The Stern Opportunity

This week in the Foodie Report, we tackle the question that all Sternies inevitably ask at some point in their MBA lives: “Where should we go for lunch?” Most full-time students have a window for lunch from 12:00-1:30 each day. Sometimes other obligations necessitate simply grabbing a sandwich from Sosnoff and eating on the go, but if you find yourself at leisure to use the full 1.5 hours, you deserve better than a premade cold cut sandwich.

Here’s a partial list of places that serves food I enjoy more than anything at Sosnoff and Campus Eatery. And you’ll be back to class before 1:30, so no chance of Professor Silber locking you out.

A. Murray’s Cheese Shop – 254 Bleecker St.
Already one of the most well known cheese shops in NYC, Murray’s also makes hot Panini pressed sandwiches to go. Most sandwiches will run you $5-$7, with the option to add a drink and chips for $2.50 more. I recommend the smoky tomato soup with a heel of bread when you need to warm your insides ($4.50 or $3.00 with sandwich). There’s no seating at Murray’s so take your goodies back to Stern and make everyone around you jealous.

B. Hummus Place/Kati Roll – 99 MacDougal St.
These two places are right next to each other. Hummus place serves… well, hummus. Variations include different toppings like tahini, olive oil, and spices, whole chick peas or fava beans and egg. The hummus is served with fresh warm pita. For sour pickle lovers, the mini pickles are great too. Overall a surprisingly satisfying vegetarian meal for around $6.

Kati Roll serves Indian street food in the form of Indian flatbread wraps. Fillings include egg, potato, chicken, beef, lamb, or chickpeas. I enjoyed the chicken and the potato, but the lamb was a bit dry. Rolls cost $4-$5 each or two for a slight discount. I think for the average person, 1.5 rolls is a good amount of food. One seems to be not enough and two can be too much so bring a friend and share. Rolls include a generous amount of onions and spices, so sensitive stomachs beware.

C. Five Guys Burger and Fries – 496 LaGuardia Pl.
Decent-quality burger with a wide selection of free toppings. The “normal” burger is actually two patties, so I usually opt for the single-patty “little” burger. Huge array of toppings so feel free to make up your own burger combinations. One favorite of mine is a cheeseburger with grilled onions and A-1 Sauce. Fries are also very good but they give you a lot so they are probably better shared with a friend.

D. ’wichcraft – 60 East 8th Street
This New York sandwich shop chain started by celebrity chef Tom Colicchio offers an interesting selection of hot and cold sandwiches and salads. I like the slow roasted pork with red cabbage, jalapenos and mustard. I’ve heard good things about their grilled cheese variations as well (Grilled gruyere with caramelized onions and grilled cheddar with ham, pear, and mustard). Sandwiches go for around $6-$10, with grilled cheeses at the lower end and the meat sandwiches at the higher.

E. Ippudo – 65 4th Avenue
Japanese ramen noodles served in a rich broth. The “signature” dish is the Akamaru Modern, which is a safe starting point for first-timers. It includes housemade noodles in a miso-flavored broth with cabbage, green onions, Japanese kikurage mushrooms and slices of simmered berkshire pork. The pork is out of this world and you will leave wanting more. A bowl of ramen is quite filling and costs around $13. There is lots of seating at Ippudo, but try to get to there before 12:30, as it fills up incredibly fast during lunch hours.

F. Num Pang Sandwich Shop – 21 East 12th Street
Serves a menu of Cambodian sandwiches with daily specials. I had the five-spiced pork belly with pickled Asian pear off of the specials menu which was delicious. Other choices include pulled pork with spiced honey, peppercorn catfish, and coconut tiger shrimp. All sandwiches have cucumber, pickled carrots, cilantro, and chili mayo. Most sandwiches cost $7.50. They are on the smallish side and I was slightly hungry after eating mine. There is limited seating on the 2nd floor of the restaurant, but the sandwiches are just as good if you bring them back to Stern.

This is just a sampling of the great lunch spots located around the KMC. I’ll continue to add to the list and if you have any suggestions feel free to send them to me at alexander.chen@stern.nyu.edu.

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