A Tale of Two Foodies, Take Two

Another couple weeks, another couple food trucks. After awarding victory to Gaztro-Wagon over Simple Sandwich, this time I'm arbitrarily serving up Happy Bodega against the Meatyballs Mobile. And once again, novelty wins the day – if you had to hit only one, I'd grab those balls each time.

Ahem.

The Meatyballs Mobile is the brainchild of Chef Phillip Foss, formerly of Lockwood in the Palmer House, and after visiting both, his street food definitely has a leg up. Lockwood was good, but the Meatyballs Mobile is a whole other deal. As you might imagine, meatball sandwiches make up the entire menu, but Chef packs a ton of variety into those balls. I tried the pulled pork shoulder balls, which were lightly breaded and topped with red cabbage, apples and a crazy tangy cola/bourbon BBQ sauce as well as the Thai Turkey Balls slathered in sweet peppers, chili sauce and coconut milk. Both were fantastic, and to give Chef another tip o' the cap... his balls are huge.

Um. Ahem.

Not sure how to wrap up this review without "aheming" again, but have to mention the Chocolate Salty Balls. I thought they might be more donut-ish, but instead they're like incredibly dense brownies coated in chocolate ganache and a sprinkling of salt. Unlike a recent sweet/savory treat I tried, these balls delivered in spades. Fantastically rich and decadent. The one off note to mention about the Meatyballs Mobile is the presentation – the truck itself feels more roach coach than foodie vehicle, and the sandwiches are wrapped and masking taped, lacking any sort of branding whatsoever. The food more than makes up for it, but for as much fun as they have with the name, it's a miss.

The baguette I got at Happy Bodega was good, but fell prey to the same problem I had with Simple Sandwich. Aside from the novelty of being on wheels, there's nothing too special about the sandwich. The Turkey, which received good online reviews, was fresh and the baguette was soft, etc... but it was basically a turkey/cheddar sandwich. It came with their "signature French vinaigrette" which pretty much tasted like honey mustard. All fine, and if I was stuck out at a corporate office park or something, it'd be a godsend. But in the city, it's a little ordinary.

Unfortunately, they'd run out of some of the more interesting items in the morning (an apple/cinnamon hot pocket and banana bread pudding). Those and the very amiable service may warrant another visit and a chance to try another sandwich, but for now I'm all about Meatyballs.

And...

Wait for it...

Ahem.

You know how a Maple Cheddar Croissant sounds good?

It's not.

At least not from Dunkin' Donuts. The idea is solid – sweet and savory, buttery bread, etc. But the execution is shaky at best. The Dunkin' version of egg is that strange pre-formed patty that's often found under gas station heat lamps, the square of sausage is pre-cooked, and the croissant takes flakiness to an absurd level, as it basically exploded all over my shirt with every bite.

Oddly enough, the hash browns weren't bad – generally the McDonald's type patty is better than the Burger King-style nuggets, but these feature a bit of flavor that gave them sort of a Denver flair. Not worth making a trip for, but halfway decent if you're there.

Anyway, the sandwich is available for a limited time, but stick to the coffee. Or, you know, donuts.

Ready, Set...

London import Pret a Manger has finally touched down on our shores – and I for one would like to welcome our benevolent conquerors.

For those who haven't been to Manhattan (or Hong Kong or DC, I suppose, but those locations are pretty limited), Pret's a grab-and-go breakfast/lunch spot that features fresh, hand-made natural food that attempts to avoid the additives and preservatives that make most food "fast."

Oh, and it's absolutely fantastic.

I'm an unabashedly huge fan of this brand – they walk the proverbial walk. Lots of other places talk fresh and natural, but what that sets Pret apart is that they actually deliver it. They don't just use green in their logo and hope for a healthy halo. Recipes and items change seasonally; not a new thing for higher-end restaurants, but not common in the QSR world. And even though everything's adorably packaged to go, it was hand-made that day in the store, as every location has a fully-functioning kitchen. New (to me, at least – I haven't hit NY in a while) is listing the calorie count of every item in the store. Since "fresh" can still mean "fat," it's appreciated.

Our Pret's only been open a few days, but based on my visit, it's running fairly smoothly. The staff seems smart and well-trained, its the customers that act a little confused, as evidenced by everyone lining up cafeteria-style at the food cases, rather than popping in and pigging out. Right now there's only one outlet – at Adams & Franklin, across from the (still hard to think of it as) Willis Tower. A Washington and LaSalle location is "opening soon," and for me working in the Merchandise Mart, that soon can't come fast enough. Here's hoping they spread across the city, as crossing the river in winter isn't likely – but with Pret, it'd be worth the walk.