If You Have to Lunch “Healthy”, You Could Do Far Worse Than Nanoosh
When Nanoosh opened up a couple months ago, I wasn’t really sure what to think. With the bright colors and san serif font, it looked like all the other new chains popping up around town. Plus, with all that talk about being organic and healthy, it didn’t really call to me the way a various fried chicken spots have, but I still made my way back a couple times. Surprisingly, I found that I actually enjoyed it.
On my first visit, opening day, I had the Hummus Nanoosh platter ($8.75), a swirl of hummus with a pile of beef in the middle mixed with caramelized onions and mushrooms. As I said then, it all looks pretty small at first glance, but the hummus adds plenty of weight that can fill you up easily.
The hazard is that all that hummus can get thick and boring on its own. The chicken in the Hummus Chicken platter ($8.25) doesn’t have the flavor that the beef has and might get dull before you’re done except for the onions and mushrooms which add a sweetness to the meal that breaks things up really well.
Somewhat surprisingly, I think I actually enjoyed the Nanoosh Wrap ($8.75) as much if not more than the platters. The whole wheat shell is really good (despite looking very much like it’s going to taste like cardboard) and the narrow wrap is jammed tight with ground beef all the way through, so you don’t get stuck with a half a wrap with no meat.
My biggest complaint with Nanoosh is that most of their meat fillings are limited to ground beef and chicken, but no lamb. A place like Nanoosh with real actual lamb, instead of gyro meat, could be something really special. Instead, it’s just good in a pinch or when I’m feeling like too much of a fatty.
The + (What people who like this place would say)
- Much better than you’d expect for an organic, healthy blah blah blah sort of place
- They serve beer, always a plus, even if it’s organic.
- They pack a wrap right, no meatless section at the end.
The – (What people who don’t like this place would say)
- How can you have Mediterranean food with no lamb?
- That much hummus can get to be a little much after a while.
Nanoosh, 173 Madison Avenue (33rd & 34th), 212-447-4348
Posted by ultraclay at 12:00 pm, September 13th, 2010 under *Mad btw. 33+34th, Middle Eastern, Nanoosh.
15 Comments | RSS comments feed for this post
15 Comments
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ground?
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Otto Von Bismarck famously said
Three things you do not want to see being made are laws, sausage and Mamacita’s “O” face
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Add any movie starring Katherine Heigl to that list.
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I really like this place – some of the best hummus I’ve had. And that platter is surprisingly filling. I usually ask for a second pita and get 2 meals out of it. Not a bad deal at all.
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MMMm. I love hummus. Going to have to hit this place up on the way home sometime.
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Too snooty-looking for my blood! Let’s have more downscale places and carts!
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What about the prices for the dishes you mention?
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Sorry, I updated the post to include the prices: $8.25 for the Hummus Chicken platter, $8.75 for the Nanoosh Wrap and the Hummus Nanoosh platter.
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I’ve been wondering how their hummus compares against the hummus at Hummus Place, Taim, etc. but this review doesn’t really address that. I love ya Ultraclay, but doesn’t Midtown Lunch have any hummus fanatics to send to places like this? Come on, hummus is awesome. (And plenty fattening, if you eat enough of it. Which I may end up doing.) Sandra, have you been to Hummus Place? How does it compare?
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IMHO, the hummus at Hummus Place is far superior to anything else in the city. Nanoonsh’s lacks any sort of kick (i.e. taste, spice) to it – almost as though it’s been adapted for the American market (“McHummus” anyone?). Hummus Place is just spicy enough that you can feel it, and not too thick and pasty (like Greek hummus) and not too loose (like Nanoosh’s).
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Where is Hummus Place? I haven’t been but I would be willing to do a taste test between there and Nanoosh, because hummus is indeed awesome.
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What, exactly, is “hummus”?
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Do you know what,exactly is ‘google’?
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but the onions aren’t really caramelized…
A narrow wrap jammed tight with ground beef all the way through
Sounds like Saturday night at Mamacita’s place