Any Lunch recs for this Saturday Central Park vicinity

[ElaineL]

Bringing the family into the city on Saturday for dinner and thought we'd come early and walk around Central Park to build up our appetites for a 7pm dinner. Would like something light (as much as I'd love a huge pastrami sandwich!) so we can keep our appetites for dinner. Either east or west side, any ethnicity (except we're eating Italian for dinner), not greatly expensive ($20 or less per person) and casual. Let me know if that's not specific enough - thanks!

[Upperwestsider]

Two additional suggestions: within your geographical constraints, check the Boathouse Express, 73rd and the East Drive in CP (www.thecentralparkboathouse.com); not the inside restaurant but the "fast", light food windows outside. Picnic tables right there, or you can walk to a grassy spot very close. Next, @85th and Mad, you'll find Dean & Deluca (www.DeanDeluca.com) which has some of the finest deli in the city (check the prices, for they may be outside the $$ constraints you mentioned). One block to the park. Please let us know what you decide and how it works. BTW, where are you going for your Italian dinner?

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Dean & DeLuca
1 Rockefeller Plz, New York, NY 10020

[ElaineL]

Thanks for all of the recs...we're still deciding so will report back. For dinner we're going to Crispo in Chelsea.

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Crispo
240 W 14th St, New York, NY 10011

[small h]

Central Park is 50 blocks long, so it would be helpful to know approximately where you'll be.

[ElaineL]

We're just planning to walk around - nothing really specific although I would guess up from CPSouth to maybe mid-70s.

[small h]

Okay. That doesn't narrow it down much, though. Blumie's suggestion is a good one, and to that I'll add Fika, which is a Swedish espresso bar with good sandwiches and soups on 58th between 5th & 6th Ave. I just had lunch there yesterday - half a shrimp salad sandwich with a bowl of cold potato soup for $9. There isn't much seating, but it's an attractive little place, and what I had was very good. And light.

http://www.fikanyc.com/about1.htm

[Blumie]

At the Time Warner Center at Columbus Circle, you can grab stuff from Whole Foods and picnic in the park. Bouchon Bakery (on the third floor, I think) also has delicious sandwiches.

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Bouchon Bakery
10 Columbus Cir, New York, NY 10019