FILM CENTER CAFE

Place: FILM CENTER CAFE @ 635 9th Avenue b/t 45th and 44th St.

Price: $10

Overall Rating: 4.5 out of 5 *****
Crispy-ness: 4 out of 5
Chewy-ness: 3 out of 5
Grease Factor: 3 out of 5
Tentacles: YES
Dipping Sauce: Spicy Marinara sauce + Chiptole Mayo Sauce

Notes: One of my favorite places to go for a fried calamari fix... at $10, its a good amount of calamari for your $ - and it leaves you wanting more (But this portion is quite enough for 1-2 people). They put a cheese cloth over the lemon so you don't get seeds in your basket! (how thoughtful!). IT usually comes out hot out of the fryer in your cylindrical basket ready to be had! The batter they use to fry the calamri in has herbs in it, making it more fancy shamncy for you. The squid itself has a nice bite to it which is good because you don't want to chewing too much and you get just enough of the crust. The abundant spicy marinara sauce has chunks of real tomatoes swimming in a nice pool of sauce, not too spicy though. The Chiptole mayo is a nice contrast for those who want something more creamy for their crispy squid, a nice back and forth. All in all a great fail proof place for fried calamari in NY if you're visiting the west side of town!

7A

Place: 7A @ 7th St & Ave A (Open 24 Hours)

Price: $8

Overall Rating: 3.5 out of 5 *****
Crispy-ness: 3 out of 5
Chewy-ness: 4.5 out of 5
Grease Factor: 2.5 out of 5
Tentacles: YES
Dipping Sauce: Marinara sauce

Notes: Typical Fried Calamari eaters will be surprised with the coating on this version. It is cornmeal (at least I believe so) crusted, not really heavily breaded, just a light coating of fried cornmeal with your calamari underneath it .It's not that finger lickin good but it's suited for those that don't like their fried calamari too greasy... it tasted like a 'healthy' version of the usual fried calamari we are used to. A simple piece of lemon is included in the basket, which can overpower the taste of it since the coating is thin. Sauce is generic marinara probably from a can but suffice for a 24 hour cafe.

VERLAINE

Place: VERLAINE @ 110 Rivington Street, NY

Price: $9

Overall Rating: 4 out of 5 *****
Crispy-ness: 3 out of 5
Chewy-ness: 4 out of 5
Grease Factor: 4 out of 5
Tentacles: NO
Dipping Sauce: Vietnamese Honey - YUM


Notes: One of my favorite places to go to kick back for $5 Sangrias + Lychee Martinis and this fried calamari is one of my favorites because it smells amazing fresh from the kitchen! My only complaint is that its a bit greasy but dab that oil away and enjoy! The lemon gives it an acidity which is needed with seafood... the coating is not too crunchy which is great - dont want to overpower the squid! The honey dipping sauce is unique to this place; usually fried calamari is served with a marinara sauce, but this place gets it right with their honey sauce which can be finger licking good!

The squid isn't too chewy or tough - a great tapas dish to have here! The price is a bit on the higher end but it's well worth it since your drinks are only costing you $5 (till 10pm)