Walking down 72nd Street one afternoon, my four year old son stopped suddenly. “I am SO hungry,” he declared dramatically, then, as if it were the most logical and natural course of action said, “Let’s go get a cupcake.”
Most recently located on 45th street, My Most Favorite Food (“MMFF”) has quickly become a staple of the Upper West Side, so much so that I had to follow his logic. We were hungry and it was right there and so easy… not to mention so tasty. Contrary to what a little kid might think, MMFF has much more than cupcakes to offer. Though even in the cupcake department, the diversity is exciting. Chocolate and vanilla cupcakes are available with a variety of different decorations and, depending on the day, they could be joined by lemon meringue, red velvet, or carrot cake counterparts. Other single-serving pastries include muffins, scones, meringues, brownies, and over a dozen kinds of cookies. If you don’t have a sap for a mommy, willing to buy sweets an hour before dinner time, the grab-and-go-counter has savory selections that vary day-to-day but consistently include salads and sandwiches.
If you don’t have to eat and run, stay a while. You’ll be glad that you did. The restaurant is sleek and bright, flooded by cheerful sunlight from extensive windows at the fore and aft. The décor is clean, simple and effortlessly eco friendly. Marble tables eliminate the need for table cloths or paper table covers, greatly reducing laundry and waste. Much of what is not reusable is recyclable or compostable. MMFF’s new location is sustainably green, one of many major steps in the restaurant’s evolution. MMFF has come a long way from its humble beginnings on Madison Avenue over thirty years ago.
The Upper West Side location is very family friendly. Not just popular for its cupcakes, the menu now has a kid’s section with selections for each meal, and high chairs are available upon request. Scott Magram, who co-owns the restaurant with his wife, Dena, illustrates the difference between the two locations. “Midtown was very corporate. We saw people on their way to meetings or Broadway shows. Here, people are more relaxed; they’re here for the dining experience.”
MMFF truly does provide that experience. Starting with its naturally glowing ambience, a meal at MMFF is truly rich. I recently had the opportunity to sample some of their lunch offerings and was certainly impressed. They say you can tell a lot about a restaurant by their bread basket. MMFF’s bread basket says that they are diverse, creative and reliable. The basket has always contained classic, hearty whole wheat bread, slightly sweet pumpernickel, and a pleasant walnut raisin. Recently added to the basket are breadsticks, light and crisp. All of this is served with a pot of butter. I found the pumpernickel was the best choice for mopping up the leavings of a bowl of tomato bisque soup, because I was certainly not going to let a drop go to waste. Scott says MMFF aims to deliver the best of comfort foods, and the soup is the epitome thereof. Warm, heavy, simple and delightful, this tomato bisque should come standard-issue with any brisk New York day.
Next, I sampled a few selections that are new to the menu. Dena describes running a restaurant as an evolving process with new items constantly being introduced and developed. She and Scott work on the recipes together. Three veggie burgers have been in the works for three weeks and are finally ready for public consumption. First, I had the chickpea burger, which years of Israeli food conditioned me to expect to taste like falafel. I was surprised to find its flavor stood apart from its pita-bound counterpart, and it was perfectly complimented by ketchup and onions. I then tried the portabella burger, lightly marinated, grilled and topped with cheddar cheese, frizzled onions and aioli. Hearty and juicy, this burger evoked some of the experience of eating a beef burger, while the bite of cheddar kept me firmly grounded in the dairy world. Finally, I tried the quinoa burger, topped with alfalfa sprouts and a garlicky yogurt sauce. This is the dish that I felt exemplified the MMFF. Made from scratch with fresh ingredients, like everything in the restaurant, this innovative recipe was delightful and satisfying. A veggie-burger may be standard fare, but MMFF’s take on it is anything but mundane.
For dessert, I tried another new menu item: what Dena calls, “A nouveau-chic devil dog.” The Whoopie Pie is two layers of chocolate with a marshmallow cream filling. Flaky, creamy and just delicious, this blows away anything I might have found in my lunch box as a child. The Whoopie Pie is surprisingly parve and joins the long list of desserts that may make you say, “Are you sure there’s no dairy in this?” Mention the chocolate-peanut butter tart to anyone who works there, and you’ll get the same answer, “Oh, that’s my favorite!” With so many choices, though, it’s hard to pick just one favorite. Available whole or by the slice, there is something for everyone. Have a look in the cake case, and you’ll surely find the perfect finale to any meal. If you are hosting and need a dish or dessert sure to impress, MMFF delivers all over the city.
The Magrams aim to make MMFF a place that everyone can enjoy. Dena says she wants MMFF to “appeal to everyone – not just the kosher consumer. Everyone should have the opportunity to eat wonderful food.” While its unique menu gives it special appeal to the kosher consumer (how many dairy restaurants aren’t Italian or bagel places?), the excitement of their fresh, exceptional food attracts from across the spectrum. To accommodate a broad range, the menu will be expanding to include several vegan and gluten free items, as well as fish items like Tuna Bolognese for customers more accustomed to meat dishes. If you can’t find what you’re looking for on the menu, just ask. Selections change every day, and recipes are constantly in development, so many items are available upon request.
Grab and go, sit and enjoy, sweet or savory, you’ll soon be calling this little piece of 72nd street your most favorite, too.
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