Gone are the coffeemakers, which have been replaced with convection ovens. The market that was in the left corner of the café is also now gone, making room for a larger amount of café-style seating, creating a nice atmosphere before you even order. The décor is more modern, utilizing a gray and beige paint scheme.
I had been to the Cosi in Union Square and enjoyed the experience, so when my friend and I went to try this new addition to Fordham Dining Services, I had high expectations. Thankfully these expectations were by and large met.
I started out by trying a strawberry smoothie, one drink option the Empire State Café never had. It was a tangy and sweet concoction. The flavor was strong and a bit overpowering at first, but it settled down after a couple of sips into a pleasant taste sensation. The smoothies here are a good complement to those at Jamba Juice and the Millennium Grille.
For my dinner, I had a margherita pizza, which I had enjoyed at the Cosi in Manhattan. When the food was served tableside (a nice touch on a college campus), the server said “Sorry for the wait,” a considerate acknowledgement that my order had taken longer than my friend’s. I was impressed with this courtesy, which was consistent with what I noticed at other tables.
The pizza itself was very good, comparable in taste to the Union Square Cosi. The dough was soft and fresh, which this bread lover appreciated. The pizza had a rich, flavorful tomato sauce, which threatened to overwhelm the milder mozzarella cheese, but the two ingredients soon blended into a nice duo. There was the perfect amount of basil, giving a smooth, hardy finish to the dish. The crust was crisp and crunchy, cooked just enough so that the edges were slightly burnt, which I loved.
My friend had a chicken pesto sandwich, which he liked because the meat was good and fresh. He said that the pesto and cheese were flavorful together, but that the individual tastes did not really come out. In short, he said it was better than a Sub Connection sandwich, but did not have much variety.
The chips that came with the sandwich were crunchy and similar to those given at restaurants of a similar ilk, like Panera. They were not spectacular, but this was OK since the
chips were a side dish rather than a specialty.
It was a good decision for Fordham to add Cosi during the Sodexo overhaul. There are some small issues in the early going, but by and large this is a good, modern restaurant which Fordham students should enjoy for years to come.
