Long time no lunch!

So, it's been a hell of a long time since I've updated this site, but I am pleased to report that I was the profiled Downtown Lunch'er in Midtown Lunch this week. And you will see that I frequent a lot of the same places I went to when I started this thing. Check out my profile here.

Winter is really here. Time for soup!

Café Doppio is my best new find in the FiDi lunch arena in quite some time. A couple weeks ago I was in the office for the first day after being out sick for a week with a respiratory infection. I was still feeling a little under the weather and soup was about the only thing that could help. Soup is not something I normally seek out, so the only places I could think of to get it were The Original Soup Man and Hale & Hearty Soups. But as I was walking to Hale & Hearty, I passed this specials chalkboard out on the sidewalk listing, among other soup options, muligatawny soup. What could be better for my respiratory system, I thought, than spicy Indian vegetable and bean soup? The soup was great, they gave me extra bread (at no extra charge) on my request, and I felt better almost immediately!

I have since gone back and tried a Three Bean Chili and a Turkey Chili, both of which were great. If the cold wintry days we've been having continue, I will likely be back at Café Doppio often.

Café Doppio is at 55 Broad Street, though the entrance is actually on Beaver Street between Broad and William, situated right between Starbucks and Hale & Hearty Soups.

The Ultimate Sandwich?

In the cold weather, I can rarely motivate myself to travel very far for lunch and I often end up eating turkey sandwiches from the deli next stoor or pizza from across the street day after day after day. Today it was chilly out, but an errand on upper Nassau Street forced me to venture far from the office at lunch and I decided to take the opportunity to try someplace I would usually consider too far for lunch. I went to Lenny's - home of "the ultimate sandwich."

I was craving a sandwich today after I saw this sad post on Serious Eats. I have eaten sandwiches from the Crosby Connection several times and was sad to hear it may close.

Lenny's first came to my attention because they frequently set up a little mobile shop/stand right near my office on the corner of Broadway and Exchange Place. There are usually two guys manning the stand, but it was never clear to me what they had to offer. Did you have to order in advance? Did they simply carry a selection of sandwiches available to buy? Why would anyone buy sandwiches from this random street stand with the proliferation of nearby delis? I was curious, but not enough to investigate. In the months that have followed, I find hardly a lunch break goes by when I don't see a Lenny's bicycle delivery man riding around near the stock exchange. I started to think there must be something to this place, but what was it? And where* was it?

An article in the New York Times piqued my interest further, and I finally got around to researching where my nearest Lenny's actually was. Sadly, it was not close. I figured it would be quite a while before I would make it there. But chance (and my cats' appetite, which requires me to replenish their food - wtf?) conspired to take me to that general neighborhood on a day when I was craving a sandwich.

I had the Chicken Cheddar sandwich, which is a breaded chicken cutlet, cheddar cheese, bacon, lettuce, and tomato on bread of your choice (my choice: sourdough). And it was delicious. It was on the small side, which is perfect for me, but might disappoint some - especially given the $7.25 price. With a bottle of seltzer and tax, my meal came out to $9.60. The price seemed high, but my biggest complaint about Lenny's was the seating, or virtual lack thereof. I was too far from my office to bring a hot sandwich back and have it still be hot when I got there, so I ate there. They have only a very small counter in the window area, which was not the most comfortable place to enjoy my sandwich.

Overall, I would definitely recommend Lenny's sandwiches, especially if you have somewhere besides Lenny's to eat them. I don't know when I might make it back there, but maybe I'll try out their delivery or investigate further the stand that occasionally pops up on Broadway.

Lenny's only lower Manhattan location is 108 John Street between Gold and Pearl Streets. They have several other locations throughout Manhattan.

* I am, for reasons that I cannot really understand myself, generally opposed to ordering food in for lunch. Maybe because lunch is (when I actually take it) practically the only time I leave my desk over the course of a day.

FiDi Breakfast Edition

Today on FiDi Lunch: FiDi Breakfast.

So, it's been a while since I've posted. During my absence, I have travelled down the Northeast Corridor a couple times, eaten a lot of turkey sandwiches at my desk, and eaten a lot of repeat lunches not worth writing up here. So, today, anticipating another exciting lunch of turkey sandwich at my desk, I am going to talk about breakfast. Specifically, about this little place called Klatch Coffee Bar. (In a rather extensive search this morning, I couldn't find an official website, but I'll look further and update if I do fine one.)

Klatch has a totally refreshing atmosphere, for this neighborhood. If it were in Brooklyn or, better yet, a college town somewhere, Klatch would not stand out. But in the Financial District, it is a welcome change from the large corporate delis and polished chains that are the norm for the area. The interior is small, with 4 or 5 mis-matched rustic tables and chairs and an upstate barn sale aesthetic. Klatch has a large selection of pastries, including non-fat, low-fat, vegan, and wheat-free options. While I can only speak for the full-fat, egg/dairy, all-wheat varieties, what I have tried there has been excellent. The coffee is some of the best you will find in this area, and Klatch also has a large selection of teas and other beverages.

Finally, to make this post more appropriate to the stated purpose of this blog: Although I have never lunched at Klatch, they do actually have a 3-item lunch menu. Klatch has a daily quiche ($4.75), a daily soup (large: $4.75), and organic hot dogs with a variety of toppings available (starting at $2.50, I believe). Klatch also apparently has a liquor license, so beer and wine are also on offer.

Klatch is at 9 Maiden Lane between Broadway and Nassau Street.

Cooler Weather, Warmer Lunch

Some combination of the change of seasons and my self-imposed steady diet of salads has left me wanting hot lunches a lot recently. My recent busy schedule at work has left me requiring short lunches. The net results has been that I've eaten at Sophie's Cuban Cuisine three times in the last two weeks.

My pre-FiDiLunch daily lunch allowance meant that I used to order only sandwiches from Sophie's, but now that I've upped my budget to $10, I can get a great hot meal at Sophie's and stay just within my means. The everyday specials are $9 ($9.75 with tax) and come with 2 sides of your choice. The daily specials are $11, and also come with 2 sides. Rice and beans are treated as separate sides, so if you want something additional, you have to get an extra side. I usually get beans and salad instead. The maduros (fried, sweet plantains) are also quite good. For entrees, I recommend the breaded chicken and the fried fish.

As for the sandwiches, in addition to the Cuban there are also a couple good chicken sandwiches. One breaded, one grilled - both pressed in a sandwich press, which in my opinion makes every sandwich better.

The scene at Sophie's is a little hectic. There is usually a long take-out line for platters, which is separate from the usually short sandwich line, but many customers confuse the two. It's somewhat less hectic to eat there, though the waiters and waitresses often seem swamped. Also, dining in will definitely bring your meal cost above $10.

Sophie's in the Financial District is at 73 New Street, between Exchance Place and Beaver Street. There is also a location at 96 Chambers Street and 4 additional locations well to the North.

Financier for the Financial Crowd

Before my lawyer-friend Jeremy up and moved to Tokyo, I used to meet him for lunch at Financier Patisserie once a month or so. It took me over my then allocated $6 lunch budget, so it was saved for rare occasions, particularly lunch with Jeremy, because he treated from time to time. (A $12 lunch is a small matter when you have a six-figure salary, I suppose.) However, now that I've upped my budget to $10, Financier is more within reach.

Financier has a (somewhat forced) European cafe feel, which is pleasant and laid back - unusual for lunch spots in this area. I love that your meal comes on real plates and (most of) your beverages in real glasses or mugs. I usually get the Financier sandwich, which is grilled chicken, goat cheese, and I forget what else. I have also tried the Vegeterienne, which is fried green tomatoes and (again) I forget what else. Both are served on warm crusty bread, pressed slighty. Today (thanks to my temporary, self-imposed dietary restrictions) I got the Niçoise Salad. Before I go into my long list of complaints about the salad, let me say that it was actually quite good. It just wasn't a true Niçoise.* Here's why:

- The greens were frisée, probably my least favorite lettuce. (Usually, Niçoise is done with watercress.)
- The salad was tossed all together.
- There was no hard-boiled egg (despite the fact that it was mentioned on the menu as an element of the salad).
- There were exactly 2 green beans. (I know there is no rule about number of green beans in a Niçoise, but 2 is unquestionably too few!)

And then there was the tuna. I love Niçoise salads, but am careful about ordering them. I really like fresh tuna, but I haven't liked canned since I was a small child. The menu said the salad was made with "house cured tuna," which I don't doubt. It was, in fact, far better than any canned tuna I've had. But, it also reconfirmed my previously held position on tuna: stick to fresh!

Anyway, I ate it. And, as I said, it was tasty. However, when I return to Financier, I will undoubtedly switch back to my old standards.

One final note: I did not mention that whole "patisserie" aspect. Financier has amazing pastries! In fact, the restaurant's name surely has a double meaning: referring at once to its location(s) in the Financial District and also to the French pastry by the same name. I won't even begin to make recommendations in the pastry category; they are all good.

There are three Financier locations in Lower Manhattan: 62 Stone Street (the only one I've been to), 35 Cedar Street at Liberty Plaza, and there's one inside the World Financial Center.

*Yes, I am aware that there are some debates on what makes a Niçoise a Niçoise.

Chipotle, South Beach Style

So, I am on Day 4 of Phase 1 of the South Beach diet. I'm not actually trying to lose a whole lot of weight, or anything. Mainly, I'm hoping to better fit into some clothes that fit me a couple years ago. It's been rough so far - I love me some sugary foods, and I can hardly think of a meal without bread - but I won't go off on those tangents at the moment. I'm here to talk about Chipotle.

I was a late-comer to Chipotle. I had heard good, if cautious, reviews from sources I trusted, but I wasn't buying it. Also, I was put off by the whole McDonald's connection.* When I noticed there was one down in my area, I simultaneously noticed that it had a line that extended clear around the circumference of the store. This was promising, but also discouraging.

Then one day a couple months back, I went to work with a hangover. Heading out for lunch, I wanted something really filling and I remembered Chipotle. I was moving slowly anyway, so a long line didn't seem like it would be a bad thing. I went in, went to the back of the line (which was, as it usually is, clear around the store), and studied the menu. The long line gave me time to figure out their system, which is simple, but not immediately obvious, and actually moved a lot faster than I expected it to. The best thing about the line at this particular location is that, through the set up of the space, they manage to keep it completely separate from the dining area (though not the counters along the windows). It doesn't sound like much, but not having people who are waiting for food hovering over you while you eat makes for a much better dining experience.

By the time I got to the front, I had settled on the Vegetarian Burrito, which was put together in short order. A couple bites later, and I was really impressed. I have heard some complaints about the flavored rice, but I found it to be light and refreshing (compared, for example, with rice cooked in chicken stock - which is tasty, but heavy). On my second visit, I tried a Chicken Burrito, which was also really good but was way too much food. After that, I switched back to the Vegetarian Burrito as my standard meal on subsequent visists. That is, until this week.

Coming up with meals that comply with the strict rules of South Beach: Phase 1 is tough. When I first went to Chipotle, I thought the Burrito Bol (everything that goes in a burrito in a bowl instead) was a ridiculous idea, put out there for lo-carb freaks who were worried about the starch content of a tortilla. I may have been right. In any case, I realized that a Burrito Bol, without rice, was a great option for me! So, my new (and surprisingly satisfying, given my restrictions) standard meal at Chipotle is: Burrito Bol, lettuce instead of rice, black beans, grilled chicken, fresh tomato salsa, and guacamole (which is allowed, though probably in quantities smaller than they give me). Top the whole thing with a squeeze of fresh lime (which you will find by the soda fountain) and you have a nice tasty protein & veggie lunch! South Beach approved!

(The bad news? This lunch plus a seltzer (with a squeeze of lemon!) comes out to $10.75. More than my daily allotment, and also I'd say more than the meal is worth.)

There are two Chipotle locations in the Financial District: 2 Broadway at Stone Street (the one I frequent) and 100 Maiden Lane at William Street.

*I was pleased to find in my research for today's post that McDonald's fully divested from Chipotle in October of 2006.

Picnic From the Financial District

For my birthday this year, I was given a membership to the Brooklyn Botanic Gardens. So far, the only thing I have used my membership is the monthly members only "Sunset Picnics." Each Wednesday in the summer, the garden stays open an extra two hours just for members and one Wednesday a month is picnic night. Normally, picnicking is not allowed in the garden, so these are rare opportunities to sit and relax with food and wine in this lovely setting.

What does this have to do with lunch in the Financial District? Well, not much exactly. Except that the three times I have done this over the summer, I have brought my picnic from one of my favorite FiDi lunch spots: Alfanoose.

When I go to Alfanoose for lunch, I usually just get a falafel sandwich, but my picnicking has given me the opportunity to try a huge section of their menu. I have yet to try anything from Alfanoose that was not delicious.

Since this blog is technically about lunch, I'll start with my lunch choices:

(1) Falafel Sandwich: Alfanoose makes the best falafel I have tried. Seriously. It is always made fresh for your sandwich and is beautifully crisp on the outside and so so tasty. A little pricey at $5+tax, but well worth it!

(2) Foul Mudammas Sandwich: The foul (fava bean salad) with tahini is incredible, and a nice substitute for falafel in summer if you want something cold. (Also $5)

When I pick up a picnic for two, I usually get a Shish Taouk Platter and a Vegetarian Kibbeh Platter. The chicken is tender and really flavorful. The vegetarian kibbeh is stuffed with spinach and has a nice minty flavor.

With each of these, you get one additional vegetable, and I will add Stuffed Grape Leaves to one and Foul Mudammas with Tahini to the other. The platters are $9 for vegetable and $11 for meat and come with a large serving of mojadarra (you can choose between 3 options: cracked wheat with lentil, cracked wheat with red pepper, or rice with lentil). The platters are way too much food for me at lunch time.

To top off pretty much anything I get from Alfanoose, I request hot sauce. It has a complex and wonderful flavor that is not too overpowering and is complemented (and softened) beautifully by tahini.

The biggest drawback about Alfanoose comes at lunch time; it gets packed. If you go at the height of lunch hour, between 12:15 and 2:00, there is likely to be a line nearly to the door and it will take you a while to get your food. It's prefect for a late lunch (or after work when it is typically empty).

To complete my picnic from the Financial District, I pick up a bottle of wine from The Greene Grape Downtown, where they have a great selection of affordable wines. For picnicking, I recommend the Raats Family Vineyards Chenin Blanc. It's a dry-ish Chenin Blanc that tastes good even when it's gotten a little warm and it has a screwtop, so you don't have to remember your corkscrew.

Alfanoose is at 8 Maiden Lane, between Broadway and Nassau Street.
The Greene Grape Downtown is at 55 Liberty Street, also between Broadway and Nassau.

A Pocket Full of Lunch

A couple weeks ago, I made a very exciting discovery; one I thought would have a significant impact on my lunch-life. After work one evening, I was walking north on Nassau Street, a little beyond my usual cut-off point at John Street. I looked up at a small storefront decorated with triangular flags in a "Grand Opening" style and saw that it was a Ruben's Empanadas.

So, this may not sound life-changing, but let me step back...

I occasionally make trips to work out of an office in Washington, D.C. and around the corner from that office there is this wonderful little place called Julia's Empanadas. From my first visit to Julia's I developed lunch envy for my D.C. colleagues - why was there no place like this near me?

So, I beheld the Ruben's and I said to myself, "I am going to have lunch here tomorrow!" and "I might eat here all the time!" and "Oh, Joy!"

However, a couple weeks passed, and I never really felt like walking up Nassau street that far, though I considered it often. Then one fine day I set out for lunch - not totally sure where I was going to go, but generally aiming for Hanover Square. I was walking down Pearl Street and I came to the intersection at Coenties Alley and there it was: another (closer!) Ruben's Empanada's!

I had my old stand-bys from the East Village location: a spicy chicken empanada and a broccoli empanada. Both are excellent. From my visits to other locations, I can also recommend the corn and the spinach empanadas. Two empanadas and a can of soda came out to $9 even, which seems a little high. They have some combo specials that might be a better deal.

Empanada fans in the Financial District will be pleased to learn that there are, in fact, 4 Ruben's locations in lower Manhattan: 64 Fulton Street, 77 Pearl Street, 76 Nassau Street, and 149 Church Street.

The Perfect Sandwich

I love sandwiches. My biggest problem when it comes to sandwiches is that many places that prepare them fail to understand the meatless sandwich. (Or, for that matter, the meat and cheese sandwich, in the form that I want it: approximately equal amounts of each rather than a pound of meat and 2 slices of cheese.) Frequently, when I order sandwiches at delis or bodegas requesting, for example, swiss cheese with lettuce, tomato, and mustard, I get confused stares and am forced to repeat myself and explicitly state that I don't want any kind of meat. (This is then often followed by the sandwich preparer having also to doubly explain the sandwich to the cashier, which occasionally works nicely in my favor because some places just have no idea how much to charge for a meatless sandwich.)

Yesterday, my morning was very busy, so I wanted to spend lunch quietly, which for me nearly always means a trip across West Street Rector Park. Just around the corner from Rector Park is Samantha's New York Trattoria and Salumeria. I had walked by Samantha's a number of times and had been intrigued by its old-school Italian decor, but had never gone inside. I decided to check it out. It's pretty small inside, with basically just an L-shaped counter where you order food, a cashier, and a few fridges/freezers. The sandwich menu was extensive: 35 sandwiches (order by number) divided among a range of categories: heros ($6.50), focaccia sandwiches ($6.95), brick oven muffalatta sandwiches ($6.95), plus panini (which I hope is the real thing, not the corporate deli-style on crappy flat bread) and wraps. To my delight, there were many meatless options. I had #32: the Mozzarella, Tomatoes, Basil & Roasted Peppers Muffalatta Sandwich. As the menue says, "All [muffalatta sandwiches are] topped with tri-color salad, balsamic vinegar, virgin olive oil & oregano." The sandwich was delicious - excellent mozzarella, fresh basil, just the right amount of vinegar, well-complemented by the peppers, and the bread was really tasty (if a bit on the greasy side). With an over-priced seltzer ($1.75), my meal came out to $9.45: a little steep, but delicious enough that I was okay with it.

Samantha's New York is at 235 South End Ave., just north of Rector Street to the west of West Street. There are a couple of tables you can eat at out front, but I would recommend taking your food to Rector Park instead.

Dining Out

Given my financial straits, I decided to pack a lunch today (something I almost never do). This means no local food review for the day, however it does give me the opportunity to talk about something I actually like about working in the Financial District. Lower Manhattan has numerous places to sit (and eat) outdoors when the weather cooperates. Yesterday, for example, I ate my uninspiring burrito at one of the tables set up opposite the New York Stock Exchange. These can be rather crowded, but are a good option when eating messy food (having a table protects your lap). Today, with the relatively unmessy quiche I had packed, I went instead to my favorite place to sit outdoors at lunchtime: Rector Park.

In contrast to other parks in the area, Rector Park is nearly always deserted at lunch. Rector Park is actually two parks, so if you can't find a pleasant, remote seat in one, you can always try the other. Both have plenty of benches, which offer the possibility of sitting in direct sunlight (my usual preference), deep shade, and something in between. There are also really nice-looking grassy areas in the middle, so you can come with a blanket and eat picnic-style.

Rector Park is on Rector Street between West Street and the Hudson River.

And, just for good measure, this is what I ate:

Mushroom & Gorgonzola Quiche with Bacon
1 frozen pie crust (the smaller size - probably 8")
2 strips bacon, cooked well and crumbled
8 large white mushrooms, stemmed and sliced
1 tablespoon butter
1 shot port
1/2 cup crumbled gorgonzola
4 eggs
1 cup milk
salt & pepper

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.

Put the mushrooms, butter, and port in a medium frying pan over medium-low heat and cover. Cook for 8 minutes, remove from heat and uncover. The juices and butter should mostly have cooked off/into the mushrooms. Drain any remaining liquid.

Prick the pie crust with a fork in a few places, and bake at 400 for 7 minutes, then remove and reduce the oven temperature to 350.

Whisk the eggs and milk until blended and season with salt and pepper.

Sprinkle the bacon over the bottom of the pie crust. Spread the mushrooms on top, as evenly as possible. Sprinkle the gorgonzola over the mushrooms. Slowly pour the egg mixture over everything.

Bake for 35 minutes or until set. Let sit for 5-10 minutes before serving.

Street Burritos

At 12:15 today, I realized I had somewhere around $40, give or take, to last me until my next paycheck. At 12:45 today, I realized I was starving. My unfortunate financial situation kept me from going to one of my usual filling-lunch destinations, and inspired me to hit the food carts in the hope of finding a cheap and filling meal.

I have worked in this area for close to three years, and have never eaten from any of the food carts down here besides a couple of the fruit salad/juice carts. I have long been curious, but never knew where to begin. I did recall seeing a taco cart once off the Chase Manhattan Bank plaza, and I do love tacos, so this is where I began.

There was no one waiting, which I tend to think of as a bad sign at a food cart*, but Mexican sounded really good to me. And I was starving. I only saw hard taco shells, so decided to try a burrito rather than a taco. I briefly debated getting a vegetarian burrito, but quickly decided on chicken instead. The chicken was pulled and stewed in a red sauce, and topped with beans, lettuce, and sliced tomato. Unable to choose among my various options, I requested sour cream and cheese and guacamole (the last of which added $1.50 to the price, for a total of $4.50).

My burrito was not very tightly wrapped, making it messier than it had to be. The chicken was pretty tasty and the guacamole was fine, but all the other ingredients left much to be desired. The lettuce was soggy and the tomato was (as I mentioned) sliced, which is awkward in a burrito. The worst component was the cheese (which I recognized was a mistake to order as soon as I saw it) - it was the liquidy orange nacho cheese.

Overall, edible but disappointing and not very filling. I'll have to go to an old standby tomorrow to make up for it.

* I have a general theory that to recognize a good cart, one should look for the longest line.

I think there may be more than one taco cart in this general vicinity, but the one I went to today was the south-most cart in front of the Chase building on Broad Street, just north of Pine St.