Zagat Picks 10 Most Overrated Dishes in NYC
On the interwebs there is no quicker way to get attention than by insulting things that most people love, so we are a little ashamed to bite on this one… today, Zagat released a list of the 10 most overrated dishes in NYC and some of them made us cringe just a little bit. Can you guess which ones?
Posted by Zach Brooks at 1:38 pm, October 19th, 2011 under Asides.
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12 Comments
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Surprisingly I actually agree with most of their picks. I’ve only had 7 of the 10 things they list (no Artichoke, Scarpetta or Juniors) and the only thing on there that I would wait in line for is a Shake Shack burger (but I don’t like their fries). I much prefer the pork buns at Ippudo over the ones at Momofuku (then again, I guess they could say Ippudo is overrated ramen that you wait 2 hours for?) and I find everything at Milk Bar really sweet. Tried Rickshaw once, and didn’t like the dumplings. I only go to Magnolia’s for their banana pudding, never for cupcakes. And I don’t go to 53rd street Halal guys anymore because there was an unfortunate incident a while back involving me after imbibing lots of alcohol and then eating a whole platter of chicken and rice…plus I find other options tastier.
So a lot of those things they list is a matter of taste of course so if you like the food, I don’t see why you shouldn’t like it even if it has a “large following”
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Is the Milk Bar really too sweet? I always just found it really nasty. Like, I have tried all of the cookies and they don’t taste like anything remotely flavorful, at all. The only thing I kinda like are the birthday cake balls that I eat once in a blue moon.
There used to be this place in the 50s btwn 1st and 2nd that used to sell some damn good desserts. They even had this choco chip cookie that was covered in big sugar crystals and humongous chocolate chips. Then they sold the business and left. I was devastated. =(
I can’t bring myself to go to Rickshaw. Just seems like a crime.
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I’ve had several things from Milk Bar (crack pie, pistachio cake, some other cake that I don’t remember, and also their truffle cake balls and cookies) and yes, the majority of the time their stuff is really sweet. And in general, I don’t like how most of the things taste. I do like their creativity but their stuff just isn’t for me.
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any dish is going to be overrated if you stand in line for an hour to get it, but it’s not like these places have long lines 24/7. actually, almost all of them have short lines most of the day. if there isn’t a bar for me to wait at theres no way i’m waiting over half an hour. also, i’d definitely put burger joint in this category over shake shack, at least the burgers at shake shack are awesome.
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>any dish is going to be overrated if you stand in line for an hour to get it
Unless it’s free that is.
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Loved that sh*tshack, Artichoke, AND 53rd cart ALL made that list.
I wouldn’t put junior’s on it. Anyone who likes cheesecake will like Junior’s. It’s quality cheesecake–perhaps too pricey–but no doubt it’s good.
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This is how I know my initial thoughts are correct: if Goats hates it, everyone who likes it must be right. Not only are those three places purveyors of top meals in their respective fields of expertise, there’s rarely a line if you choose your location. (And hell, if you don’t like the artichoke slice, the margherita is excellent as well.)
Half the Zagat piece seems to be “if there’s a long line it must be overrated.” What terrible writing.
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Magnolia cupcakes really aren’t good at all. The cake tastes like cornbread and the frosting is way too sweet. The cupcakes are probably the worst thing that you can buy at Magnolia, but the one thing most people buy.
My wife and I have made the magnolia recipe cupcakes and they came out pretty true to the original. Then we found a slightly modified version of the recipe and the cake was so much better.There are mom and pop bakeries all over the place that are way cheaper, and churn out better product.
I also totally agree with the assessment of Rickshaw. Ok food, but not filling and way too expensive.
As for Shake Shack, the Shroom Burger is way better than their hamburger.
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I think it’s a great list. I agree with every one of the items that I’ve tried, even the ones I liked:
Famous halal–good, yes, but it’s just street meat. Better than most, but not by that much.
Momofuku buns–delicious, yes, but the price is just a nasty joke. This is not high-class cuisine here.
Magnolia cupcakes–I might be the only person on this site who actually likes them (mainly for the frosting; the cake is frequently dry–like at most cupcakes shops–but I’ve had better luck with red velvet). Still overrated.
Momofuku desserts–if you like these, why don’t you just go home and dip a stick of butter in a bag of sugar and bake it?
artichoke basille–I don’t understand why people like this at all. In a city with so much good pizza, who asked for this stuff?
Shake Shack–No comment necessary.
Rickshaw and Serendipity–don’t need to try them to know not to try them.
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Pretty much agree with everything on the list, although I’m a huge fan of that artichoke pizza. It’s something I only allow myself a few times a year, but it’s a crave-able pie. Usually over-the-top rich experiences like this gross me out, but this pizza transcends the richness and I kinda love it.
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Chowhound, Midtown Lunch and Zagat themselves also belong on the list
Personally I think that the article is really lacking, but if there is one thing I can agree with is that most of anything I ever gotten from Momofuku is, sometimes vastly overrated, especially their Milk Bar. I can only assume that anyone who raves about the latter had been deprived of good and flavorful desserts & food all of their lives as children. I couldn’t have even imagined growing up and being deprived of good moist cake or ice cream that doesn’t taste like shit. The pork buns are all right, but they are really expensive.
If there is one thing I really like it’s the scallion ginger and there’s a red sauce that they have which I think is really good. It serves as a significant upgrade to the items I have ever had from there.
I know some people like to trash popular things simply because it’s popular, but I had no idea about David Chang’s following or reputation. I just base my opinions off of the food I was eating. I’m sure that he’s a nice guy and the man is a hard worker, but I just think that some people are just ridiculous.
Also, don’t even get me started on the travesty that are Magnolia’s cupcakes. Every time I bring someone there I tell them to get anything else, BUT the cupcakes. I don’t even know how it’s humanly possible to make cupcakes taste even more dry than sand.