Monday, March 14, 2011

Meze Grill 03-07-2011


Location: 934 8th Ave.
Time: 1pm
People: AP, MKang, and myself

Feelings: I remember when Chipotle first opened in NYC, and my then co-workers and I frequented there for lunch. After a month, everyone in the company gained about 3-4lbs and could not figure out why. It was a total Seinfeld non-fat yogurt moment.

I am not sure if Meze Grill is run by the same Corporate giant that runs Chipotle, but if I were them, I would be pretty upset. Meze Grill is identical to Chipotle except they serve Middle Eastern food. Meze's marketing is also around "quick healthy food," but we all know how caloric Chipotle is.

I ordered the rice platter with bulgur rice with falafel and two sauces. It was nice to be able to choose all the fillings. They really drench it in sauce, so I would recommend ordering dressing on the side. Both AP and I were not particularly thrilled by our dishes, and I thought the veggies were not fresh. AP was especially disappointed that their juice-smoothie machine was out of the order. MKang enjoyed her pita sandwich, so perhaps the sandwiches are better here.

It is hard to beat some of the amazing falafel spots in Midtown such as Azuri and Hummus Kitchen, and occasional Taim Mobile, but perhaps I should not even put Meze in the same category. It is indeed better than Chickpea, but I prefer Maoz and Crisp if I am looking for quick and filling falafel platters. However, the non-intimidating atmosphere of Meze is perfect for the wandering tourists and the commuters who enjoy their daily Chipotle or Subway sandwiches.

2 comments:

Anonymous said...

3-4 pounds? How many times per week did you patronize Chipotle? Did you gain that much as well? :P

I also like Hummus Kitchen (since I love hummus). I'm skeptical to try Meze because I don't like chain.

Yosh. O said...

I think we were going every other day..or something like that! I remember I gained a couple of pounds and could not figure out why. haha.