New Yorkers looking to escape their sad desk lunch without spending an arm and a leg on a pricey salad are in luck this week.
Eight celebrity chefs are taking over five Manhattan bodegas, delis and corner stores, serving everything from meatball burritos and butter chicken to Ghanaian peanut stew completely free of charge.
The event, dubbed “The Most Legendary Lunch Break,” hosted by Brooklyn-based meal delivery platform CookUnity, will feed New Yorkers from 11:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. on Thursday, September 17th.
New Yorkers looking to fill their stomachs can stop by any of the five locations: Bari Bodega at 873 Broadway in Flatiron; Madison Square Deli & Convenience at 266 W. 23rd St. in Chelsea; New York Pizza and Cafe at 369 Madison Ave. in Midtown; Sam’s Deli at 275 W. 4th St. in the West Village; or Slice N’ Spice Deli & Grill at 451 Third Ave. in Murray Hill.
Chefs include Rocco DiSpirito, Vikas Khanna, Andrew Rea of “Babish,” Einat Admony, and José Garces, who will be whipping up their signature dishes on site.
Full CookUnity meals will also be available as packaged cold-to-go, with self-serve microwaves on site for hungry New Yorkers who don’t want to wait until they get back to the office.
The event is part of CookUnity’s new “The World’s Best Chefs, Delivered” campaign, aimed at bringing restaurant-quality meals into a decidedly less formal setting.
For the company, that meant putting chefs behind the counters of one of New York’s most familiar institutions.
“We believe people shouldn’t need a reservation or a special occasion to experience food that reflects the craft and distinct point of view of an exceptional chef,” said Michael Baruch, CookUnity’s head of brand marketing.
For DiSpirito, the bodega setting is personal.
“I’m a kid from Queens who grew up going to the corner store — it’s the most reliable institution in this city,” the celebrity chef said.
He’ll be serving Rocco’s Bronx Bomb Burrito, a dish created with Yankees catcher Austin Wells using the same meatballs and tomato sauce DiSpirito said he grew up eating.
“Standing behind that counter, handing out a recipe I created with Austin Wells of the Yankees … is about as New York as a day gets for me,” DiSpirito said.
He’ll also be serving saffron shrimp risotto.
Elsewhere, “Babish” creator Andrew Rea is serving spicy chili-garlic noodles and Guinness shepherd’s pie, while Michelin-starred chef Vikas Khanna will offer paneer makhani and roasted butter chicken.
John DeLucie, the restaurateur behind iconic NYC spots including The Waverly Inn, will serve Mom’s Sunday Sauce Rigatoni and a grilled rack of lamb.
Miriam Milord, best known to many New Yorkers for her elaborate creations at BCakeNY, will bring both the sweet and savory sides of her cooking, giving hungry lunchgoers a taste of her Ghanaian chicken peanut stew and a pumpkin spice cake jar made for eating on the go.
“A lot of diners mostly know my desserts at BCakeNY, but savory cooking has always been a big part of who I am too,” Milord said, noting her excitement for New Yorkers to see the rest of her culinary range.
Rounding out the lineup are Einat Admony, serving Middle Eastern chicken shawarma and flat iron steak adobo; José Garces, with a Mission-style vegetable burrito and Cuban-style beef picadillo; and Antony Nassif, serving pork pernil and a farro-and-kale Mediterranean bowl.
