LUNCH

4:00pm pumpkin cheesecake

noreply@blogger.com (Front Studio) — Fri, 20 Nov 2009 22:08:00 +0000

It's that time of year again, where I need my mind to start focusing on festive foods and making shopping lists for hitting the farmer's market over the weekend. As my mind was in la-la land debating cornbread vs bread stuffing, andouille sausage vs sweet italian sausage, I found myself in front of Oro, and this lovely pumpkin cheesecake jumped into sight. And I'm glad it found me.
Oro Bakery, 375 Broome Street, NY, NY 10013 (btwn Mulberry and Mott)

Pret a Manger

noreply@blogger.com (Front Studio) — Fri, 20 Nov 2009 19:44:00 +0000

We have not been shy about extolling the tastiness of the egg salad sandwich from Pret a Manger. Whenever we're too busy to go out for a proper lunch, it is always there for us, like a loyal dog. While it may not be furry, cute and playful, it does bring a smile to our faces and has a calming effect on our busy nerves.
Pret a Manger, 2 Park Avenue, NY, NY 10013 (btwn 32nd and 33rd)

4:00pm chocolate cranberry cookie

noreply@blogger.com (Front Studio) — Fri, 20 Nov 2009 04:12:00 +0000

One of the perks of going to Peppe Rosso is being able to pick up a dessert from the very consistent Once Upon a Tart. Apparently the last time we had this cookie, we were less than impressed. This time however, I found it quite enjoyable. Missing a pinch of salt, but the oat-y, crunchy, chewy texture is nice with the small bits of chocolate and dried cranberries.
Once Upon a Tart, 135 Sullivan Street, NY, NY 10012

Pepe Rosso to Go

noreply@blogger.com (Front Studio) — Thu, 19 Nov 2009 19:59:00 +0000

After yesterday's fantabulous lunch, we were worried that almost anything would lead to disappointment. Good thing we had to run errands westward, as Pepe Rosso to Go is a wee outside our daily lunching range. The quick hot pasta service (though not today) and the friendly and boisterous Italian guys just bring a smile to our faces. The lunch special is a good deal at $8.95 for a filling bowl of soup and a small selection of their panini and pasta.
Pepe Rosso to Go , 149 Sullivan Street, NY, NY 10012 (below Houston)

4:00pm apple almond cake

noreply@blogger.com (Front Studio) — Wed, 18 Nov 2009 23:14:00 +0000

Day old desserts can be rather unreliable, most of the time they're rather stale but sometimes they age perfectly well. Like this apple almond cake from Patisserie Margot in the Upper East Side. A delicious second day treat! I can only imagine what it is like fresh out of the oven. Which reminds me of this hilarious tale of Serious Eats trying to find the best bagel and discovering that the best bagel can only exist within an hour of it coming out of the oven.
Patisserie Margot, 2109 Broadway, NY, NY 10023 (entrance on 74th St)

La Nueva Conquista

noreply@blogger.com (Front Studio) — Wed, 18 Nov 2009 22:57:00 +0000

We are huge fans of La Nueva Conquista, and who wouldn't be? They're all about the cheap and delicious home-style cooking. Considering how much we love them on a regular day, today's roast pork was something truly memorable. Perfectly moist meat with bits of crunchy skin, nestled against bands of fatty pork, over a heap of yellow rice and black beans. We completely devoured everything and were left wanting more.
La Nueva Conquista, 236 Lafayette St, NY, NY 10012 (above Spring)

4:00pm chocolate chip cookie

noreply@blogger.com (Front Studio) — Tue, 17 Nov 2009 22:39:00 +0000

It's fortunate our Pret a Manger cookie source was not in midtown or even downtown where apparently the Serious Eats surprise pronouncement caused quite a run on the cookies SE just declared the "best in midtown". Personally ours was a bit too sweet, or to put it another way the dark chocolate chips or the dough could have used a touch less sugar. But the dough, ah, yummy with a bit of saltiness, exactly as described by SE.
Pret a Manger, 2 Park Avenue, NY, NY 10016 (btwn 32nd and 33rd)

Gung Ho

noreply@blogger.com (Front Studio) — Tue, 17 Nov 2009 19:31:00 +0000

It's pretty rare for us to stumble upon a meal so crappy it's not even worth finishing. And we have a pretty high tolerance for bad food, especially when paired with white rice, we could eat just about anything. But not today. The place was deserted, which doesn't have to be an indication of good or bad but in its previous incarnation as Dragon Gate, the place was always packed. The newly renovated Gung Ho, however, was practically deserted. Sigh, no reason to go back there. Crappy lunches are such a downer!
Gung Ho, 96 Elizabeth St, NY, NY 10013 (below Grand)

4:00pm yeast donut

noreply@blogger.com (Front Studio) — Tue, 17 Nov 2009 00:44:00 +0000

The selection of donut products at Korean bakery, Koryodang, was so overwhelmingly diverse that I completely forgot to note which one this one is. Which I'm very sorry for because it was pretty good. A slight yeasty chewiness dipped in an unidentifiable sugar coating.
Koryodang, 31 West 32nd St, NY, NY 10001 (btwn 5th and 6th Aves)

Hampton Chutney, with Hong

noreply@blogger.com (Front Studio) — Mon, 16 Nov 2009 22:23:00 +0000

By Hong's own admission Hampton Chutney was an odd choice for last lunch in the states before she heads back to Germany. But we all enjoyed it nevertheless. Usually M and I split one of the dosas, which is just barely enough. With Hong there today we usurped a bit of hers, so leaving lunch a bit better fed.
Hampton Chutney, 68 Prince St, NY, NY 10012 (btwn Crosby and Lafayette)

4:00pm apple cider donuts

noreply@blogger.com (Front Studio) — Fri, 13 Nov 2009 23:26:00 +0000

What can I say about today's dessert? Donuts + Toaster Oven + Coffee = Warm and Delicious Afternoon Snack.
Breezy Hill Orchard

DBGB, with John and Kristina

noreply@blogger.com (Front Studio) — Fri, 13 Nov 2009 20:25:00 +0000

Like the transformation of Soho from art galleries to commerce, mourning the gentrification of the Bowery is becoming a moot point, no more dirty, gritty New York. I do miss the griminess but I can't be overly upset when it proffers up Daniel Boulud in its place. In his only downtown venture, Daniel Boulud has made DBGB into a dark and inviting, French interpretation of American tavern eating. Fancy meets lowdown and it is nice. So nice we are already plotting when to go back for the other 11 links/bangers/saucisses/wieners on the menu.
DBGB Kitchen & Bar, 299 Bowery, NY, NY 10003 (at Houston)

4:00pm apple pie

noreply@blogger.com (Front Studio) — Thu, 12 Nov 2009 22:45:00 +0000

Last night the fine folks at Harvest threw a party and it was great. But far, far better than one night of fun is the new toaster oven sitting on the kitchen counter. Available now and forevermore to heat up slices of Baker's Bounty apple pie for afternoon dessert.
Union Square Farmers Market, corner of Park and 14th St, NY, NY 10003

Zoe, with Hong

noreply@blogger.com (Front Studio) — Thu, 12 Nov 2009 21:37:00 +0000

Zoe may not be within our normal lunching rotation, but when we read the news that it was closing this week after 18 healthy years of business, we had to go. It's always sad to hear about another neighborhood stalwart disappearing from the streetscape. We split into quarters the following: burger, lamb sliders and the daily special roast pork sandwich. The roast pork sandwich largely resembled a turkey sandwich, so much that if you told me it was a turkey sandwich I would have said, "dang, that's a pretty good turkey sandwich". Sadly the roast pork sandwich made a better turkey sandwich then it did roast pork.
Zoe, 90 Prince St, NY, NY 10012 (at Mercer St)

4:00pm "1000 year old" ice cream sandwich

noreply@blogger.com (Front Studio) — Wed, 11 Nov 2009 22:05:00 +0000

Heading back to the subway, I remembered that I had intended to pick one of these up after our lunch at Xie Xie. It has been taunting us via the food blogesphere, and we've been dying to give it a try. And good is was. Great, even. Addictive and heavenly, in fact! This is NOT an overrated dessert. It's sweet, salty, creamy and crunchy. What more could you ask for in a dessert? In addition, it is such a clever play on the real thing. We are in love!
Xie Xie, 645 9th Ave., NY, NY 10036 (btwn 45th and 46th)

Xie Xie, with MidtownLunch

noreply@blogger.com (Front Studio) — Wed, 11 Nov 2009 20:10:00 +0000

We are fulfilling desires with aplomb this week. Today we finally meet Zach, the guru of lunch in midtown and we do it over a sampling of Asian sandwiches at Xie Xie. Xie Xie has been on our list since it opened but midtown isn't exactly around the corner. We shared 4 sandwiches, cut 3 ways in order to cover the full range of tastes. Overall everything was pretty solid, a healthy step up from the banh mi of Chinatown but a little heavier handed than Num Pang or An Choi. Definitely worth stopping by if you happen to be near Times Square and more than worth your time if you're looking for tasty and inexpensive dinner options before a show.
Xie Xie, 645 9th Ave., NY, NY 10036 (btwn 45th and 46th)

4:00pm yogurt cake

noreply@blogger.com (Front Studio) — Tue, 10 Nov 2009 21:46:00 +0000

I have a weakness for simple, not-too-sweet, pound cake type desserts exactly as Julia has described in this opening paragraph to a recipe for yogurt cake. A good piece of fresh cake is so rewarding and near impossible to find pre-packaged that it certainly behooves you to bake up a 10" round and leave it nearby for impromptu munchies.

Saha Thai

noreply@blogger.com (Front Studio) — Tue, 10 Nov 2009 20:22:00 +0000

Even on a gloomy (albeit unseasonably warm) afternoon, when we are pressed for time and can't take our minds off work, a reliably tasty lunch offers a glimpse of distraction that is of unmatched quality to anything on the interweb. Take that youtube!

4:00pm raspberry bomboloni

noreply@blogger.com (Front Studio) — Tue, 10 Nov 2009 00:21:00 +0000

Yesterday I popped over to Dumbo to see a friend's installation at the Dumbo Arts Center and of course, naturally, so conveniently, I just happened to be a couple blocks away from Almondine and some rather delectable sweets. Bomboloni's don't really travel well, nor are they really meant to be eaten the next day for the purposes of dessert blogging but damn it if it still wasn't a nice afternoon treat.
Almondine Bakery, 85 Water St, Brooklyn, NY 11201 (btwn bridges)

Motorino, with EG and BB

noreply@blogger.com (Front Studio) — Mon, 09 Nov 2009 21:22:00 +0000

There have been two things on our list of desires lately, one is to have lunch at the newly opened East Village branch of Motorino and two is to have lunch with the estimable minds behind Bldg Blog and Edible Geography. Today we succeeded in both with the additional benefit of a long walk back in warm springtime weather. Even though it's November. I guess the cost of not having to take a subway to East Williamsburg is borne out in the additional $2 for the pizza and salad (or ice cream) lunch special. The new location is pretty good but not quite as rave-worthy as the memory of our Brooklyn lunches.
Motorino, 349 East 12th St, NY, NY 10003 (near 1st Ave)

4:00pm apricot amaretto tart

noreply@blogger.com (Front Studio) — Fri, 06 Nov 2009 22:51:00 +0000

Ah, so close yet not quite. This apricot amaretto tart from Balthazar had all the trappings of greatness but the fruit filling was more jam than fruit. Or to put it more bluntly, the apricot center was just too damn sweet. Maybe if they served it with whipped cream.
Balthazar Bakery, 80 Spring St, NY, NY 10012 (near Crosby)

Grand Bo Ky, with John

noreply@blogger.com (Front Studio) — Fri, 06 Nov 2009 21:17:00 +0000

I was told about this new restaurant on Grand just beyond Mott that was the same owners as the one on Mott just below Hester so we thought for certain it would a new New Chao Chow but instead it was the new New Bo Ky. It's new and fresh now but so packed for lunch that the newness is sure to wear off quickly. The renovated restaurant occupies the space of a former, much beloved dumpling shop and while we're glad to have hot soups nearby for winter time, the dumplings are already sorely missed.
Grand Bo Ky, 216 Grand St, NY, NY 10013 (btwn Mott & Elizabeth)

4:00pm Sara Lee pound cake

noreply@blogger.com (Front Studio) — Thu, 05 Nov 2009 23:10:00 +0000

I'd been craving this childhood memory for some weeks now only the Met up the street never seemed to have carry it. Until yesterday! Lovely, squishy, manufactured goodness.
Met Food, 251 Mulberry St, NY, NY 10012 (at Prince)

Lovely Day w/ Liem

noreply@blogger.com (Front Studio) — Thu, 05 Nov 2009 22:20:00 +0000

We had practically given up on Lovely Day opening back up again after their fire incident last year. Several days ago, we finally came across news of its reopening on the blogsphere. Funny, there really must have not been that much damage (as Eater suggests) because everything was in place just as it was before. The patrons, the slow service, the menu - everything. Apparently they do have a new ceiling. The light fixtures seemed to have some brighter light bulbs. Curious. Regardless, we're glad to be able to have the Japanese fried chicken lunch special again.
Lovely Day, 196 Elizabeth St., New York, NY 10012 btwn Prince & Spring

4:00pm apple cider donuts

noreply@blogger.com (Front Studio) — Wed, 04 Nov 2009 22:59:00 +0000

Over apple cider donuts that Shawn brought in from his local farmer's market we calculated how many 1" squares we could get out of a traditional 9" round pie. Somehow we got to 64 but I think the real answer might be 36.