North End Grill - Danny Meyer | Battery Park City, NYC

Hey, you! Yes, you at your computer.

How about a true desk-free lunch?

If any man knows the meaning of an honest-to-goodness business lunch, it's Danny Meyer. He and chef Floyd Cardoz (formerly of Tabla) are delivering true midday sustenance at Battery Park City's brand-new North End Grill.

Although the restaurant is marketed as American, that didn't stop us from unearthing every bit of Indian flavor we could find during our meal there.

Fried onion rings ($12) are doused with chickpea, semolina and Wondra flours and blasted with cumin and cayenne and mango and mint powders. The accompanying dip is a cool mix of yogurt, sour cream, crispy shallots and grilled onions. We also found the same sprightly flavors in hashed Brussels sprouts and lentils ($8) and griddled ginger spinach ($8).

To be sure, this is no institutional two-martini-and-a-beef-burger lunch. Refreshing! Instead, order a plump and piquant bacon-shrimp burger ($18), which comes loaded with applewood-smoked bacon, red onion and Aleppo pepper.

For a saucy lunch, choose from the restaurant's collection of 100 (and counting) bottles of Scotch and the complementary Scotch-cocktail list.

North End Grill also serves dinner, but we bet we'll be back for lunch before we land there in the evening.

North End Grill, 104 North End Ave. (at Vesey St.); 646-747-1600 or northendgrillnyc.com