Chicken Bar vs. Ranch1 (The Epic Battle!!!)
I love Ranch 1. I wrote about it a few weeks ago, and while I know not everyone is on board- I stand behind what I originally said. If you are looking for a grilled chicken sandwich, that tastes like real chicken, and french fries that taste like they are made from real potatoes (plus you don’t mind a chicken breast that has been pounded thin before being grilled) then Ranch 1 is your place. It’s one of the few fast food places my wife actually likes (loves is a more appropriate word)- and any place she’s into, where I can “get fries with that”, is alright with me! (Click here to read the original Ranch 1 post)
So, you can imagine my confusion when I started seeing these new Chicken Bar’s popping up. The first one, I saw on 8th Ave. and 45th St…. and then another on 52nd and Lexington. Same colors… similar logo… it’s chicken. Very strange. I couldn’t believe that this new chain was clearly ripping off Ranch 1. Did they really think that their chicken sandwich was going to be that much better to support 2 chicken chains like this in the city??? I decided a visit was in order, and last week I headed to this “Chicken Bar” with every intention of pitting it against Ranch1 in a “one on one” fast food chicken battle of death. (I would have liked to have made it a 3 man battle royale, but sadly there is no Chick Fil-A in Midtown…)
Arriving at the Chicken Bar on Lexington & 52nd, I was reminded again of how similar the logos are to each other. Both have got the yellow, red and white thing going… but the Chicken Bar sign is clearly newer- and a bit nicer. I like the abstract, “hidden” chicken head in the Ranch1 logo, over the obvious big chicken in the Chicken Bar logo, but a vinyl awning can’t touch the class of a 3-D neon style sign. Chicken Bar 1, Ranch1 Zero.
Both places have “employees” giving out $1 off coupons around the corner from their respective restaurants. I think it’s pretty obvious who wins this one. No offense to the lady on the right… I’m sure she cleans up real nice- but she is clearly not a gigantic yellow chicken. Ranch 1 ties it up… One to One.
The truth is, who cares about the coupons, and the signs and the big yellow chicken (well, actually- I care about the chicken so that’s a bad example). The food is the most important. What I ordered, and conclusion of the fierce battle that will literally cause your brain to explode in disbelief…. after the jump.
Posted by Zach at 5:55 am, October 9th, 2006 under *8th Ave. btw. 45+46th, 52nd btw Lex+3rd, Sandwiches.
A little while after discovering Tuck Shop hidden inside the CyberCafe, I noticed another sign go up in the window. “Madeleine ‘The Crepe Lady’. Making Crepes Wednesday -Sunday 10am to 4pm”. I’m intrigued. Tell me more, oh window of the CyberCafe… An article posted next to the sign went in depth about this “Crepe Lady” who served up delicious crepes in a kiosk in Central Park. Well apparently she’s at the CyberCafe now… and Central Park’s loss, is Midtown’s gain!
Tuck Shop in the CyberCafe was weird enough. But now this place has got a “Crepe Lady”. Total craziness… what kind of internet cafe is this??? But who am I to argue with this kind of deliciousness. Thankfully I didn’t let the surroundings fool me into not trying a crepe, because Madeleine is the real deal. And by real deal I mean this sweet, charming, amazing “Crepe Lady” is actually from Brittany… the birthplace of crepes. And she’s been making these French treats since she was 13 years old! I think it’s safe to say she knows what she’s doing.
It’s been a few months since I last ate at 
I remember when my wife was deciding where to go to Law School. She had been accepted into a few different schools, and it was between Tulane and some other places. I can’t remember the other ones, because the choice seemed pretty clear to me- go to New Orleans. I remember saying “When are you going to have another opportunity to go, and live somewhere as cool as New Orleans for three years of your life”. The truth is, I had no idea what I was talking about. I had never been there, and didn’t really know anything about the place… but as luck would have it, I ended up being right. 
Raw oysters and boiled crawfish at Harbor Seafood (in Kenner) , The Roast Duck Po’Boy at Crabby Jack’s, Fried Chicken at Dunbar’s (the greatest fried chicken I’ve ever eaten), Raw Oysters at 
I mention that one last because when we moved to NYC, we were incredibly excited to hear that there was a Jacques-Imo’s on the Upper West Side. And while the restaurant isn’t owned by Jacques (according to the website they “licensed the concept”), they serve his famous fried chicken. The food is not terrible, but it’s more like a frat boy sports bar then anything that resembles the culinary destination that is the real Jacques-Imo’s. Despite being disappointed by the dinner at the UWS restaurant, we still decided to try Jacques-Imo’s To Geaux (get it?) in the Grand Central Terminal Food Court. We figured, how hard can it be to make fried chicken and a decent po’boy? (Especially when you don’t have to worry about losing points because of the decor…)
I think I’ve said this before, but I’m going to say it again. I love food courts. What’s there not to like? It’s like 20 cheap restaurants, all under the same roof. Sure I always get the Chinese food, or the Chinese food knock off (bourbon chicken I’m looking at you)… but having the options (whether you use them or not) is great- because if you go with other people, everyone can get what they want. So when I want Chinese food (which I always do), my wife and I can go to a food court even if she doesn’t want Chinese food, because there’s other things for her to get! It’s a fool proof scheme…
There aren’t many food courts in Manhattan (you’ve gotta go to a mall in the suburbs for that), but there are a few. And one, that seems like it should be amazing, is the Grand Central Terminal Food Court. One walk through this place, and you’ll think you’ve died and gone to food court heaven. No wasted space on generic fast food joints like McDonalds or BK, and they have all the requisite food options (Chinese, Sushi, Indian, Cajun, Caribbean, BBQ, Pizza, and more.) 
My boss is constantly asking me where he can get a good burger in Midtown. He knows I write this blog, and he thinks I have some sort of insight- but the truth is, he has been working in this area a lot longer then I have- so I’m pretty useless.
I had lunch for the first time at Maharaja the other day, an Indian dive on 45th st. btw. Lexington & 3rd. Maharaja, you say? I’ve walked down that street many times and never seen a place called Maharaja… Well, that’s because the awning doesn’t say Maharaja. That’s not memorable… and it’s a little too “nice” a name- especially for a dive like this. I don’t care what the take out menu says, I’ve always called it by the name on the awning- “Hurry and Tasty Curry”. 
How could you not? It’s a perfect name for this place. Say what you want about grammar, reading the name, you understand what kind of restaurant it is. During lunch, the food is all in steam plates, so it’s “hurry”, and a lot of the food is pretty tasty (I’m not going to vouch for all of it). Maybe it was meant to be “Hurry and Taste THE Curry” but the guy who made the sign heard them wrong. To add to the confusion, Menupages has two listings for the place, at the same address (133 E. 45th St.), Maharaja (
With that in mind, you can imagine my excitement when I read about the new FIKA Swedish Espresso Bar on 
So, Fashion Week is almost over, and despite it being only one block away from Bryant Park, I didn’t get my picture of a model eating at the Chicken & Rice Cart on 43rd and 6th ave. But it didn’t stop me from enjoying a medium order of delicious chicken, served over rice, at this Midtown street meat institution.