The Order:
I’m gonna let you in on a little secret about why I love ordering SeamlessWeb for Pick Up: It’s about freedom. No longer are you constrained by delivery areas or delivery minimums. Any restaurant you can get to is a restaurant you can order from. Today, that restaurant was FreeFoods NYC, a place, wait for it, that does not deliver to SeamlessWeb HQ. I wanted something different, something fresh, and something healthy. A success on all three counts. AnnMarie and I perused the Daily and Weekly Specials (a SeamlessWeb feature that we were happy to see used to full effect) and both picked one. She opted for the Seasonal Sandwich, a banh mi (so hot right now), while I went for a half-pound of Orecchiette Pasta, along with a cup of the always available Chipotle Spiced Sweet Potato Soup.
The Meal:
I had a nice stroll to and from the restaurant and admit that I felt a little smug satisfaction skipping the long line and grabbing my food to go (although they should make it a little more clear where to pick up orders). Once back at HQ, AnnMarie and I dug into our meals. I started with the soup and it was simply excellent. Sweet potato soup is one of my favorites, and I really liked what FreeFoods did with the extra kick from the spicy chipotle and lime cream flavors, along with the different texture of the blue corn tortilla chips. I dipped the bowl clean with the sourdough bread that came with the soup. The orecchiette was a good pasta salad dish with stellar ingredients (goat cheese sauce, prosciutto, baby carrots, and some sort of purple broccoli), but overall it was a bit too creamy for my tastes.
The bahn mi is traditionally known for being a cheap sandwich, but that ain’t the case here. However, you’re paying for quality at FreeFoods, and the quality is top notch. AnnMarie, showing again her love of sandwiches, gave this one high marks all around for the well-planned combination of textures, sweetness, and spiciness among the ingredients, which ranged from Vietnamese marinated chicken to pickled carrots. Of course, the fact that it was all served on a Sullivan Street Bakery baguette definitely played a key role in her enjoyment too. Never forget the importance of bread on a sandwich!
FreeFoods NYC offers high quality organic ingredients and a wide variety of creative dishes that change with what’s fresh. In addition, they have an extensive vegetarian, vegan, and even raw menu. If that sounds like something you might be interested in, know that you will have to pay the price (good food doesn’t always come cheap), but it’s worth it.
FYI – We’re located near Bryant Park in case you want to try FreeFoods NYC for yourself or give us recommendations for future orders!