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

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