S&P Lunch
Restaurant · Flatiron District ·
Old-school diner with classic sandwiches, egg creams, and more
Old-school diner with classic sandwiches, egg creams, and more
"I love a good patty melt, but I don’t order them as often as I crave them because they so easily disappoint; here, the $21 version hits the sweet spot and is the best I’ve had in recent memory. The burger is cooked medium rare and stays juicy, the rye carries just enough butter to crisp up nicely, the onions are sweetly caramelized, and the Russian dressing and pickle accompaniments add perk and personality. The cold sandwiches are well worth ordering — I stole several bites of my husband’s turkey pastrami combo — but I doubt I’ll be able to resist going back to the griddle on my next visit." - Melissa McCart
"A storied Flatiron lunch counter with roots going back to the late 1920s, offering diner-counter seating and simple, satisfying fare done well: try the Lil’ Shonda (scrambled eggs with pastrami and muenster on rye), or opt for a tuna melt or corned beef sandwich if you’re in a lunch-for-breakfast mood." - Joy Cho
"This old-school luncheonette and Jewish deli in Flatiron, run by various owners since 1928, has tons of greasy charm and a killer patty melt. Order the Lil’ Shonda (a pastrami egg and cheese), latkes, and an egg cream, however early it might be. You’ll likely find yourself in line for a seat, pressed against the wall to make room for the servers barreling by to deliver bowls of matzo ball soup—but S&P is worth the short wait." - bryan kim, willa moore, molly fitzpatrick, will hartman, sonal shah
"A beloved luncheonette from the team behind Court Street Grocers, and formerly the longtime Eisenberg’s, this spot has been a crowd favorite since day one for excellent sandwiches (we’re partial to the Mel Brooks), great people-watching, and unpretentious interiors — even boasting a celebrity investor (looking at you, Nicholas Braun). What it didn’t have up until now was nighttime service, but for a month that changes: A Pop-Up Called Pancakes is a new after-hours bar residency running on select days at the restaurant. Launched by Izzy Tulloch and Danielle De Block, alums of Milady’s and Clover Club, there will be creative cocktails and comforting bar bites to match; as Tulloch says, “We want a hyper-focus on hospitality that feels comfortable and cocktails that feel whimsical.” It runs Friday through Sunday from May 3 to June 1, from 7 p.m. until midnight, with service “order-at-the-bar style, no reservations needed.” Fans of Tulloch will be happy to hear she’s reprising a version of her Ants on a Log cocktail — “which takes the best parts of the childhood snack of peanut butter, celery, and raisin and turns it into an adult drink” — a drink that has become something of her signature. Other cocktails include the Banana Dose (a tropical, clarified highball made with real bananas and 99 Bananas), a Manhattan riff infused with Taylor ham (Tulloch: “We’re both from New Jersey, and we love a diner.”), martini service poured out of maple syrup jars, and more. To complement the drinks there’s a brief-but-fun menu from the restaurant’s chef Kirstyn Brewer featuring latke sliders, peanut butter–miso mousse, and the house pancakes. While Pancakes is a month-long pop-up, owners see it as both a pilot for eventual regular nighttime service — “The goal is eventually to figure that out, I don’t know exactly when, but it’s the plan,” Finkelstein says — and a stepping stone for Tulloch and De Block’s longer-term project, A Bar Called Pancakes (no lease signed yet), with Finkelstein adding, “We love her and what she does and wanted to help her figure it out in any way.”" - Emma Orlow
"James Cameron’s Aliens. Bladerunner 2049. Dune starring Timothée Chalamet. You might be wondering, “Why are these crackpots talking about science fiction reboots on a sandwich guide?” That’s because they, like S&P Lunch from the people behind Court Street Grocers, took a beloved 20th-century classic, and revived it. S&P has the look and schtick of classic NYC delis and luncheonettes, but a menu that has the creativity that put Court Street Grocers on the map in the first place. The Order: For novelty, try the Dinkelburger—a burger with a piece of pastrami on top. But we actually like the classic pastrami on rye even more." - will hartman, willa moore, neha talreja, bryan kim, sonal shah, molly fitzpatrick
