UWS Is Home To Three Of NYC’s Top Ten Most Overrated Dishes, According To Zagat

Monday, October 24th, 2011

overratefood

According to a recent post on Zagat.com, the Upper West Side is home to three of NYC’s “Top Ten Most Overrated Dishes.”

Feel free to take a guess based on the photos above — I’ll wait…

You can read the full list at Zagat Buzz here. Per The Buzz, the three UWS spots are:

  • Momofuku Milk Bar’s Crack Pie:
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    • Why People Love It: “Fans of Christia Tosi’s signature dessert at Milk Bar know that it’s called crack pie for a reason: have one bite and you’ll be addicted for life. Dense, sugary and chock-full of oats and butter, the pie contains a little bit of everything, which was the dream you had as a kid as you dumped every ingredient imaginable into the bowl in the attempt to make the perfect dessert. The pie also marks a departure from snooze-worthy chocolate dishes that dominate pastry menus around town.”
    • Case That It’s Overrated: “The main complaint? It’s too sweet! Detractors think that Tosi’s pie is more about the hype than it is about the flavor – which is basically a wallop of sugar mixed up in a crusty, cookie like crust. A bit of it is good, two bites and you’ll be more hopped up than you are after an espresso. Despite its appearance, the pie is also very heavy – those two bites will fill your stomach more than you bargained for.”
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  • Magnolia Cupcakes:
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    • Why People Love It: “The reason people stand in line forever at the original West Village location of Magnolia is simple: this is the cupcake of cupcakes. The bakery arguably started the cupcake trend that lives on to this day when it opened in 1996. Pouring fuel on that fire was the shop’s appearance on Sex and the City – to this day it’s still part of the Sex and the City tours that invade the Village. Even if you’re not a fan of Carrie and Co., how can you argue with the pleasure of eating a cupcake?”
    • Case That It’s Overrated: “Some claim Magnolia’s cupcakes are too sweet, some say the whole cupcake trend has jumped the shark and still others say it’s the bakery’s overexposure that makes the dessert overrated, with hordes of tourists flocking there for a “genuine New York experience” that’s anything but.”
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  • Shake Shack Burger:
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    • Why People Love It: “Many New Yorkers have been in love with Danny Meyer’s version of fast food since the Shack first launched its original Madison Park location in June of 2004. The burger is the outright favorite on the menu, with fans loving the grab-and-go vibe without having to worry about factory-farmed, antibiotic laden meat that is the norm at many national fast-food chains.”
    • Case That It’s Overrated: “Calm down people – at the end of the day, it’s just a burger! This patty has developed a such a cult following that people will wait in epic lines for it, but not everyone’s a fan: it’s pretty small when compared to the city’s other top burgers, and some claim that it lacks proper seasoning. And don’t get us started on those crinkle-cut fries that come with it.”

I haven’t tried Crack Pie yet, but I couldn’t agree more on Magnolia and Shake Shack.

To be clear, I LIKE both of those places — I would never turn down a cupcake or burger from either spot. That said, there’s really nothing special about either one. The UWS Magnolia doesn’t have lines like the one in the West Village, so I won’t get too riled up about it. As for Shake Shack…

I will NEVER understand the people who line up around the block there. I’ve lost track of the number of times I’ve walked past it and seen people snaking out the door and down 77th Street.

As much as I’m a fan of the ShackBurger, there’s no way in hell I’d ever wait more than five minutes for one. They’re good, but they’re not THAT good.

I’d posit that a Whopper is just as enjoyable. There, I said it.

And for the record, lest  you think otherwise, I am absolutely the type of person who will line up for food.


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