"You may or may not have heard of Eggslut, a famous LA spot for BECs. If not, what you need to know is that the chef there is good at making unhealthy things taste even better than usual. And now he’s opened a spot in Nolita focused on just that. The Usual serves comfort food from around the world, so along with Louisiana-style fried chicken and a rich double cheeseburger with garlic aioli, there’s ramen with spicy pork and tagliatelle with cream sauce. We like just about everything we’ve eaten here, but the space, on the ground floor of the Nolitan Hotel, is awkward - the big windows looking out on a traffic-heavy part of Delancey make it feel like a fairly sterile fish bowl. Because of that, we wouldn’t recommend traveling to eat here, but if you’re in the area and want some comfort food, you won’t be disappointed. Food Rundown Ham & Cheese If you expect a run-of-the-mill sandwich after ordering the ham and cheese here, you’ll be pleasantly surprised when a big plate of prosciutto and burrata arrives on the table. The burrata is soft, creamy, and almost melts when you cut into it, and it comes with some very good crunchy grilled bread on the side. Burger This is a really, really good burger. The two patties are charred on the outside, but still pink and full of flavor, and they’re covered in American cheese and garlic aioli. The onions give it some crunch, and the bun is toasted just the right amount. Fried Chicken This is Louisiana-style fried chicken, made with a bunch of Cajun herbs and spices. It’s great - the skin cracks when you bite into it, while the meat stays juicy. Cheddar & Chive Biscuits We thought we’d go our whole lives without writing the following words: we didn’t enjoy eating these biscuits. But facts are facts. If you eat these biscuits plain, they’re fairly dry and taste overwhelmingly like sour cream. If you lather on butter, they get much better, but that could be said of just about anything. Rhubarb Semifreddo If you always have room for dessert, even after fried chicken and aioli-covered burgers, then join the club. Also, get this semifreddo covered in strawberries and strawberry syrup. The crunchy oat crumble on top makes the whole thing taste like a strawberry crumble pie over half-melted ice cream." - Matt Tervooren
