Serious Eats - seriouseats.com

Here's a voice from the Peanut Gallery (Los Angeles). On the West Side, Pho 99 at 11819 Wilshire Blvd, has excellent Banh Mi for about $4.95, delicious Pho, and many other Vietnamese dishes well prepared at low prices. Pleasant atmosphere with attractive art on the walls. Accommodating waiters, who take substitutions helpfully (noodles instead of rice in some standard dishes).
Don't be put off by seeming distance; it's their newly growing command of English that makes THEM uncomfortable. With a few seconds of effort they warm up and become quite friendly. And any back-and-forth when asking for substitutions is not reluctance, but an attempt to get your request clear in their mind despite any possible language barrier.

I've eaten there several times a month. Recently I was under the weather and their chicken soup Pho was a life-saver. it's not just from Jewish mothers.

@Pupster: I'm pretty sure 99% of Ed's reviews have prices in them. The difference this time was that none of the prices were online and we couldn't get in touch with someone who could tell them to us...but lesson learned for the future: take note of them while eating!

When you get to the downtown edition, the chocolate chip cookies from Jack's Stir Brew coffee are a must-try. I go to the location on Front Street by the Seaport. They are crisp on the edges, have a ton of chocolate, are slightly underbaked to ensure a gooey center, and have a deep, almost, caramel-like, burnt suger / brown butter bass note to them. I keep begging the staff to give me the recipe, but rumor has it that only Jack's aunt knows the recipe. She makes the batter, delivers it to the store, and the staff only bakes off the cookies to keep the recipe secret.

I am eating a Pret cookie right now and it is good but needs some more salt. I think the success of this cookie resides on the fact it is in a heated case (though that doesn't explain that it is still good when it cools down after being brought to the SE office). CURSES! What have they done to this cooooooooooookie to make it good. And this thing is 300 calories too. I wish they hadn't told me.

Yeah, you know lately i've been noticing the city bakery cookie going downhill. Along with other things..the food is getting old and tired. I hear this place has dodgy management..As far as i've been able to tell lately, the rumors are proving true..coming to the surface in the form of an overpriced, overhyped, pretentious product. :(

Not to be too harsh but I always thought City Bakery Chocolate Chip cookies tasted like stinky feet smell.

SO... against my better judgement...but following your lead.... I went over to Pret today. There must me some location specific magic happening because the cookie I got tasted no better than the toll house cookie rolls you buy at Gristedes and cook at home....right down to the slightly artificial preservative taste.

I'm still waiting for Jacques Torres to show up (Outer Borough I guess) and Le Pain Quotidien.

whoa this is a total scandal. i will have to try this pret cookie because i really can't believe that it would be particularly great.

Thanks for trying Times Square Hot Bagels. Totally unfortunate that they were stale. I admit, they tend to be that way when you get them at the store (which is how most people would think to get them). When they're catered, they're moist and chewy.

The Roasting plant!!! HELLO!!!!!! Greenwich st at west 10th right next to bone lIck park BBQ.....BEST choc chip inthe city....buttery, slightly chewy and tender...mmmmmm

I totally agree about the City Bakery cookies. The only one I tried had a horribly rancid taste, & I couldn't finish it. If only they'd bring back their delicious apple miso dessert ...

...the truth begins to unfold....