Comfortland — Restaurant in New York

Tried this place for the first time and while I liked the idea of it in theory, everything was so mid, that it made me feel like I chose all the wrong things on the menu. I am not a firm believer that anything on the menu is 'the wrong item to order', because everything that you chose to offer on said menu should be delicious. $91 total with taxes/fees and tip. They have a few menu items that change and a few staple items. My order consisted of both. Nothing was appealing, so don't plan on trying again.

I had the:

-Chicken corn chowder (SPECIAL) - There was nothing special about this. Arrived luke warm and the taste was so underwhelming that I had no desire to reheat it to partake.

-Chicken Snack Wrap XL (~$!4) - Fried chicken strip was fine. Wasn't particularly seasoned. I chose Chipotle Mayo, which had more of a kick than I was expecting. So often places offer a chipotle mayo that isn't really all that spicy, but this was and I was a bit unprepared. The wrap was sizeable and wasn't anything special with its cheese, L, T & P offering. They do offer a special sauce and ranch as an option. They do not make clear what their special sauce consists of/tastes like. I called to inquire, but the guy on the phone cut me off and instead of putting me on hold, held a full in person transaction on the phone with me on it. I didn't need to overhear his customer service, so I just hung up. From one hospitality worker to the business, there is a training opportunity to be found there. Put ppl on hold. If you're gonna offer a 'special sauce', make note of what it is in the menu, which ultimately provides clarity and cuts down on unnecessary inquiries both in person and via the phone.

-Hip Tang Chicken Chopped Cheese - This sandwich is said to have (chopped chicken, bacon, white wine, sauteed onions & herbs, balsamic fig jam, arugula & aioli) and was made to sound really good, but none of the notes within the sandwich rang thru. The chopped chicken was actually really dry and had the consistency similar to dried out ground turkey. Honestly the sandwich looked better in the photo they use on delivery service apps. The sandwich didn't meet my expectation of sweet and savory, the fig jam and white wine non existent in the taste. Arugula was wilted and the sandwich seemed dry and kinda soggy at the same time if that even makes sense. The ratio of sandwich innards to bread also felt uneven. I took 2 bites and tossed.

-Regular Tots - Tots are hard to mess up. They are literally coming out of a freezer bag and being fried. Nothing to really mention here.

-Cap'n Crunch French Toast Sticks (~$9) - They were fine, but REALLLYY dense. I mean like really dense. They are not fluffy in the slightest, but decent for the portion and price.

-Ramp Szn Chicken Salad Sandwich (SPECIAL) (~$14)- This seems to be special, because it is not on the menu currently. It appears in their photos on texas toast, but is actually served on sourdough. This was one of the worst chicken salad sandwiches I have ever had. The chicken was dry and tossed with mayo. Not a seasoning could be found. Not a walnut, cranberry, nor a piece of celery, NOT A THING. They also packed this sandwich generously in comparison to the other chicken sandwich ordered, which is a shame since it wasn't at all good. Perhaps they were trying to get rid of it. I am not sure what the intention of this sandwich is, but they can either eliminate or start from the drawing board completely on figuring out what this chicken salad needs.

-Plain Fries (~$6) - They are a unique shape. Kinda gives a cottage fry and curly fry hybrid. They arrived soggy and weren't memorable.

Not really in a rush to return to try...

This is probably the worst place you could go to on January 2nd if you're remotely serious about resolutions. My chum and I moseyed over to Astoria (thankfully on a Sunday with minimal traffic drama) to investigate this establishment for brunch on her recommendation - apparently this is an edgy locale with a strong social media following.

We found parking easily a few blocks away - and probably could have found a spot even closer, but why chance it? - and shortly thereafter located the establishment and an almost non-existent line. It was relatively warm out but also cloudy; I imagine in gorgeous weather around midday this is probably a madhouse, so you may want to consider that if you're in a time crunch.

Both of us got massive New Orleans vibes from Comfortland. The music had a jaunty jazzy feel, and the Southern hospitality practically oozed onto the sidewalk. The gentleman at the window (I assume this is a COVID situation, but there was no indoor access and all business was conducted from outside, kind of like an ice cream stand) was incredibly nice and helpful. He had a larger than life personality and came outside a few moments after taking our order to help us get situated with an additional table. Beyond that, my friend can be very high maintenance when it comes to ordering food - loves to order off menu, picky palate, etc. - and this guy handled it like a champ.

I ordered the Chicken Biscuit Buddy (fried chicken, bacon, egg, cheese, chipotle aoili and maple tobasco, $12) and a slice of the Funfetti Bling Rainbow Cake ($10). The sandwich was really good and could have been great. The biscuit is EXTREMELY crumbly - it dissolved in my hands immediately, and I had to go with a fork afterwards. I do think there should be an expectation when you order a sandwich that has this many ingredients in it that your paws are unlikely to stay completely clean, but the sandwich should still exist in its original form for more than three seconds. The bigger issue to me was the inclusion of the aoili sauce. It completely clashes with the maple tobasco and distracts from the rest of the sandwich. That said, the rest of the Biscuit Buddy was very solid, and this could be a top tier menu item with the removal of that one condiment.

The Rainbow Cake is excellent. I'm always a little leery of crumb topping because it has a tendency to overwhelm the rest of the cake from both a taste and texture perspective, but they made the right call here by just having a thin layer on the top. Funfetti is one of the great inventions of Western civilization and should be considered as part of almost every pastry in existence. My chum also got the cake and loved it, specifically citing the strawberry jam toward the bottom. She subsequently performed an investigation and confirmed the crumb topping is glued onto the top of the cake with a chocolate layer. Brilliant. This item is apparently their bread and butter, and deservedly so.

I wouldn't come here unless you've spent at least an hour in the cardio area of the gym beforehand, but it was worth the trip. I'd probably focus exclusively on the bakery section going...

Comfortland is a relatively new establishment that has a lot of potential. The staff is friendly and their decor is welcoming. Their food is eye-catching, doughnuts are creative, and flavors are on point. Unfortunately, they have a few kinks to work out before really making a push to challenge doughnut plant. I ordered three filled doughnuts, a breakfast sandwich, french toast, tater tots, and coffee. While the doughnuts tasted good, their dough to filling ratio was skewed too heavily in favor of the dough. It seemed like there was only a narrow strip of filling in each doughnut, which was slightly disappointing. The dough seemed a little too dense for my taste as well. Overall, I would call them solid utility doughnuts. The breakfast sandwich was good, though it seems like they run out of biscuits during rushes, leading to an additional 20 minute wait. Something to consider in case one is pressed for time. The interplay between the marinara, egg yolk, and biscuit made for a really enjoyable flavor and textural experience. I would say it was worth the wait. Unfortunately they mixed up my French toast order and it was another 15 or so minute wait until they made me a new batch. They must have put my order behind other folks because I saw several orders of French toast come out before mine. The music was lovely and made for a relaxing atmosphere. I would prefer it to be a little quieter as the cooks call your name to pick up your sandwiches. In lieu of their yelling over the music or having people crowd around the waiting area (impeding access to the only garbage can and bathrooms) it may be easier to have it be a little quieter so folks can sit at their table and hear their names called. Comortland has a lot of promise and it seems like the staff is really dedicated to making the place successful which is critical for customer satisfaction. While I'm a local, I'll probably continue to head out a little further to doughnut plant if I'm hankering for doughnuts but I hope to come back in a month or two to see...