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Lunch Break: Bouchon, Danji & Bill's

An excellent bakery makes an ideal autumn lunch choice, along with Korean lunch menus, or a great burger- it's all in today's Lunch Break. By Yvo Sin.

Bouchon Bakery

(credit: feistyfoodie.com)

Time Warner Center
10 Columbus Circle, 3rd Floor
New York, NY 10019
(212) 823-9366
bouchonbakery.com

See also: New York's 6 Best Bakeries

Take a stroll up to the Time Warner Center for lunch at Bouchon Bakery, which sits happily on the mezzanine level of the Time Warner Center. On a bright day, the sun can be blinding, but in early fall, the light filtering in through the huge windows that front the TWC will be pleasant enough that you'll want to linger over the quiche of the day, served with a salad for $12.50, or any of the wonderful soups, made in-house, along with the creative sandwiches, such as roasted butternut squash, fuji apples, brie, arugula and pear marmalade, served on pain de campagne (country bread) ($15), or the oven smoked turkey, Hook's 5 year cheddar cheese, apple mustard, watercress & red onion all topped with whole wheat pecan bread ($14.25). Finish your lingering lunch with dessert – after all, you're in a bakery! – choose from any of the gorgeous desserts in the display cases, made fresh daily, but be sure to take at least one pain au trois chocolats (bread of three chocolates) (pictured) to enjoy later. Perhaps during the afternoon slump, when you're daydreaming back to your glorious lunch in the sun… grab a cup of coffee and jumpstart your afternoon: with chocolate.

Danji

(credit: Danji)

346 W. 52nd Street
New York, NY 10019
(212) 586-2880
danjinyc.com

With a chef whose pedigree includes such gems as Masa and Daniel, the bar was set very high – and then cleared easily as Chef Hooni Kim more than exceeded expectations. Danji also boasts several wallet-friendly rice set menus. Included in the set menus are the soup of the day, two banchans (Korean side dishes), rice, and your choice of japchae (vegetarian glass noodles), bulgogi (beef – in this case, brisket – marinated in a mixture of soy sauce, sesame oil, garlic and other seasonings, then grilled) (pictured), or the 'meat of the day' option. Prices range from $12 for the vegetarian option to $14 for either of the meat options – not bad when you factor in the love and care that goes into making each meal. Attention is paid to what your meat eats, too: Creekstone Farms provides the beef, Niman Ranch the pork, and Bell & Evans the chicken, which are all fed 100% vegetarian diets with no antibiotics or growth hormones. Now that's dedication.

Bill's Bar & Burger Rockefeller Center

Bill's Bar & Burger
(credit: Bill's Bar & Burger)

16 West 51st Street
New York, NY 10019
(212) 705-8510

Bill's Bar & Burger Meatpacking District
22 9th Avenue
New York, NY 10014
(212) 414-3003
billsbarandburger.com

Sometimes you just want to sink your teeth into a nice, big burger, and this place fits the bill. With a hearty menu of various burger styles – including the Bobcat, which boasts pepperjack cheese and green chiles to give it 'bite', a great lunch can be found at either location of this burger bar. Other items on the menu worth a taste are the disco fries (fries smothered in liquid cheese and brown gravy), the jalapeno bombs (deep fried jalapenos with cheddar, cream cheese and ranch), and alcoholic milk shakes. Have fun trying to eat your way through the menus… they vary slightly by location.

For the latest on where to eat in the Tri-State, follow us on Twitter!

Yvo Sin is the founder and head writer of Feisty Foodie.

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