor. I was totally surprised by the menu. It was really extensive, running the gambit from typical pub fare to pretty creative dishes. It wasn’t 5-star, gourmet cuisine, but it was definitely better than expected.

I was looking over the long list of sandwiches available, and one really caught my eye: the Turkey Cuban. As a non-pork eater, I always feel like I’m missing out on a lot of great food items. Granted, nowadays there are a lot of alternatives for my bunch that allow us to enjoy these items...turkey/veggie hot dogs, sausage, bacon. The list goes on and on. Some (well maybe most...or even all!) pork fans laugh at these things, but I’m glad that they exist!

So when I saw the Turkey Cuban sandwich listed on the menu, I was really excited because I have always wanted to try it. A real Cuban sandwich is made with two kinds of ham, though. But, this one was made with two kinds of turkey...roasted and hickory smoked. It came hot and pressed, which made the bread really crispy and the Swiss cheese really melted. It was also dressed with pickles and a garlicky Dijon mustard. Say what you will about turkey versions of anything, but this was a fantastic sandwich, no matter how you slice it (no pun intended!). It came with really good fries as well...crispy and salty, can’t go wrong!

My boss got the Incredible Lamb Burger, which was topped with tzatziki sauce. If only they had made that in a turkey or veggie version, I would’ve gone with that for sure. I love, love, love a good tzatziki sauce. The other girl ordered the Bruschetta Chicken sandwich that was served on ciabatta bread. They both really enjoyed their meals as well.

The service can be a little spotty because they get slammed during the lunch rush and the wait staff is spread pretty thinly. Otherwise, the food came quickly and was fresh. Nothing is worse than food that is kept sitting under heat lamps while the rest of the table’s meals are being prepared. For $10-11 sandwiches, The Perfect Pint isn’t a bargain lunch, but it is a great option for a casual, sit-down lunch that serves up some really great food.

The Perfect Pint
123 West 45th Street
b/t 6th Avenue & Broadway
website
Menu Pages listing

Worth a Trip Down Under

My co-workers wanted to take my out to happy hour for my birthday. So, in a true Miss Menu fashion, I did a little research to find a fun bar close to my office that had drink specials and good food. Wanting to avoid the normal midtown pubs and touristy bars, but not travel too far for those who commute. I came across a newer bar called The Australian that seemed to fit the bill.

The Australian successfully melds a few different types of venues all into one. It's part sports bar, part pub, part lounge, and part restaurant. It was decorated with Australian-themed items, but not overdone. I had called the day before to ask if there was a way to reserve an area since we'd be a big group. The hostess was really helpful in explaining the different options I could reserve. We ended up with a very large booth in the back that comfortably sat 12. It was seriously the largest booth I've ever seen! I am definitely going to keep this place in mind next time I want to go somewhere that can easily accommodate a big group.

We ordered a few rounds of drinks and also ordered food (I had to, otherwise I couldn't write about it!) A few co-workers ordered regular burgers and said they were over-cooked. But, a few of us decided to share a bunch of appetizers, some more exotic than others. We ordered the seasoned potato wedges that were served with sour cream and a sweet chili sauce...they were delicious, and gone in seconds. Next up was the steak cut chips, which were essentially steak fries. They were unremarkable, but the sauces they came with were very tasty. One was a smoky bbq, and the other was a wild lime aioli.

We also got lamb nachos and kangaroo sate sticks. Clearly this is where my snacking stopped. Aside from the fact that I don't eat red meat, the idea of eating a roo is just wrong. I had texted an Australian friend of mine telling him how my friends were eating roo, and he responded, "that's so wrong...how can you eat our national mascot?!" Apparently it tastes most similar to veal, but I will certainly be taking their word for it. The nachos (minus the lamb) were tasty, covered in a sweet pico de gallo type salsa.

All in all it was a fun birthday happy hour. The drinks kept flowing and the food was very tasty. I was a big fan of how they took staple bar food and kicked it up a notch. It made it feel more authentic Australian and more inventive.

One thing to note (which we found out the hard way!), the specials for both food and drinks are only available in the front bar area, and not in the rear dining area, which is where we were.

The Australian
20 West 38th Street
b/t 5th & 6th Avenue
website
Menu Pages listing

O'Lunney Toons

Wanting to take part in some sort of St. Patty's Day festivities without actually going to the parade, my co-worker and I decided that the perfect solution would be to go to an Irish pub for lunch. There are dozens of pubs in the few blocks of my office, but O'Lunney's is a really big bar, so we figured we'd have the most luck getting a table there. As expected, there was a huge, lively crowd inside, and a few parties ahead of us. Luckily, there was a table in the bar area that opened up after just a few minutes. We sat right at the window, gave us a great view of the debauchery going on outside, and the people singing and cheering inside the bar.

If we were going to continue with the celebration, then there was only one option for our drink order...Irish beer. My co-worker got the quintessential St. Patty's Day beer...a Guinness. I ordered my very first Harp Lager (shh, don't tell my boss!), and I really liked the taste. Will have to remember that one for my next Irish pub adventure.

O'Lunney's had a limited menu for the holiday, so I debated what to order. I felt wrong getting a chicken sandwich even though I had had it before and really liked it. So I decided to change it up a bit and got fish and chips. And I have to say, I was pleasantly surprised. Obviously you can't really go wrong with anything that's fried, but I was more expecting a frozen piece of mystery fish. The good news is it was far from that. The pieces of cod were freshly battered and fried in a delicious beer batter. It was served with crispy fries, homemade tartar sauce, and a pickle. Now, I will say that it was pretty overpriced...my dish was $16. But, I was in the spirit and it ended up being worth it. My co-worker got the corned beef and cabbage, and said it was really good. I took his word for it...he knew better than to offer me a piece of beef!

The rest of the restaurant was filled mostly with far-from-sober parade patrons, rather than the usual office lunch crowd. It definitely made for an entertaining dining experience. Groups decked out in green gear spontaneously burst out into song and danced around the bar. We had a hard time motivating to go back to work when we we could have easily sat there and watch the shamrocks and leprechauns all afternoon. So, if you're looking for a lively, authentic atmosphere, with great food in the Times Square area, definitely check out O'Lunney's. Cheers!

O'Lunney's
145 West 45th Street
b/t 6th Avenue & Broadway
website
Menu Pages listing

Run from the Border

As I mentioned in my last post, Mexican restaurants can be very hit-or-miss. Unfortunately, after a great meal at El Rio Grande, I was slightly let down by Viva Pancho the next night. Now, I should clarify that I still had a great time out with my co-workers for one of their birthdays, but that great time was hardly complimented by great food.

Viva Pancho is a hole-in-the-wall Mexican restaurant just off from Times Square, and tucked in between Virgil's Real Barbecue and a deli. It would be easy to miss if there wasn't a man in a sombrero standing in front of the restaurant holding a menu. Once inside, the restaurant feels like it's trying a little too hard to feel authentic. On a more positive note, the host/waitstaff is accommodating for large parties, like we were, and the service is very fast.

I have come to Viva Pancho before both for drinks and for meals, and I quickly learned after a meal or two that their food is just plain bad. The enchiladas and burritos are way too light on filling. The chicken is poor quality, slimy dark meat, and almost all of the dishes are bland. Even the salsa is watery and mediocre. But, I have learned one thing...after these experiences, the drinks are the only safe bet.

Our group ordered a few pitchers of margaritas, which were great. I've also had the sangria that was very good. I ended up trying some of my friend's chicken fajitas, and I have to say that if/when I go back to Viva Pancho, I will definitely be ordering those. Because some of my co-workers frequent the restaurant a lot and know some of the waiters, they brought out a few rounds of fruity shots on the house, as well two desserts. See, I can find the positive in every situation! The flan was just ok, but the fried ice cream blew me away. Huge pieces of fried cinnamon dough were covered with vanilla ice cream. Divine! Actually, I may rethink that fajita idea. Is it wrong to order just a margarita and dessert next time?!

Next time I have a craving for Mexican food during work, I will definitely turn here for some Midtown Lunch ideas. Or if you have any suggestions, feel free to leave them in the comments section. Gracias!

Viva Pancho
156 West 44th Street
b/t 6th & 7th Avenue
website
Menu Pages listing

All Treat, No Trick

Mr. Softee may have met his match when it comes to serving sweets via a truck. Meet "Sugar," the Treats Truck. While not as numerous as Mr. Softee, Sugar sells delicious, homemade baked goods from a different location around the city each day.

Midtown Lunch had reported a few weeks ago that Sugar was sick (aka in the repair shop), but I am pleased to report that he was nursed back to health and is back on the streets. Lucky for me, he was at his 45th St & 6th Ave location today, and I was able to finally experience the magic.

I walked past the truck on the way to pick up lunch and noticed a huge line at the truck. When we got back to our desks, we saw that my boss had left a co-worker and me packages of mini caramel creme sandwich cookies as a thank you for work on a big project last week. This was great...I get to try goodies from the Treats Truck without having to wait in line in the cold. The mini cookies were delicious...very fresh and very homemade tasting.

I went to the Treats Truck website, and learned that they have a pretty extensive (mouth-watering) menu. Their location schedule is posted, as well as information for placing delivery orders. This is really handy since Sugar doesn't play the annoying music that Mr. Softee does! If the Treats Truck comes to your neighborhood, definitely stop by and pick up a treat!

The Treats Truck
various locations
website

Encore! (Pam Real Thai) Encore!

Thai restaurants in New York City are a dime a dozen. I probably walk past at least 3 on my walk to work, and have at least 5 Thai take-out menus in my menu box. So, it's exciting to find one that not only has great food, but also is one that you'd want to actually sit down in and not just have it delivered. It's even better when this restaurant is located near your office.

Pam Real Thai Encore proved to fit all these criteria, and is where I went for lunch yesterday. Encore is in the name not only because there are two locations, but is also exactly what I think after eating there...encore! I doubt that's what the owners had in mind, but maybe they're on to something.

Located just off of 9th Avenue in Hell's Kitchen, it would be very easy to walk right past Pam Real Thai. There are dozens of restaurants on this stretch of 9th Avenue, including 4 other Thai restaurants just on that block. Some of these spots can be hit-or-miss because of their proximity to the Theater District, thus catering more to tourists. But, with Pam Real Thai's location off the main drag, they manage to avoid the hordes.

Pam Real Thai's interior is far from traditional. It has a futuristic feel with purple walls and modern, white tables and chairs. Just based on the ambiance, one might think that the menu wouldn't be traditional either...but that isn't the case. The menu is very extensive...ranging from noodle dishes to crispy duck to Thai-style soups.

I am usually not very routine with what I order at restaurants, but ever since I discovered Pad See Yew, I order it at every Thai restaurant I go to. It's not that I want to play it safe, but I like the flavor so much of the dish that I want to see how it is different places. I have probably been to 10 different Thai restaurants in the last few years, and I can say, without a doubt, my favorite Pad See Yew is at Pam Real Thai.

Some of you might think that 9th Avenue is too far to walk for lunch while working in Midtown. But, I promise you a fantastic Thai meal that is definitely worth the 3-avenue walk (that is, if you work on 6th Avenue!). Something else worth mentioning...Pam Real Thai is really reasonably priced. The dish I got was $6.50...and most fall under $10. Makes it worthwhile to take a break from lunch at the corner deli when it's about the same price. Before it was closed down by the Department of Health, I use to pick up lunch from Yum Thai, around the corner from my office. Their version of Pad See Yew was far worse than Pam Real Thai, and was more expensive. Not to mention the whole shut down by the Dept of Health thing!

If you need a place to go pre-theather, just looking for a nice change of pace from the usual lunch grind, definitely check out Pam Real Thai. They got my vote for best casual Thai in Midtown, and maybe even Manahattan!

Pam Real Thai Encore
402 West 47th Street
@ 9th Avenue
website
Menu Pages listing

Super Bowl Afternoon Delight

Super Bowl Sunday is good by itself. BBQ is good by itself. Put them together, and you have one fantastic afternoon/evening in store. A Super Bowl party usually comes with some staple food items...pizza, chips, veggies & dip,etc. And as much as I enjoy all of those things, they're nothing out of the ordinary. So, it was very exciting to hear that my friends were going to have Virgil's delivered for the big game. Even though it's across the street from my office, I haven't been to Virgil's. But since we had so much food delivered, and I got to sample so many different items, I feel like it's totally acceptable to write about it on Miss Menu...right?!

Just to humor you, thought it'd be amusing to list all of the things that were delivered (in 2 giant shopping bags): 2 salads, 2 huge bottles of Virgil's Real BBQ sauce, brisket, chicken wings, a whole chicken, ribs, coleslaw, potato salad, mac & cheese, biscuits, corn muffins, and to round out this well-balanced meal...a chocolate pie. Now, the even more amusing part is that this was said to be the right amount of food for 10 people. Problem was a few people didn't make it, so we had 6 people eating. Let's just say that there were plenty of leftovers.

While I can't comment on the atmosphere of actually eating at Virgil's, I can say that their food is pretty good. The sauce definitely made the meal and was a welcomed topping. The mac & cheese was very cheesy and had that slightly burned top that makes it even better. The chocolate pie was served with homemade whipped cream, and if I wasn't already so full from all of that food, I would have loved to finish my piece!

I'll definitely have to write another post if I ever do dine at Virgil's, but for now, this will have to suffice. To some, it's the best BBQ in NYC. I'm not sure I'd go that far. But, I do feel required to mention that many people (including some commenters on Midtown Lunch) view the restaurant as a tourist trap, with its close proximity to Times Square. Maybe delivery is the way to go!

Virgil's Real Barbecue
152 West 44th Street
b/t 6th Ave & Broadway
website
Menu Pages listing

A Total BBQ Bug-out

As I've mentioned in a past post, the casual, sit-down restaurant is hard to come by in Midtown Manhattan. But I have a few places up my sleeve for when I need a change of pace from the usual deli. One of these was Havana Central, but after my bad experience there last time, the jury is still out if I'll go back. Unfortunately, one of my other safeties Spanky's bugged me out yesterday...literally.

I may not be the typical Southern belle, especially after living in NYC for almost 5 years. Even so, I still love the occasional Southern meal, especially BBQ. Something about that cuisine is so comforting to me. Guess that's why they call it comfort food! There are dozens of BBQ restaurants in the city...some are trendy, some are chains, some are just gross. So, it's hard to find ones that aren't over-hyped, but still serve really good food, with the key to Southern food...a great BBQ sauce. That's why I was so excited to have discovered Spanky's last year. Spanky's had everything going for it...location (1 block from my office), a fun atmosphere, great (and different) food, great prices, and small crowds (despite basically being in Times Square).

So, as I said, I went to Spanky's yesterday for lunch. Everything was going smoothly at first. I usually get the same thing every time...the hacked BBQ chicken sandwich with fries. But, I decided to change it up yesterday and got the buttermilk fried chicken sandwich with a great Cajun mayo. The sandwich was really good, the fries were great as usual, and (possibly my favorite part), the waitress had just brought out refills on our Diet Cokes. I was content. For those of you who may not know, free refills are VERY hard to come by in Manhattan. Quick aside...I learned this the hard way in my first month in New York. I had 2 refills (3 glasses total) while out to brunch one day, and when the bill came, the sodas cost me more than my entree. As much as I love (and am addicted to) Diet Coke, it's really not worth $12!!!

Where were we? Oh right...just as I finished my sandwich, I saw this awful looking bug crawling across my plate. I threw down my sandwich, jumped out of my chair, and screamed. I'm pretty sure the entire restaurant was looking at me. Now, this is New York after all. So, as terrible as it sounds, it's not horribly uncommon to see flies in a restaurant, or maybe even a roach scurry across the floor. But, this was a bug I had never seen before...AND it was on my food.

The bus boy quickly came over and cleared the food away, so noble of him. But, as he walked the plates back to that station where they keep the dirty dishes and condiments, etc., he knocked the bug off the plate, onto the floor, and then stomped on it....in pretty plain site of all the customers. The manager came running over apologizing profusely, and offered to comp our meal. He said that the restaurant was sprayed last night. Seems to me like they need to hire a new exterminator!

Another Midtown disappointment. I'm upset that another one of my favorite work-week lunch spots has to be crossed off the list...at least until I am no longer skeeved out! Guess I better turn to the folks at Midtown Lunch for some new lunch inspiration!

Spanky's
127 West 43rd Street
b/t 6th & Broadway
website
Menu Pages listing

The (Not) Hottest Spot North of Havana

If you work in Midtown Manhattan, then you know how it goes for lunch during the work week. There are dozens (maybe hundreds) of delis for picking up a quick lunch, and endless upper-end restaurants for business lunches. But, the kind of restaurant that's few and far between is the casual, sit-down restaurant.

When I first started at my current job, I was excited to go out to lunch with co-workers to find out some of the options around my office. One of the first places I went was Havana Central, and since then, I have probably been there 5 or 6 times, for meals or drinks. And every time, I have always loved my experiences there. Since it's a Cuban restaurant, it's a nice change of pace from the regular ol' sandwich and fry places. And, the atmosphere is cool...palm trees, nice decor, and Cuban music makes for an overall pleasant setting.

When going out to lunch yesterday, Havana central seemed like a great choice. Unfortunately, by the end of the meal, I think my opinion of the place changed for the worse. Havana Central is smart...they know their weekday customers are usually on their lunch hour, so they created the limited "Menu Rapido." This guarantees that your food will be served within 15 minutes of ordering. I think that may have lead to some of yesterday's problems. For food to be prepared and served so quickly, it's bound to have been prepared in advance. So, two of the 3 items we ordered came out pretty cold. Usually that's not a problem...find the waiter and have him warm it up. But, the waiter was nowhere to be found. By the time he came over to ask the generic "Is everything ok?" it was too late.

BUT I am hoping that this was just a fluke...and that the freezing cold weather yesterday had something to do with the luke warm food. I'm not going to completely throw in the towel on Havana. I think I'll just skip it as a lunch destination, and stick to their happy hour with great sangria and mojitos

Havana Central
151 West 46th Street
b/t 6th & 7th Avenues
website
Menu Pages listing

Pigalle - c'est pas mal!

Yesterday, my old boss took a group of us out to lunch for the holidays. Earlier last week, he had asked a few of us for suggestions for restaurants. So, of course, I sent him a list of four or five choices near our office that were reasonable. It was to this email that he replied, "Ok since you're being Miss Menu, why don't you make a reservation for us? I'd try for Pigalle, sounds best to me." So, technically, I have him to thank for the original idea for this blog!

Anyway, back to the food. I mostly suggested Pigalle because I am partial to anything French. And, I had been to some of the other restaurants owned by the Tour de France restaurant group (L'Express, French Roast, Nice Matin, and others), and really enjoyed my meals at each. I also look for any opportunity to try a new French onion soup recipe (what I basically lived on when I was in Paris)!

Pigalle has a quaint bistro feel if you are able to look past two things: an overwhelming number of Christmas wreaths and accents that are not French (read Southern and Midwestern tourists). Hopefully, that will no longer be the case come January. We had a few issues with our reservation, but luckily were still seated pretty quickly.

They have a large selection of French and Belgian beers (including my favorite, but hard to find, Kronenbourg 1664), and a very creative cocktail list. Everyone really enjoyed their meals. And in case you were worrying, the French onion soup was great!

Some suggestions:
- If you have the stomach for it, they have Absinthe drinks there...usually hard to find on this side of the pond.
- Les frites (french fries) were really good, and pretty authentic
- Make sure you speak very clearly/slowly when making a reservation, as the hostess doesn't have the best English. I had made a reservation for 12:30 and she had it down as 4:30.

Pigalle
790 8th Avenue
@ 48th Street
website
Menu Pages listing

Ah, tourists...

Last night I decided to brave the mobs of tourists in Times Square for dinner. I work only an avenue away, but that one avenue makes such a difference. After throwing a few elbows and weaving my way through the crowds, I finally made it to Haru.

I'm sure many of you are aware that there are a handful of Haru locations around the city. I think I have been to almost every location, and have to say that the Times Square one is my least favorite. The reason is two-fold...a lot of tourists decide to dine there, and also the atmosphere feels a lot more cramped and a little dingier than the others. Regardless, the food was still really good. And so was the hot sake. I'm not the most adventurous sushi eater, but the rolls I ordered were very fresh.

I also went there for lunch with co-workers a while ago. It's a nice change of pace from the run-of-the-mill lunch options in Midtown, and they have great lunch specials too.

Some suggestions:
- Ask for the spicy mayo and tempura sauces on the side. Both taste great with many rolls.
- Request a table away from the door. It's really drafty and cold.
- Avoid going during the pre-theater dinner rush. It'll make for a much more pleasant experience.

Haru
205 West 43rd Street
b/t 7th & 8th Avenue
website
Menu Pages listing