Beyond the Observation Deck
But for people who work in the thousands of offices that fill its floors, the Empire State Building and its neighborhood offers much more than a nice view (though the luckier inhabitants of the building have it in spades). So where do the Empire State Building’s employees go on their lunch break?
Rosa’s Pizza
350 5th Avenue
New York, NY 10118
(212) 239-4700
Rosa’s Pizza is a mom and pop chain. This might strike you as a contradiction in terms; however, its locations around town have a decidedly small neighborhood restaurant atmosphere. The Empire State Building location is no exception.
A bright and festive space lined with mirrors, this particular Rosa’s Pizza is one of the cleanest in town, with polite servers who make it a point to chat up regular customers. And then there’s the food. It’s well known (and absolutely true) that New York has the best pizza in the world, but even among the best, there are gradations and differences. Rosa’s Pizza, specifically the Empire State Building location, is in the top 20% of New York’s pizzerias – not a small feat, considering the playing field.
Woorijip
12 West 32nd Street
New York, NY 10001
(212) 244-1115
To an untrained stomach, Korean food can present quite a challenge. Your local Chinese restaurant has not prepared you for its strange flavors and unforgiving spices. But if you are determined to try new things, Korean food can prove to be the best culinary discovery of your life.
Woorijip, which translates as “our house,” is a perfect place to ease you into this new territory. Right next to the Empire State Building, it’s a favorite of many of its office workers and often hosts boisterous office parties. Some of its traditional selections have been slightly tamed down for the uninitiated; others promise authentic taste, complete with steam coming out of your ears.
The centerpiece of Woorijip’s menu is its dessert selection. Korean cuisine is famous for its light, unusual sweets that put out that fire in your mouth and complement the meal perfectly.
Super 32 Deli
34 West 32nd Street
New York, NY 10001
(212) 736-0099
Super 32 claims to be a Korean deli, but it’s much more than that: it offers a veritable United Nations of food, including pizza and panini, rotisserie chicken and home-made muffins. Its sandwiches are the best in the neighborhood, and although you can’t ask the server to hold that pickle, they’re made so well, you’ll savor the ingredients you never thought you’d like.
The place is cheap and open around the clock. During the day, it’s filled with suit-and-tied office workers out to grab a quick lunch. At night, the crowd becomes decidedly more interesting: hippie kids and metalheads getting out of a late rock concert; colorful New York characters you’ve seen hundreds of times in the movies, and a stray bleary-eyed intern trying to finish that presentation before the morning meeting.
Minado Japanese Restaurant
6 East 32nd Street
New York, NY 10016
(212) 725-1333
This restaurant combines two of the most popular features of New York cuisine: sushi, and the fact that it’s all you can eat.
There aren’t many all-you-can-eat sushi restaurants, and for a very good reason: sushi is expensive, and as a result, all-you-can-eat sushi is usually quite overpriced. Not Minado: for $14 to $16, you can stuff yourself with exquisite rolls, fresh sushi, and tender sashimi, plus teriyaki, udon, and most every other Japanese dish.
Another office party favorite, Minado is perfect if your boss isn’t waiting by the door to catch you taking a long lunch.
Little Italy Pizza / Grandma Pizza
333 5th Avenue
New York, NY 10016
(212) 481-5200
Little Italy Pizza offers easily the cheapest lunch in the area – but the price in no way compromises the quality. When people tell you that New York has the best pizza in the world, this is one of the places they mean.
The great New York pizza comes with the side of that famous New York grit: the restaurant isn’t always spotlessly clean, and sometimes you have to push dirty paper plates out of the way before you can eat that famous mouth-watering pizza. But as with most things in New York, the small inconveniences can be endearing, if you’re willing to see them that way.
