The New French

The New French is one of those restaurants that lucks into existence at just the right time. With big checks and big productions both out, and moderately priced neighborhood spots in, the New French has capitalized on the climate and been greeted with rapturous reviews. It's the kind of place where lunch can find you sitting between a celebrity in schlumpy jeans and some guy from the neighborhood working his way through a French press and the entire New York Times. The service is friendly but a bit spacey, though the huge windows looking out on Hudson Street help make up for it.

Charming or not, a restaurant with low(ish) prices and few seats needs good food to survive, and we really liked the beer-and-chili-braised pulled pork sandwich, served with slices of cucumber and a mini-mountain of fries, as well as the salmon salad with caperberries and potatoes. The salad was cool and snappy, the sandwich a delicious mess, and before we knew it, a workday lunch had lasted ninety minutes.