April 22, 2009 8:55 pm

Good Enough to Eat

When times are tough, we seek comfort in the most familiar places, like the dessert case. When Divya invited me to join her for a lunch of comfort food, I was elated. What could be better than cheesy mac n' cheese and gooey chocolate cake? Leftovers, of course!

We met at Good Enough to Eat, an Upper West Side dining staple since 1981. What started as a restaurant with Belgian classics has turned into one of New York's hottest brunch spots. The walls of this pint-sized eatery were adorned with glass jars and papier-mache butterflies, giving the place that comfortable, worn-in vibe. Chef and owner, Carrie Levin sat down with us to go over the menu. Everything sounded good enough to eat!

We decided to go with the chopped salad, as that is Carrie's favorite. For something a little more indulgent, we ordered the four cheese macaroni and cheese, and a burger with melted mozzarella. We were each starving, as we had both eaten only cereal all day in anticipation of our lunch. While we waited for our meal, I took in the sounds of two culinary trained ladies talking shop. Divya and Carrie compared notes about cooking school, their favorite instructors, and the stories of their success. I picked up a few tid bits, including that you should always fry your spices to bring out their flavor, and that raw or steamed cabbage prevents breast cancer. I now have a reason to overindulge in Cole slaw all summer long.

The salad arrived first. It was so massive that we had to rearrange the table just to make room. The glass bowl was filled to the brim with crisp, bright Romaine, turkey, bacon, carrots, celery, corn, cheesy cheeses, and a house mustard vinaigrette. The combination of colors was beautiful, like spring in a bowl.

The macaroni and cheese came next. There was a dark crust atop the layer of pasta that left both Divya and I salivating. With my fork, I broke through the layer of crunchy goodness and caught a few pieces of pasta. It was marvelous. The flavors of sharp cheddar, mozzarella, parmesan, and gruyere all melded together to form a cheesy delight. This is comfort food at its best.

We each took half of the 8 oz burger which came on a homemade roll. In fact, everything at Good Enough to Eat is homemade, as they do all their baking on the premises daily. The burger was perfectly juicy and the flavors of the meat were enhanced by the melted mozzarella, rather than camouflaged as they might be by a sharper cheese. The fresh bun has a fluffier texture than the store bought version, and little grains on the top, which added even more flavor.

Just as I was reaching the point of being stuffed, Divya popped out of the booth and dashed for the dessert case.

Five pieces of cake were delivered to our table, and one was better than the next. German chocolate cake, banana walnut cake, coconut cake, oh my! A vanilla cake with chocolate ganache had little bites of almond in the body, which gave the cake an interesting texture. All of the cakes were deliciously moist and sweet, but the banana walnut was definitely my favorite. Carrie informed us that there are several pounds of bananas in every cake, which gives each slice a super banana taste. Frosted with a sweet butter cream and topped off with more nuts, this cake was the epitome of comfort food. We were not able to finish all of our desserts, but Divya did take the leftovers home for a sweet ending to her day. After all, you cannot let chocolate cake go to waste.

Alexis Popov

Good Enough to Eat
483 Amsterdam Ave
At 83rd St.
New York, NY 10024
(212) 496-0163

— Written by Alexis Popov

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