The Shake Shack in Madison Square Park is open for business, and we've already heard reports of summer interns at Credit Suisse standing on the long lines to get burgers and fries for lunch.
This reminds us of the perennial question: who has the best lunch time eating options in finance? Credit Suisse's offices, located on the east side of Madison Square Park, make it a clear nominee simply because the superb shake shack is located there. Please leave your other nominations in comments.
We know the big guns of Wall Street prefer places like Campagnola, Rao's, San Pietro and Four Seasons. We remember the Tom Wolfe essay which asserted that New York City was kept alive by the business lunch. But what we have in mind here is something a little less grand. Not lunch for the generals--lunch for the soliders. The lunch you grab before heading back to the trenches. Or, to drop the metaphor, your desk. Lunch for the summers, the analysts, the associates and the newly minted VPs.
And a brief administrative note. Today marks the start of DealBreaker's Summer Watch. The summer interns have started at the banks, the summer shares in East Egg kicked off this past weekend, the last of the securitization groups are quietly being sent away, and the market around the corner from DB HQ has peaches. We've assigned DealBreaker Associate Editor Bess Levin to the Summer Beat, collecting the best, brightest and most brutal stories of the summer.
She's assembling information about everything you can imagine. And she needs your help. Email her at tips@dealbreaker.com. How many summers has your shop hired? What are they paid? Where do they go to school? Who has the hottest summers? What events are planned? Are they doing real work or holding your place on line at the Shake Shack?
Also, remember, whatever happens in the Hamptons never stays in the Hamptons. It ends up on DealBreaker. Send your stories of bankers gone wild near the beach to us. Send your stories of never making it out to your share because you're stuck in the office. We're here for you. Be there for us.
PS: Next time your lawyer friends complain about their jobs, remind them that they spend their summers getting fat at fancy restaurants.
Posted by guest , May 30, 2008 4:17PM
The shack stack is the shit!!!!!!!!!
I'm sending an intern down now!
Posted by guest , May 30, 2008 4:18PM
Adriennes on Stone Street
Posted by guest , May 30, 2008 4:21PM
adriennes is sooo overrated.
Bobbie Vans burgers to go is the sh!t
Posted by guest , May 30, 2008 4:22PM
Dishes on Madison, hands down
Posted by Anal_yst , May 30, 2008 4:25PM
adriennes lunch pizza (grandma's style?) is nice, not the greatest, but def quality.
Posted by guest , May 30, 2008 4:29PM
Shake Shack has rats and other infestations...
Posted by guest , May 30, 2008 4:30PM
Had a burger at Kincaid's on Camp Bowie in Ft. Worth today. Yum.
When some of you hedge fund mendicants come to Cowtown see the Bass Brothers, be sure to go to Kincaid's for burgers.
Posted by guest , May 30, 2008 4:32PM
If you like rat droppings on your burgers, this is definitely the place to go. Far and away, the best rat droppings in NYC.
Posted by big r , May 30, 2008 4:36PM
i sweat the shake shack
Posted by guest , May 30, 2008 4:37PM
Adienne's Pizza, The Carvery @ Ulysses, The Burger Shoppe, Mad Dog and Beans, Kyoto Sushi, Zigolini's...Stone Street area has it all. An employee at say, 85 Broad Street, can be in one of 15 different bars within 1 minute of leaving the building.
Posted by guest , May 30, 2008 4:40PM
Burger Joint @ Le Parker Meridien!!
Posted by guest , May 30, 2008 4:49PM
dishes on park ave wins. good grub and always proper tail.
Posted by guest , May 30, 2008 4:49PM
is there some way to stop people in Ft. Worth from posting? I get the whole oil thing, but they really contribute nothing to the conversation
Posted by guest , May 30, 2008 4:50PM
The Shake Shack is now listed in many of the NYC guide books. Over half the line is tourist. The park has rats, but my Shack Burger only had hair. They kindly replaced my burger when I told them I didn't order it with hair. Still a great place and if you get lucky and the line is short, its worth the wait. I go everytime I replace my damn TWC DVR cable box which is becoming a monthly event.
Posted by guest , May 30, 2008 4:55PM
@4:37 - you're a deutsche bag. Congrats on working for goldman. Even if it is cleaning the toilets. Or do you clean the toilets at all those restaurants near goldman?
Posted by guest , May 30, 2008 4:58PM
Morgan and Lehman, no question. Applebee's, TGI Friday's, Olive Garden, the hood rat skanks at Hawaiian Tropic Zone. Times Square, bitches.
Posted by guest , May 30, 2008 4:58PM
@4:30pm.
Kincaid's is overrated.
Posted by guest , May 30, 2008 5:01PM
@4:40 - dead on, Burger Joint is the best.
Posted by guest , May 30, 2008 5:08PM
burger joint is legit though a bit overrated
now lucky's, whole 'nother can 'o beans
Posted by Anal_yst , May 30, 2008 5:25PM
Mad Dog & Beans is good, albeit a little overpriced...Haru is good for take-out on the relatively cheap...in midtown though Rue 57 outside for some good food and tail-watching
Posted by guest , May 30, 2008 5:29PM
burger joint in le Parker Meridien best hands down for atmosphere and food
Posted by guest , May 30, 2008 5:30PM
doubtless Citigroup has the best lunch time eating options. Tribeca has everything one needs food wise.. Unbeatable
Posted by GinNTonic , May 30, 2008 5:53PM
Five Guys (55th btw 5th & 6th) > Burger Joint
It's cheaper, messier, has bacon (and every other topping imaginable), and their fries don't taste / look like McDonalds fries
Posted by guest , May 30, 2008 6:34PM
@4:50 - about your TWC DVR, I used to have that problem - here's the solution - why it breaks is it gets too hot. You have to keep nothing on top of it, and lots of air flow all around. If anything blocks the air holes it stops working gradually. Once someone told me that, i stopped replacing them. Too bad Time Warner doesn't know it.
And near Credit Suisse - go for Barbeque at Home Country.
Posted by guest , May 30, 2008 6:34PM
@4:50 - about your TWC DVR, I used to have that problem - here's the solution - why it breaks is it gets too hot. You have to keep nothing on top of it, and lots of air flow all around. If anything blocks the air holes it stops working gradually. Once someone told me that, i stopped replacing them. Too bad Time Warner doesn't know it.
And near Credit Suisse - go for Barbeque at Home Country.
Posted by GinNTonic , May 30, 2008 7:06PM
@6:34
It's Hill Country. The fatty beef brisket is heaven.
Posted by sigerson , May 30, 2008 9:00PM
Last Friday, Madison Square Park around 2pm: Me, waiting 2+ hours for two burgers and a chocolate shake. WELL WORTH THE WAIT.
Posted by guest , May 31, 2008 2:38PM
Mad Dog & Beans is owned by the same people who Black Bear bar in grameracy and Whisky River on 32nd Street and 2nd Ave. Check out Maria on Wednesday and Thursday nights at Whisky River. Also, Kendra is coming back from Costa Rica. She will be at Black Bear on June 3rd. Holla at your boys for Jameson shots and black war paint.
Posted by guest , May 31, 2008 2:40PM
Avon Bistro at 155 East 52nd St. (btwn 3rd and Lex) is awesome. Amorous Annie works Friday nights dishing double pours of single malt scotchs, Oban, Belvennie at dive bar prices. This former Economist intern speaks fluent French and Russian.
Posted by guest , May 31, 2008 11:21PM
shake shack has been shut down twice in the past 2 or 3 years for health code violations. you will wait in line 2 hours at prime time. and the shakes blow. given the burgers are good, but none the less, no burger in manhattan is worth that wait. bess, quit sweating.
-chad
Posted by guest , Jun 01, 2008 1:06AM
Beer Bar at Grand Central, esp in the summer
Posted by guest , Jun 01, 2008 3:08PM
"Mad Dog & Beans is owned by the same people who Black Bear bar in grameracy and Whisky River on 32nd Street and 2nd Ave. Check out Maria on Wednesday and Thursday nights at Whisky River. Also, Kendra is coming back from Costa Rica. She will be at Black Bear on June 3rd. Holla at your boys for Jameson shots and black war paint. "
kendra huh...that's great. now who the fuck is kendra? never mind..don't care to know.
Posted by guest , Jun 01, 2008 6:51PM
Can we get a thread on who has the best seamless options? downtown or midtown? or whatever CS gets?
Posted by guest , Jun 01, 2008 10:27PM
http://stuffinvestmentbankerslike.blogspot.com/
Posted by guest , Jun 02, 2008 12:12AM
Kincaid's does make a great burger. There was a Mad Dog's in Austin years ago that was way up there as well.