Well, I guess they could have gone with Wet & Sloppy or Hard & Crappy, but these geniuses of culinary nomenclature gave birth to a chain that sounds just a little too much like an adjectival description of the clap. Further investigation proves that they were, in fact, going for some sort of fresh bread metaphor, but there are good reasons why you don’t name a funeral parlor Stiff & Decaying or a cheese shop Soft & Stinky. I mean, when have you ever heard the adjective “crusty” applied in a good way? Seriously, folks, didn’t anyone bring this up as an issue? Assuming that this chain started off purely as a bakery, I can see where they were going with it, but the execution was just poor. Well, these days they have moved beyond both hot and crusty. Now they have paninis, pizza, salads, stir-fry, sandwiches, soup and all manner of wrapped, tortilla’d and breaded whatnot. Sure, they still have elephant ears and croissants and stuff, but they are relegated to a glass case up front, and I’ve never once seen someone order a cupcake or anything from this place. You’d think with the Port Authority right across the street that they’d be perfectly situated to sell a lot of “hand food” like muffins, cookies, brownies, etc. Maybe they sell more of the baked items when the crowds come out in the morning and when they head home in the evening to wherever they’re going in Jersey. In any case, their sandwiches and wraps are serviceable, as are their salads, although none are particularly outstanding. This has just become one of those default places for me, as it’s close to my office and provides a wide array of food that hopefully won’t kill me with some strain of the bird flu or t.b. [MF]
606 8th Ave.
212/704-2106
hotandcrusty.com
