Grill 44 (on 44th btw. Lex+3rd) joined the kati roll revolution back in 2008 by adding ‘Indian burritos’ to their usual stream tray assortment of samosas, curries, lamb vindaloo and tikka masala. Now 44G is packing even more into their tiny storefront by serving a South Indian menu. It’s always dubious when a restaurant adds too many different items to one menu, but 44G seem to be pulling it off. I’m not a dosa expert by any means, but my taste buds know flavorful delicious food… so I set forth to expand my horizons.

Each dosa is made to order and the cooks are congenial and seem to take pride in what they serve. I went with the Masala Dosa for $7.95. It a thin rice and lentil crepe stuffed with seasoned potatoes served with sambhar, coconut milk and mint chutney.

My first thought was that’s pretty pricey for something that doesn’t even come with meat. However, those thoughts vanished when I saw how enormous this bulging torpedo looked once I pulled it out.

Each piece of potato was infused with a yellow saffron spiced coating. Mixed in were grilled onions, peas and some bits of herbs (maybe cilantro or parsley?) I didn’t care much for the watery coconut dressing, and the fairly small cup of sambhar I could take or leave, but the spicy mint sauce was excellent and added some heat to this potato packed starch fest.

For a vegetarian lunch, you’d be surprised how tasty and filling this dosa can be. If you feel extra gluttonous, I’d pick up a small order of samosas ($3.95) or an egg and chicken tikka kathi roll for an afternoon snack ($5.50.)

Related:
Grill 44 Brings Kathi Rolls to Midtown East

Welcome to Macchiato Espresso Bar on 44th Street, the last thing you’d expect to discover in discover in midtown. Coming in from 3rd Avenue, the bright blue entrance looks like some sort of strange oasis. The Bar exudes a Euro-trash meets midtown business vibe. Music is energetic, and the counter service is knowledgeable, efficient. Prices are high, though quality justifies to a certain extent.

I was most excited to learn that they bake all pastries and bread in-house. However, house-baked is no guarantee of deliciousness, and you can rest in peace knowing that these sweets are not worth your money. Muffins are reminiscent of saran wrapped deli versions, and the croissants are limp and heavy. Chocolate cigars showed slight promise for potential, but failed with smothers of gritty chocolate wrapped between over-greasy layers of doughy filo. They seem to have good intention (it would be tons easier to outsource) but ought to find someone who knows they’re way around the pasty kitchen. Unless you have liquid chocolate in mind, venture elsewhere for dessert.

When you stand at the register to pay, look directly to the front and there you’ll see a glass contraption swirling hot chocolate with a creamy thickness akin to City Bakery. The chocolate is served hot, or over ice. If you have it cold, they swirl in a little whole milk to “thin” it out to drinking consistency. Wonderful cold on a summer day, and doubtlessly enough calories for lunch alone. Or breakfast, if you’d please. The chocolate is milk, sweet, very sweet. It’ll never be among my favourites, but like the espresso, it clearly stands above peers in midtown.

Espresso is bold but errs on the side of bitter, and while one is guaranteed to find better downtown cousins (think Abraco, Everyman, 9th Street), Macchiato pulls a fine, if not memorable version. For a jolt on the go, you might want to pick up a Pocket Coffee, previously blogged by Zach on Serious Eats.

What I enjoyed most, surprisingly enough, were the salads. I’m not a “salad person,” but I know a good thing when I see it, and for the price of a comparable dish at say, Just Salad, or one of those fancy midtown salad bars, Macchiato fares quite well. Pictured above is the avocado salad. Priced just under $10, it is definitely not cheap, but it is a very filling salad made from good ingredients. Half an avocado, hearts of palm, sun-dried tomatoes, mushrooms, cherry tomatoes, and pine nuts, all tossed with baby arugula. I would advise opting for dressing on the side. I failed to do so, and ended up with a semi-gloppy mess towards the bottom.

Sandwiches are not much cheaper, running from $7.59 to $8.95. The Prosciutto is their best-seller, setting itself apart from the standard prosciutto sandwich with olive tapenade, and balsamic-dipped tomatoes. The sandwich forms a base with slices of (too thick) prosciutto de parma layered with fresh mozzarella, basil and avocado.

Both salads and sandwiches are made to order, which is more than what many spots offer at a similar price. Get it to stay, and make yourself comfortable (but not too comfortable) at one of the cafe tables or street facing seats. The design of the Macchiato Espresso Bar – from service to style, seems to declare, “enjoy yourself while you’re out of the office, but get back to work quick!”

Macchiato Espresso Bar, 141 E 44th St (btw. Lex+3rd), 212-867-6772

Photos and post by Kathy YL Chan.
See the rest of Kathy’s Midtown Lunch posts here.

Indus Express took the kati roll and tweaked it again when they opened up on 48th btw. 5+6th, serving up a more burrito’ish, larger creation filled with sauteed veggies and a fried egg. For those working on the west side, there was no shortage of these Indian wraps. But what about the folks on the east side who don’t have time to make the walk? Well, Grill 44 has stepped in to fill the East side void. Originally a Mediterranean take out place, specializing in falafel and shawarma, Grill 44 (on 44th btw. Lex+3rd) has now added Indian food to their menu- and one of the options now available is- you guessed it- Kathi Rolls.

While I’m normally wary of places that combine two types of cuisine under one roof, it appears as if each half of Grill 44 is run by its own set of cooks (although I’m not positive). In other words, it seems like it is actually two different restaurants, sharing the burdens of incredibly high Midtown rent. There is an Indian steam table, where you can get a pretty standard lunch special, plus all the original Mediterranean dishes Grill 44 has always offered. But I was there for the kathi rolls.

They offer 4 types of kathi rolls: potato, paneer tikka (cheese), chicken tikka, or a kebab, and they all ange in price from $4 to $5.50, with a discount offered if you order two of the same. According to the paper take out menu, you can get any two at lunch time for $8.95. Here are the two I went with:

The chicken tikka kathi roll

The paneer tikka kathi roll

The chicken tikka roll was good, but I was an even bigger fan of the paneer tikka. Normally you get this Indian cheese swimming in some sort of sauce- my favorite being the saag paneer (which is spinach). But in this form, you can actually taste the full flavor of the cheese- even though it’s covered in the same seasoning used on chicken tikka. The other thing I really liked about Grill 44 is they give you two sauces, a sweet chutney sauce and a spicy mint yogurt sauce, allowing you to go back and forth between the two flavors.

If you work in Midtown East, and don’t want to trek to the West side for a Kati Roll, or Chapati Roll, or the Indain burritos at Indus Express, now you don’t have to. Grill 44 is an excellent substitute, combining the best parts of all the places on the west side. The freshly prepared ingredients, and delicious paratha of Kati Roll combined with the multiple flavor combos you get from the different sauces you get at the Chapati Roll cart. If this keeps up, the kathi roll may become as common as chicken tikka masala.

THE +

• Kathi rolls on the East Side!
• They use fresh made paratha
• If you like paneer, this is one of the best uses of paneer I’ve ever had
• They give you two dipping sauces, both of which are delicious
• Spicy, but not too spicy.

THE -

• The place is tiny, and there are only a few bar stools to sit at
• When they get crowded, the ordering is a little disorganized, and they are known to get orders wrong. The kathi rolls are also made fresh, so it may take a little while. If you know what you want, you should call and order ahead…
• If you like your kathi rolls spicy, these are not as spicy as the original Kati Roll
• $9 for two rolls is a little expensive, and they are slightly smaller than Kati Roll
• Still greasy…

44 Grill, 160 E. 44th St. (btw. Lex+3rd), 212-949-0249

Everyone seems pretty excited about the prospect of burritos being just an elevator ride away- but I can't fall into that trap.  For me, Chipotle is like a bad Chinese Buffet.  I have to go back once every three months, and feel sick, to remind myself why I only go once every three months.  See, I distinctly remember what my brain told me the last time I ate Chiptole… "Never eat here again".  But that was three months ago, and my burrito starved body is wondering, "Maybe this time it will be different…everyone seems pretty excited… maybe I was wrong about Chipotle." 

And of course three months ago was actually a relapse of it's own.  A few months before that, I had just moved here from Los Angeles, and tried Chiptole for the first time.  My thought… "Never eat here again…"  That lasted about two months.  Why can't they make a decent burrito in this city!

I'm not saying Chiptole is a terrible burrito… but compared to the Burritos in L.A., they definetely fall short (no one would dispute that).  But I'm not even talking about the authentic Burrito shacks… I'm talking about the chains too.  Now if a Baja Fresh or Sharky's opened at the bottom of my building, then you'd see some excitement.  But alas, there is no Baja Fresh, and we'll just have to settle for Chipotle.

The +/- after the jump…

THE +

• They wrap the Burrito up properly, no fork and knife needed (a huge plus that many burrito places in NYC have not caught on to yet)
• A lot of different choices (Carnitas, Black or Pinto Beans, etc.)

THE -

• We're not in L.A. anymore pal, why can't you get that through your brain
• Why don't New York Burrito places give you free chips?  It's craziness.
• The "cilantro and lime" has a weird salt and lime flavor that just doesn't taste right.  It doesn't have to be authentic, just make it taste better
• A little expensive for a burrito (especially to add guacamole)… but I guess it's midtown so it's forgiveable.
• I can't pinpoint exactly why I don't like these burritos… there's just something not right.  Maybe that's what happens when McDonald's tries to make Burritos (yes, they are owned by McDonald's).

I have to say, I am a big fan of carnitas burritos (I love pork), and both of my bad trips to Chipotle were at the hands of carnitas burritos… so maybe it's not really a fair review.  Maybe I need to go back and try the chicken burrito, or steak burrito.  Yeah, that's it… I need to go back one more time.  Maybe just one more try…  I'll order the chicken or the steak.  I'm sure it will be good this time… Shut up brain- we're going to give Chipotle one more chance.

Chiptole, Coming in a few weeks (according to one of the workers) to 1221 Avenue of the Americas, 49th btw. 6th & 7th

Already open at these Midtown Locations:

• 9 West 42nd Street (btw. 5th & 6th) 212-354-6760
• 150 E. 44th Street (btw. Lex & 3rd) 212-682-9860
• 150 E. 52nd Street (btw. Lex & 3rd) 212-755-9754

Official Website [Chipotle.com]