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Business & Tech

Cosi Offers Good, Convenient and Affordable Food

This week, food writer Clara Park reviews Cosi in Bryn Mawr.

I've traveled all over the United States, and it seems like there's a wherever I go. The extensive menu and abundant variety of beverages--caffeinated and not--make this an ideal stop for coffee, snacks or meal any time of day. While I can't say I ever crave the food from Cosi, I have stopped in here numerous times just because it's so convenient. There's a Cosi at 30th Street Station where I used to take the train to New York City weekly. There's a Cosi in Wayne where I've had a quick lunch with some friends from the gym, and then there's the Cosi in Bryn Mawr that is less than 15 minutes from my house. I can't tell you how many times I've been here because I've lost track. It's a dependable neighborhood shop.

I went in for lunch with a dining companion and ordered several different dishes. I opted for the Cobb salad, which, according to the menu, was tossed with romaine lettuce, grilled chicken, bacon, gorgonzola, scallions and tomatoes with a sherry shallot vinaigrette. I saw the man place all the contents of the salad into a large metal bowl and drizzle some dressing on top, but there was no tossing.  He removed the salad to a plastic container and handed it to me. As a result, my salad had drier spots or pools of dressing depending on where I  stuck my fork.

My companion had the soup and sandwich combo with a chicken tinga sandwich, which came with chicken, guacamole, pico de gallo, feta cheese and cilantro, and the chicken queso tortilla soup. He enjoyed the sandwich, but I found the flavor profile a bit odd.  Everything is Mexican except the feta cheese. This sharp flavored Greek sheep's milk cheese contrasted heavily with the other components of the sandwich. The soup was a bit too cheesy tasting for me, but my dining companion enjoyed it. I appreciated the choice of baby carrots as a side as a nice, healthy alternative to chips.

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We shared an individual chicken margherita pizza, which was good. There were plenty of chunks of white meat chicken, basil, tomato sauce and a hearty crust. It's a good choice for groups because there's nothing to dislike on top of this pizza.

We had some fresh lemonade and Pellegrino to drink. It's interesting to see what flavors of lemonade Cosi has come up with. There was a mojito lemonade and a watermelon habanero lemonade as well as the standard. The iced coffees here are fantastic as are the hot coffee drinks. I saw a woman getting a mango smoothie, which also looked amazing.

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The decor is filled with earth tones, which lend a homey, cozy feeling to the cafe. The eclectic mix of tables, metal chairs and arm chairs throughout the dining area also add to the ambiance. Those looking for a quick lunch on their break might want to sit at a real table with a firm chair while someone reading the paper might want to sit and relax in a comfy arm chair.

The service is polite and attentive. I was never left waiting for too long and my questions were answered efficiently and promptly. Salads and coffee drinks obviously come out faster than pizza, which takes time to bake, but I didn't mind the staggered nature of our lunch. It was nice that random staffers would check in on us to make sure everything was all right.

Your mouth waters as soon as you enter Cosi because of the bright and shiny pictures of all the menu items. While the pictures are convincing, your food never looks quite as great as the pictures appear. All chain restaurants do this, but I find it particularly glaring at Cosi. The food is good but not great. As I mentioned earlier, Cosi is great for its convenience, quickness, efficient service and affordable pricing, and I'm sure I'll go back to one of the numerous locations in the future.

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