Lobel's Kitchen Opening In New York City On Monday, March 18
Since 1954, the Upper East Side's Madison Avenue has had the privilege of being home to Lobel's, a family-run butcher shop that got its start back in Austria in 1840. They opened a steak sandwich stand inside Yankee Stadium in 2009 (in our opinion, the highest-quality food offering available there), and on Monday, March 18, will be opening the doors to their biggest expansion yet, a nearby 2,200-square-foot shop that will sell high-quality raw meat as well as more than 50 ready-to-eat takeout items.
"We're taking prepared food to a whole other level," Stanley Lobel, who runs the family business along with his sons Mark and David and his nephew Evan, told The Daily Meal. "We're using only the finest ingredients, everything is made to order, the steak is USDA Prime, and no expense was spared."
The shop will open at 7 a.m. every morning, and the day will begin with breakfast items like sliced steak and egg and pressed ham and cheese sandwiches, all sliced to order. Lunch sandwiches will include the now-famous sliced steak, shredded osso buco, and their Wrangler steak, a cut that they actually invented themselves, and trademarked. Dinner items will include several that come from their in-house smoker (pulled pork, brisket, ribs, and veal rack and breast) as well as their rotisserie (barbecue chicken and prime rib). Partially cooked meats will be ready to pop in the oven, and plenty of side dishes, cheeses, cured meats, and smoked fish will be available as well. The menu will change daily according to what's fresh and in season, but will always also include a selection of soups and salads as well. The shop will be open until 8 p.m. nightly.
Head chef Rolf Baumann, who oversaw dining at the opening of more than 54 stadiums (including the new Yankee Stadium), is able to transpose his skill for cooking for huge groups onto a smaller scale. "I'm able to bring a different perspective to prepared foods," he said. "The osso buco is obviously made in advance, but the osso buco sandwiches are all prepared to order. Only 12 portions of chicken are in the case at a time, and everything is done à la minute."
The shop, which will open for business first thing Monday morning, will be located on the corner of Third Avenue and 61st Street.