Midtown Lunch

Back in December, I posted about a LivingSocial deal at Calista Superfoods. Since I hadn’t been yet, I bought it, and promptly forgot about it. Well, I rediscovered my expired deal the other day, and since after they expire you can still redeem them for the amount paid, I headed over to see what I’ve been missing out on. The menu is reminiscent of Energy Kitchen, and consists of ‘healthy’ wraps, burgers, salads, etc. Based on my own experiences and what’s been written on the downtown site about that place, I went in with extremely low expectations and was actually pleasantly surprised.

After careful consideration, I chose the Salmon California Wrap ($8.95). It contains a baked salmon filet, avocado, cucumbers, brown rice, teriyaki sauce, and toasted black sesame seeds. Since I considered the price of my deal a sunk cost at that point, I went for it and added two sides for an extra $3.95: roasted vegetables and spinach with zucchini puree.

Since I’ve been to Energy Kitchen and have experienced their dismal portions, I was actually blown away by the amount of food I got. The wrap was pretty good, my only complaint was that it was a little too heavy on the tortilla and rice and could’ve used some more veggies…maybe some onion to punch it up a bit. But for the most part I was pleased. The teriyaki sauce was very flavorful, the salmon wasn’t overcooked, and the crunchy cucumber added a nice textural contrast. The avocado was a little sparse, though.

The veggie sides were pretty forgettable but added some extra substance to the meal. The roasted vegetables were mostly cauliflower and carrots and were pretty dry, I’m guessing because they don’t put enough (any?) olive oil on it to keep that calorie count down. The spinach was cooked well – sauteed but not to the point of mushy and soggy. The zucchini puree that coated it was a little weird though, very bland and baby food-ish.

Overall, this is an okay lighter option if you’re feeling a little guilty or don’t want to be loaded down in the afternoon. I’ll probably go back to try a couple more options, but I have yet to determine if it will merit a coveted spot in my permanent rotation.

The + (what someone who likes this place would say):

• The food is pretty tasty, and healthy to boot!
• The portions are decent, and it’s relatively reasonably priced.
• There’s a lot of variety for a health food place.

The – (what someone who doesn’t like this place would say):

• “Superfoods?” Please. This is Midtown Lunch!
• No olive oil on the roasted vegetables? Is that legal?
• Where is my avocado?

Calista Superfoods, 301 E. 49th St (btw 2+1st), (212) 223-1050