S&P Lunch
Restaurant · Flatiron District
174 5th Ave, New York, NY 10010
Highlights
Classic diner fare: pastrami, egg creams, tuna melts
Classic diner fare: pastrami, egg creams, tuna melts
"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
"S&P Lunch is from the sandwich specialists at Court Street Grocers. It’s located in the space that used to house the iconic Eisenberg’s in Flatiron, and, like its predecessor, it looks like an old-timey luncheonette where you'd drink an egg cream and read the paper. You can do both of those things here, and you can also sit on a vinyl stool and eat some lox and eggs while hunched over a counter. If you want to feel like you’re on the way to work in 1935, stop by for some diner-esque Jewish deli classics. The egg and cheese breakfast sandwich with added pastrami on toasted rye is particularly great." - bryan kim, willa moore, neha talreja, molly fitzpatrick, sonal shah, will hartman
