Zero Otto Nove

15 W. 21st St, NY, NY 10010

Rating: 3 - Feeling Good
Visits: Often
Rare that we order anything at Zero Otto Nove except our favorite pairing of salad and pizza, but this Friday past was so chilly we needed soup to warm up.

Sala One Nine

35 W. 19th St, NY, NY 10011

Rating: 3 - Feeling Good
Visits: Not often enough
Sala One Nine gets high appreciation marks from us as it's rare to find a $12 lunch specials that is substantial and varied. The food is not wow, but it's a great spot to meet my sister for lunch. We all had the half sandwich, half soup or salad. The portions were satisfyingly significant and we're always fans of lentil soup, which they have on the menu every day. Even the salad that came with my sister's lunch was of a decent size.

Mira Sushi

46 E. 22nd St, NY, NY 10010

Rating: 4 - Just Fine
Visits: When it rains
Mira Sushi is just fine, as it always is. It's most endearing trait for us is it's proximity to the office. Which means on bitterly cold days or torrentially rainy ones, that's where you will find us. Having a just fine lunch. Nothing to write home about.

Rosticceria @ Eataly

Rating: 5 - Disappointed
Visits: Once in a while
It used to be the prime rib sandwich at Eataly filled us with joy but at $14.80 a sandwich and a skimpier portion of meat, it's no longer the delight it once was.

Koa

12 W. 21st St, NY, NY 10010

Rating: 3 - Feeling Good
Visits: Often
Koa keeps adjusting its lunch menu, but since it gets nicer with more options, we're definitely not complaining. The ramen lunch set we normally get with salad and vegetarian spring rolls now comes a la carte so if you're not especially hungry, or you're especially careful about money, you can have a bowl of ramen on its own. There were a couple different hot soup versions and two dry ramen noodle versions.

Via Emilia, with John

47 E. 21st St, NY, NY 10010

Rating: 3 - Feeling Good
Visits: Regularly
John had to be hard persuaded to order the tagliatelle al ragu that I always get, especially because M. was having it too and that made the same dish for the three of us. Which goes against all sorts of friends ordering rules, especially of the close friends type where the object is to order as many different dishes as possible to get the greatest variety possible. But in the end we prevailed and we all the three of us ate the same comforting ragu lunch.

Homes Kitchen

22 E. 21st St, NY, NY 10010

Rating: 2 - Super Happy
Visits: Often
No matter how many times we eat at Homes Kitchen, we are never greeted with a warm smile or cozy hello's. And we are so ok with that. I love the brusqueness of the Chinese waitstaff at Homes, yes bordering on rude if you view it that way. We like to see it as completely straightforward and utterly practical. They take your order, the food comes out, you eat, they whisk away empty plates and bring back a check. No chit chat. Perfect.

Eataly

200 Fifth Ave, NY, NY 10010

Rating: 2 - Super Happy
Visits: Often
Man I love the crudo focaccia sandwich at the bakery counter at Eataly. So much that we dove into lunch and didn't stop until M. realized she hadn't taken a photo.

Schnipper's

23 E. 23rd St, NY, NY 10010

Rating: 3 - Feeling Good
Visits: Regulars
Schlepper's is elevating their game with real plates and silverware! And I have to say, it made the onion rings especially great today, though the chinaware did nothing for the chicken fingers special which was far too dry for comfort. The sloppy joe though, is still a winner.

Ootoya

8 W. 18th St, NY, NY 10010

Rating: 3 - Feeling Good
Visits: Often
Surprisingly crowded for lunch at Ootoya on this fine fall Monday so we sat the bar. Service was on the slower side today but no matter, M. finished every bite of her lunch picture below and I loved every bite of mine. Ootoya has gone tip free so it's a little disconcerting to see the prices at first because they seem high, but then you realize that's it, that's all there is to it. 

Ootoya

8 W. 18th St, NY, NY 10010

Rating: 2 - Super Happy
Visits: Often
Ootoya has a summer lunch special going on right now that is simply delicious. Chicken Katsu over rice and cabbage salad with a small bowl of cold udon. Lovely and perfect for the array of hot steamy days we've been having. A little slow down of posts as we head into the last stretch of summer, but by autumn you will find us here, eating and writing about it.

Zero Otto Nove

15 W. 21st St, NY, NY 10010

Rating: 2 - Super Happy
Visits: Often
Friday lunches, which this was, should be easy and relaxed. For us that is unequivocally our usual order at Zero Otto Nove of the insalta di tonno (tuna salad) and carmanuccio pizza (cheeseless with sausage pizza)

By Chloe

60 W. 22nd St, NY, NY 10010

Rating: 4 - Just Fine
Visits: First time
A by Chloe, the highly touted vegan fast casual, opened down the block from us maybe a month ago and we have avoided trying it because every time we walk by, long lines snake out to the sidewalk. Finally today we had a late breakfast and thought, oh great, a late lunch a by Chloe when it won't be as crowded. Alas that was not true at all. The ordering experience is hectic and cramped. You're surrounded by lots of semi-stylish women who are all equally annoyed at the process but yet somehow still standing there waiting for their order, like we were. We were prepared to be underwhelmed by the hype but Chloe is doing something amazing because the classic burger and kale caesar salad were rather tasty. Tasty enough that we might be tempted to brave the lines from time to time in the future.

Lenwich

16 W. 23rd St, NY, NY 10010

Rating: 4 - Just Fine
Visits: Often
LENWICH BRING BACK YOUR BREAD! Or at least the hero. I don't know if you changed suppliers or what but the bread for the hero is terribly sub-par. Bland and tasteless, it crumbles apart and is unable to hold together the superior ingredients of the Italian. You're killing us.

Chop Shop

41 W. 24th St, NY, NY 10010

Rating: 4 - Just Fine
Visits: First Time
We're never going to say no to new Asian options in the 'hood but sure do wish Chop Shop could be better. They were swamped today, so swamped back of house brought out dishes to front, which was kind of cute. The dishes we had were just shy of good. The cucumber salad too sweet. The pork buns a little skimpy and the salt and pepper baby chicken not enough salt and pepper. Still this neighborhood is so lacking in Asian food that I'm quite sure we'll be back to try something else. Maybe they'll have improved by then!

Tacombi Cafe El Presidente

30 W. 24th St, NY, NY 10010

Rating: 3 - Feeling Good
Visits: Once in a while on its way to regular
We stuck to one breakfast taco each plus a plate of guacamole but even that was a bit too much. We left stuffed. It could really use a small side of something tart of citrusy, a cabbage salad maybe. The breakfast tacos are too irresistible to give up. We're going to keep going until we find the perfect accompaniment.

Homes Kitchen

22 E. 21st St, NY, NY 10010

Rating: 3 - Feeing Good
Visits: Often
Sometimes when you're having a lame morning and your friends all stink, the best thing to do is have a comforting lunch of fish fillet, green beans and rice at Homes Kitchen. I assure you, it does quite the trick.

Barn Joo, with friends

893 Broadway, NY, NY

Rating: 3 - Feeling Good
Visits: Regularly
Our book club friends, George and Bill, met us at Barn Joo for lunch, along with Nancy, for a fun lunch of bibimbap, summer plans and miscellany. We all ordered the bibimbap, per usual, but George went out on a limb and had the spicy momil, a cold soba noodle dish, topped with sashimi that looks divine, as you can see here. He said he could eat it every day, it was so nice. Something to try next time!

Inidkitch

25 W. 23rd St, NY, NY 10010

Rating: 5 - Disappointed
Visits: Sometimes
I'm ok, sometimes, with food deliveries taking awhile but much past an hour and my tolerance sinks rapidly. Especially when it's coming from a fast causal place less than a block away. I'm talking about Indikitch, a place notorious for its long lunch line snaking the length of the restaurant. It shows you how desperate we are here in the Flatiron District for cheap Indian food that people are still willing to wait in line, but man, whatever you do, do NOT order delivery. Or do but be prepared to wait over an hour. Sorry there's no picture of delicious food today, we were too hungry to remember to take a photo.

Lenwich

16 W. 23rd St, NY, NY 10010

Rating: 3 - Feeling Good
Visits: Often
Is Lenwich committing sandwich suicide?! They've changed the bread for the hero sandwich! It still doesn't totally ruin the Italian we had today because the ingredients are so good, but it really doesn't go anything to enhance it either. We're imploring you Lenwich, please let today's bad bread be a fluke and not a habit.