Cosi

[Rosie]

Cosi recently opened on Rt. 10 in Livingston. I understand that this is a chain restaurant similar to Panera. If I was "on the road" and looking for a quick light lunch I would dine here. I had a Cobb salad which was fresh and served with the dressing on the side. There was more lettuce than chicken, bacon, and cheese but it filled me up. They also serve a crusty flatbread with their salads. The coffee was excellent. Some items such as "cosidillas", pasta, and pizza pies are available after 5 PM. Anyone been?

[tommy]

cosi took over manhattan about 4 yrs ago. they are as ubiquitous as starbucks at this point.

as far as their sandwiches go, i think they offer some interesting ingredients. and you get to choose everything that goes on. however, that bread, to me, is too hard and too much over all. personally i'd prefer their fillings on a light baguette. but then again, i'm just great.

[jhlurie]

Ah yes, Cosi. Home of the $8.99 sandwich.

[phaelon56]

I like their fillings and their bread but not together. I'm with jhlurie on the sandwich price..... $8.99 - WHAT? My MO is to eat lots of the free bread samples in line and then get a cup of coffee. They do a half decent job with coffee unlike Starbucks. Somethign they are doing that's nice - many of the urban locatiosn now have a full service liquor bar that opens in the evening. I have friends who drink and I don't - it's nice to have a place where I can get my evening caffeine fix and they can have cocktails.

Should I mention that you can order s'mores to make at your table, complete with miniature hibachi to toast the marshmallows?

[201]

Should I mention that you can order s'mores to make at your table, complete with miniature hibachi to toast the marshmallows?

YES you most certainly should! Do you know if they have s'mores at all of their locations in Manhattan? If so, I'm definitely heading there tomorrow night, but it's going to have to be one of the locations that's open until 2 am.

[thereuare]

I don't think they serve s'mores at every NYC location, but i'm fairly certain they DO serve smores at their location which is near (not certain of axact cross streets) ~12th St and 5th Ave, across the street from a movie theater and just south of Union Square Park.

Hope i helped rather than confused, but i remember being at this location and seeing s'mores, but i didn't remember where it was exactly.

[201]

I don't think they serve s'mores at every NYC location, but i'm fairly certain they DO serve smores at their location which is near (not certain of axact cross streets) ~12th St and 5th Ave, across the street from a movie theater and just south of Union Square Park.

Hope i helped rather than confused, but i remember being at this location and seeing s'mores, but i didn't remember where it was exactly.

I think you mean 13th and Broadway (according to their website) which is very helpful since that's one of the locations which is open until 2 am. I think I'm just going to call the others to be sure.

[201]

Update: There are about 6 full-service Manhattan locations which would definitely have the full menu (including s'mores!). Of course this is the NJ forum, so maybe I should just mention that there's also a location in Jersey City on Washington Blvd. and plans for more locations in Englewood, Morristown, and Woodbridge.

They even have the exact locations mapped out already.

I'll know more (about the s'mores at least) tomorrow night.

[Aurora]

Cosi has also exploded in Chicago in the last year or so. A number of them have taken over spaces that were once occupied by failed Boston Markets. I can think of one Cosi that has already come and gone.

My first experience with Cosi was in Paris in 1996 (54 rue de Seine, 6th Arrondissment). At the time it was listed as a great place for cheap, quick eats in a number of travel guides, so I went to check it out. Then it was a one and only, and Drew Harre, the owner, was very hands-on as was his daughter.

Much like the franchises, the Paris original has a similar color scheme and decor, but it is more quaint--smaller, cozier, not at all commercial. The art hung on the walls is for sale. The stone hearth used for baking the bread is at the back. There is an espresso machine, soft drinks, bottled water, and a wonderful selection of wines and aperitifs.

On my 1996 visit to Paris, I stopped in one evening when Drew Harre (a New Zealander by birth) was there. I wanted guacamole on my sandwich, and I was having difficulty pronouncing it. He kindly stepped in and bridged the gap of my poor French and the clerk's poor English (all of it very convivial). While I was waiting for my sandwich, he invited me to share a glass of white burgundy. It was really wonderful wine, but that is all that I can remember about it. My sandwich was delicious and reasonably priced. I came in several more times during my stay. I have gone back on every visit since then (it has been a while since my last visit). I have always been quick to recommend it to friends when they go to Paris.

Though I don't wish to sound negative, my memories of the original Cosi color my impressions of the current Starbucks-like level that Cosi has been taken to in the US. I realize that some of what I react to is the result of an American, commercialized touch, but it still makes me a little sad. I'm not sure how I feel about the s'mores and the squagels. The people behind the counter know very little about the ingredients that they are working with or how certain things are prepared (some of it comes pre-made). They are just taking orders. I have yet to be in one that was not junky and poorly kept. My last visit resulted in a slapped together sandwich with a hefty price, and the signage bugs me to no end (then again, signage like that bugs me whenever I see it).

Perhaps I am being unrealistic and harsh. At the risk of sounding snobby, I must stick with the one in Paris. On paper, the idea of turning Cosi into a chain is a great idea. In practice it seems to have run amuck. I admit to the difficulty involved in applying mass-production to an original idea and maintaining the same levels of quality. It really can't be done--that's what uniqueness is all about. I'm sure the idea was not to create carbon copies of the original, but rather something along those lines. In that way, Cosi works. It certainly does a great business with the lunch and late hours crowds. I see the chain as a completely different entity from the original. The difference is definitely clear in the quality of the product, the service, the price and the atmosphere.

Drew Harre started another restaurant, Fish, that is directly across the street from the original Cosi in Paris. Has anyone been there?

[201]

I went to the Cosi at Broadway & 76th on Friday night to have some s'mores. I must say, it was a perfect night for them! Cool and rainy outside, but I'm sitting on a couch toasting marshmallows and sipping on a vanilla steamer. I foresee myself doing this A LOT in the coming winter months (which I hope will be colder than last winter).

Just a note of preference here, they have both graham crackers and oversized Oreo crackers available for s'more-making. We had a sampling of both and all three of us agreed that the graham crackers make for the far superior experience. We actually left a bunch of the Oreos sitting in the wooden tray.

I can't comment on anything else about this chain, but maybe I'll be able to after going back for some more s'mores!

[Rail Paul]

Cosi has also exploded in Chicago in the last year or so.  A number of them have taken over spaces that were once occupied by failed Boston Markets.  I can think of one Cosi that has already come and gone.

That's interesting.

McDonald's bought Boston Market for less than the value of the real estate in their owned properties. Some have been converted to Mickey D, others left as Boston Markets, and a few sold. They've expanded the franchise by selling Boston Market broths in the supermarkets, chicken and sides in the freezer section, etc I believe Heinz licenses the supermarket products.

McD is a minority investor in Cosi USA, so the location conversion makes sense

[phaelon56]

McD is a minority investor in Cosi USA, so the location conversion makes sense

To horrify the squeamish among you even further.... should I mention.... aw hell, I'll just say it: McDonalds has added an "espresso bar" to their glitzy new 42nd Street location in NYC!!!

Yes, it's small and cheesy and focuses mostly on sweetened hot chocolate variations and prepackaged cookies, pastries and biscotti. It also uses a Nescafe product with a superauto machine. I don't plan on trying the drinks as it's likely to be far inferior to Starbucks (which ain't too great) but it does serve as an indication of how far espresso and coffee drinks have penetrated into popular culture.

By the way - the Cosi at Broadway and 12th does have 'smores and it's a very lively place (albeit with a young and noisy crowd whereas I am relatively old and comatose). I agree that they've likely lost something as they have become a widespread chain but they still offer some worthwhile things in a pleasant enough atmosphere. Considering the alternatives that are often available it ends up being the least of possible evils for me when I'm in certain areas.

[dbrociner]

I work up the street, on Rt 10 in East Hanover, and we are always looking for a new lunch place as we're all burned out on the restaurants in the area. We've done Cosi take out a few times. It's a riot. The place is so noisey that they can't hear you. You end up screaming your order, and then screaming it again. I wanted to substitute American cheese for Swiss on a "Cosi Melt", I was told that the only kind of American cheese they had was cheddar. I screamed back that this was ok. The food is good, not great, and I'm not expecting that much. Ice tea and lemonade could both be better, especially for the price. Place is as you all have described but its filled with the Livingston crowd so I think they'll be around for a while.

Don't know if anyone has mentioned this but David Alan's just off Rt. 10 in East Hanover is better. They've had a catering business for a long time and just recently opened a retail shop. I tend to order normal deli sandwiches, ie: ham and cheese or roast beef and not the fancy sandwiches they have on the board. You get more meat for less money. I can't explain but I've got lots of experience. We eat there at least twice a week. Soup is good too, expensive at $3.00 a cup but good.

[nervousnelli]

I'd rather take my chances eating at a Mom 'n Pop deli than contribute to the takeover by the mega-chains.

[201]

I'd rather take my chances eating at a Mom 'n Pop deli than contribute to the takeover by the mega-chains.

Sure, but find me a mom and pop deli where I can go get s'mores at 1 in the morning!

[jhlurie]

I'd rather take my chances eating at a Mom 'n Pop deli than contribute to the takeover by the mega-chains.

Sure, but find me a mom and pop deli where I can go get s'mores at 1 in the morning!

Wouldn't graham crackers, chocolate, marshmallows, a microwave oven or stove-top, and the comforts of your own home do? Why do you need to go out for something like s'mores--you can just buy the ingredients.

[Rail Paul]

To horrify the squeamish among you even further.... should I mention.... aw hell, I'll just say it: McDonalds has added an "espresso bar" to their glitzy new 42nd Street location in NYC!!!

Yes, it's small and cheesy and focuses mostly on sweetened hot chocolate variations and prepackaged cookies, pastries and biscotti. It also uses a Nescafe product with a superauto machine. I don't plan on trying the drinks as it's likely to be far inferior to Starbucks (which ain't too great) but it does serve as an indication of how far espresso and coffee drinks have penetrated into popular culture.

I visited a McDonald's cafe in Dublin, Ireland a few weeks ago. Lots of dark wood and brass trim, several levels of stools, benches, nooks, etc.

Didn't try the coffee, of which there were several choices, or the desserts, of which there were many.

[201]

Wouldn't graham crackers, chocolate, marshmallows, a microwave oven or stove-top, and the comforts of your own home do?  Why do you need to go out for something like s'mores--you can just buy the ingredients.

Microwaved s'mores? For shaaaaaaame!

If I was to go out specifically just to eat s'mores, then I would most likely buy all of my ingredients and go find or make a campfire someplace to cook them. However, since I love s'mores, I think it's great that I can have them without leaving the city for the evening.

[dknyc1]

Anyone know of this place?

I saw it opening next to Baumgarts.

I think it is same as in NYC.

Anyone have info?

[menton1]

This is a chain-type place which is a Coffee Bar with sandwiches and salads. I only went to one in Philadelphia, and we walked out, because the place was absolutely FILTHY; the milk & sugar station had garbage overflowing onto the bar and on the floor. The tables were filthy, and the food looked rather unsavory and pricey.

I've heard from friends that the food is not a good value-- with all the great choices in Englewood-- Bennie's, Moon Street, It's Greek to Me-- for light and inexpensive fare, I don't know how this place will make it. Even Starbucks is preferable!!

[Rail Paul]

There's a location in Livingston. NJ 10 East, just east of Circuit City, adjacent to the Gateway store.

OK place, didn't seem unclean, food was decent. Didn't see any compelling reason to hurry back. I believe mcDonald's is an investor.

[thereuare]

This chain is known for their bread, which is thin and crunchy.

Their sandwiches are good, but not worth the price they charge for them, which run about $8-$11.

[Rachel Perlow]

We stopped by Cosi for dessert tonight, had the s'mores. Very fun and yummy. Of course you could make them for yourself at home, but it was a fun & chatty activity. I think it would be great for a date. Not a first date, but a second or third date, sure.

BTW - jhlurie was with us and was surprised at the prices. Apparently the sandwich prices at the Englewood location are significantly less than the NYC locations.

They also have a website: https://www.getcosi.com/

Unique gift idea: S’mores Kit by Mail, $65, includes everything but the sterno.

[phaelon56]

Not sure if the Englewood location is doing this but they have a great concept at the Union Square location (Broadway and 15th across from the movie theatre just south of the Square) . It's sandwiches (good but horrendously overpriced - the bread is the real attraction) and coffee drinks duringf the day but they have a full bar at night. Finally.... a place where us teetotalers (or espresso fiends) can hang out with our imbibing friends in the evening and no compromise - everyone gets the kind of drink they want and those 'smores at the table with the miniature hibachi really are a cool idea. I don't necessarily like the execution/organization of these Cosi's but they have some good ideas.

[herbacidal]

Not sure if the Englewood location is doing this but they have a great concept at the Union Square location (Broadway and 15th across from the movie theatre just south of the Square) . It's sandwiches (good but horrendously overpriced - the bread is the real attraction) and coffee drinks duringf the day but they have a full bar at night.

yea, that's their normal M.O.

originally, they were just coffee shop that converted to bar, as i recall.

or at least xando was.

they they merged with cosi, and the the cafe part was added, with all the on premise stuff.