Well, the brunch mavens from Clinton St. Baking Co. have finally opened up shop and, while they aren’t serving dinner yet, they are serving up one hell of a brunch. And, as with any good brunch, the liquor license is being put to use. Community Food and Juice features organic and locally grown ingredients in everything including organic vodkas and gins. So, make sure to wash down your cage free eggs with some delicious fresh squeezed greyhounds or screwdrivers. Even your liver might thank you.

When we ambled in Sunday morning, the wait was just a bit over 45 minutes, but that pales in comparison to the 2+ hour lines that can build up downtown at Clinton St. Baking Co. Community Food and Juice serves up a little more of a “health conscious” menu than their downtown counterpart, but the fluffy as a cloud pancakes and maple butter have made their way uptown and Columbia students should be rejoicing. What’s more, if you’re lucky, you might snag free samples while waiting.

The interior of the restaurant features few, if any, holdovers from its incarnation as the oft-derided Nacho’s and is now bright, open and airy. Positively delightful for Sunday brunch. Eating at the bar is surprisingly comfortable so don’t rule it out.

Community Food and Juice is truly a gem and Kitchenette may finally have some competition in the Morningside Heights brunch arena. Pricewise, the two are comparable, which means that for most college students this isn’t a every weekend kind of place especially if you’re going to be downing $10 screwdrivers while you’re at it. But, try this place once, and we’re sure you’ll find yourself going over and over again.

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Several weeks ago, we reported the arrival of Sammy’s Halal, a chicken and rice cart from 73rd and Broadway in Queens, here in Morningside Heights. In a truly bizarre coincidence, the cart disappeared the day we reported its arrival. Several visits to the original Sammy’s Halal and a few phone calls to one of the partners involved in Sammy’s expansion plans later, we are sad to inform the Columbia community that the partners at Sammy’s are vacillating on the decision to return to Morningside Heights. They expressed concerns over the traffic they could get serving up their award winning Chicken & Rice around our campus.

As a result, we here at The Hungry Lion would like to attempt to mobilize the Columbia community to convince Sammy and his partners to bring back the delicious! Please read the following open letter and, if you feel as we do, leave your name and a comment. We’ll continue to stay in touch with Sammy and, hopefully, send along this letter with hundreds of signatures.

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The Hungry Lion representatives trekked to 73rd and Broadway in Queens yesterday in hopes of getting to talk to Sammy himself. While Sammy wasn’t there, we did get to meet with Sawd, Sammy’s #2 in command, and we have some terrific news to report. The 111th and Broadway cart went on hiatus due to Ramadan and will be returning shortly thereafter. That gives us a target return date of October 14, or the 15th if they decide to take the whole weekend off. When the cart does return, it seems that Sammy is considering bringing the cart closer to Columbia’s main campus with a possible site at 113th and Broadway, though that’s not set in stone.

So, start the countdown! 21 days-ish until New York’s best C&R returns.

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After canvasing the neighborhood in search of Sammy this week, I’ve come across what seems to be an explosion of Chicken and Rice in the Columbia area. Unfortunately, Sammy was not included. As we wait for Sammy to return, The Hungry Lion would like to present to you a list of potential alternatives in the Columbia area.

110th and Broadway
New to the area this year, this cart serves up 53rd and 6th style Chicken and Rice. For $5, you get a styrofoam box not quite filled with a savory yellow “basmati” (says the sign) with grilled chicken and some salad. The chicken is actually quite good. Not overly chopped and maintaining good tenderness. The rice seasoning is strong, but lacking as far as comparison to 53rd and 6th. Salads was crisp and fresh albeit a bit questionable as far as how well rinsed they were. This cart also makes it a point to include a few chunks of tomato for you health nuts out there. The white sauce is decent at best and the hot sauce is of a weak dribbling variety. The cart also serves up lamb and gyros if you’re into other options. Taste-wise this may be the best Chicken and Rice cart in the area until Sammy’s returns. It’s also one of the more expensive and serves up the smallest portions though the chicken-to-rice ratio is quite good..

120th and Broadway
The 120th and Broadway cart was the former champ in the Columbia area. Haven’t been this year, but last year platters were just $4.00 coming with a heaping portion of rice, generous amounts of chicken. The side salad is a token smattering of lettuce and the cart is unfortunately more fragrant than its food. The white sauce and hot sauce are both weak and the rice is hit or miss usually falling on the blander side.

114th and Amsterdam
You’ve probably walked by this cart during lunch time and inhaled what might lead you to believe is the most delicious chicken you’ve ever seen. They cook it up in heaping mounds and its a wonder just to watch as they prepare platters for the lunchtime rush. The boxes go for $5 and come with your standard salad and rice. Again, unfortunately, it all smells better than it tastes. Everything in this box is bland and the sauces weak and runny. It’s an acceptable meal for those who are hungry and on the go, but doesn’t hit the spot for true Chicken and Rice enthusiasts.

JJs Food Cart
This cart migrates between 113th and 114th between lunch and dinner hours respectively. It’s open 24/7 though the availability of menu items will vary. The chicken and rice here come in serious portions and all for just $4.50. Unfortunately, the chicken is typically both dry and bland as is the rice. White sauce here is actually quite palatable though the hot sauce is disappointing. If you ask nicely, there’s the potential of getting a tangy sort of off-barbecue sauce that works decently.

116th and Amsterdam
This do-it-all cart across the street from Columbia’s Amsterdam gates serves up gyros, cheese steaks, hot dogs, and just about everything else in between. Chicken and rice falls rather far down the ladder as far as priorities go. Service is slow and the Chicken and Rice just bearable. Go with another option if your here.

As far as I can tell these are the options, in general order, for Chicken and Rice in the Columbia area as of now. Hungry Lion representatives will  be traveling to Queens tonight to ask Sammy why his cart has disappeared. Leave a message in the forum if you’d like to join in. Otherwise, enjoy what you can or go out on a food adventure. Critically acclaimed Chicken and Rice exists throughout the city - 53rd and 6th, The Original Sammy’s Halal (73rd and Broadway, Queens), Khan’s (across from Sammy’s in Queens), Tony The Dragon’s (62nd and Madison, lunch only), and Carnegie John’s (56th and 7th, lunch only, also serves the best burger from a street vendor anywhere in the city). You might also want to try Kwik Meal (45th and 6th) which only serves lamb over rice.

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I apologize to readers who went in search of Sammy’s today. It seems that his cart is not in its rightful spot today. I asked the other vendors and they did not seem to know where Sammy’s cart had gone either. The Hungry Lion is hard at work getting to the bottom of this and we’ll let you know as soon as Sammy’s is back.

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For too long have Columbia students had to trek to the far reaches of the world for good Chicken and Rice. Well, at least as far as 53rd and 6th. The halal copycats who have staked claim on Columbia’s fertile soils have all submitted subpar attempts at wooing our taste buds with the cart on 120th being the closest to tolerable.

But, amid the high profile new restaurant openings in the Columbia area - Chipotle, Pinkberry, and the rumored Jamba Juice, there’s one little opening that has gone without fanfare. Sammy’s Halal is now up and running on 111th and Broadway (behind a fruit cart and another breakfast cart)! Yup, you heard right. Sammy! A Chicken and Rice guru who’s accolades include being named to New York Magazine’s Concrete Elite as well as winning the 2006 Vendy Awards has chosen Columbia as the newest stomping ground for his burgeoning Chicken and Rice empire.

After talking to the man running Sammy’s new cart, The Hungry Lion has received assurances that the cart is not just a figment of our imagination or a passing oasis like that of the 53rd and 6th cart which trekked to our campus on varying occasions last year. No, Sammy is here to stay and will be open from 10am till midnight to satisfy Chicken and Rice cravings at all hours. And, satisfy he does.

For those who haven’t made the trek to the original Sammy’s Halal located on 73rd and Broadway in Queens, his Chicken and Rice is slightly different from the oft-praised 53rd and 6th Halal. Many critics claim it to be better. But, it really comes down to a matter of taste. The Chicken and Rice at 53rd and 6th is the epitome of street food. Greasy, rich and flavorful rice, hastily prepared chicken (or lamb) and heavy in what can only be described as savory (umami) flavors. Sammy’s exhibits a bit more nuance. Fragrant Afghan rice with hints of cardamom and cinnamon and chicken which is meticulously prepared in a three step process - seared, grilled, then chopped and mixed with cilantro. Sammy also features a third sauce of his own creation known only as - the Green Sauce. Make sure you get it.

Oh, did I mention his Chicken and Rice platters go for only $3.99?

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Ever heard of Local Flavor Burrito Shop? Well, they’re not quite a formal operation, but they are closer to campus! Next time your on 114th and Broadway take a look at the church (yes, the one all the homeless people sleep on). Around the corner in the side entrance on Tuesdays and Thursdays, you’ll find the Local Flavor Burrito Shop. It’s open from 11am to 3pm and sells steak, chicken, veggie, and bean burritos with all the fixings.

It looks like a bought at Morton-Williams and resold to you operation, but the burritos this week are only $4 each (back to school special, steak goes to $6 after) and all profits go to benefit Broadway Community Inc, a soup kitchen and homeless advocacy organization.  So, if you’re looking for a cheap lunch on the go, why not go and help out a good cause. Heck, its closer to school that Chipotle anyway and nearly half the price.

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