Lunch Break: A Michelin Star, Great Diner, Or Good Sushi
A wonderful treat for lunch, a great diner or a go-to sushi joint all in today's Lunch Break. By Yvo Sin.
Ai Fiori
400 5th Ave
New York, NY 10018
(212) 613-8660
aifiorinyc.com
Recently earning its first Michelin star, Michael White's newest addition to his Italian empire Ai Fiori is perfect midday dining for a business deal or special occasion lunch. The menu is presented as a suggested two course, $38 prix fixe (hurry before they raise the price to Michelin-star worthy!); plenty of dishes to make your mouth water, though the insalata di astice (pictured; $5 supplement) is one to make you swoon: chilled Maine lobster, Romaine lettuce, potato gribiche with a citrus vinaigrette all combine to make each ingredient sing, dance and shine - the whole here is exponentially greater than the sum of its parts. Indulge in a lovely afternoon... you deserve a little pampering every now and again.
Good Stuff Diner
109 W. 14th Street
New York, NY 10011
(212) 929-2555
goodstuffdiner.com
Good Stuff Diner proudly proclaims, "It's what we all like to eat," and you'd be hard-pressed to disagree after just a quick glance at the extensive menu. Like any good diner menu, you'll find the standards of breakfast platters, appetizers, salads, sandwiches and dinner specials... and, of course, burgers. Check out the "Mighty Bites" (pictured), which is described as three 4-ounce burgers, each with a different type of cheese. You might expect smaller burgers, considering the $9.50 price tag, but they really don't seem all that small once they're in front of you; add on a side of fries and you can easily share this with a friend but still be completely stuffed. Yum!
Tomo
89-14 Queens Boulevard
Elmhurst, NY 11373
(718) 803-9799
86-12 37th Avenue
Jackson Heights, NY 11372
(718) 205-6222
tomojc.com
See Also: NYC's 5 Best Sushi Restaurants
It's always good to have a solid, consistent Japanese take out place nearby from which you order whenever the mood strikes. Tomo fills that need for many in both neighborhoods it serves; lunchtime workers from the nearby mall satisfy their cravings with the great lunch menu, boasting standards like chicken teriyaki, shrimp tempura, or pork katsu (fried pork cutlet), ranging in price from $5.95 to 8.95. Don't overlook their 'roll lunch' (pictured), where you can choose two from the list for a mere $7.25. Try the spicy tuna roll with crunch (pictured left); not overwhelmingly spicy, with a nice textural contrast from the crunch. Or stick with standards like the eel avocado roll (pictured right), which is perfectly tasty.
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Yvo Sin is the founder and head writer of Feisty Foodie.
