Monday, October 2, 2006

Day 2, 2006: Cosi (Chelsea, NYC)

 
LOCATION: COSI (23rd St and 6th avenue, NYC)
GUEST(S): Andrew Butterworth
ORDER: 7/8 of a Margherita pizza
PIZZA REPORT: Cosi is quality at a cost.  You won't leave hungry though.  My individual 11" pizza brought me from starving to stuffed in 7 slices.  The fresh mozzarella cheese (and there was plenty of it) rested on the crushed tomatoes like little white basil sprinkled rafts on a chunky red river.  Laying the foundation for this idyllic setting was the soft-yet-solid Cosi crust.   The bread rose a bit around the edges pushing the toppings toward the center, but not too much.  The price was not "too much" either, but it was "much".  At $12.99 (pre tax and tip) it is a bit steep but splitting one pizza between two people is probably not a bad idea.  I overate just trying to finish mine.
ATMOSPHERE: Did you know after the mad rush of quick assembly line sandwich making during lunch hour, Cosi calms?  I didn't.  There is a softer side to Cosi.  After 5pm, there is table service, non-intrusive music, and happy patrons.  The music was a nice mix of jazz, pop, and soft rock was not too loud, however, the volume did creep up after we finished our food.  It was never so loud I could not hear across the table though.  One might expect that Cosi, being a chain, could be impersonal, unclean, and lean on efficiency over comfort.  I didn't feel that way.  The waitstaff was extremely helpful, polite, and courteous.  As for clenliness, this place was spotless. We were told we could chill out till closing time (10p).  We didn't this time, but I will be back.
VERDICT: 3.5 out of 5
MISC.: After dinner, Andy Butterworth and I discussed his Mayflower ancestors, miseducation, and the existence of a Cheese Walrus.  I even snapped a photo of it!
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