Gjusta
The food here is fantastic! But when you visit, be prepared to follow their process for ordering. There’s no dilly-dallying over the menu. No questions about “what’s in this dish?” Do your homework (by reading this blog) and visit Yelp before you arrive so that you don’t have lots of questions for the staff behind the counter. It’s just not an option to take your time and meander through the line. If you do, you’ll be chastised.
First things first
After you’ve done your research, arrive at Gjusta, and promptly take a number from the ticket dispenser. It’s white, just like the walls. It’s the one that you’d miss if you didn’t know it was there. If you forget, you’ll be waiting for eons…the line is ALWAYS long; I’ve never heard of anyone waiting less than 20 minutes to order.
Pro tips: If you’re only getting a pastry, you can go in the express line. If you want to hit Gjusta during the sweet spot when you can order both breakfast and lunch items, visit between 11am-2pm on the weekends. Gjusta also sells prosciutto and cheese.
Note: Not all items are on the menu…
Once you have your number, grab a menu and give it a once-over. Then look in the display cases for the day’s offerings. It’s important to note that the salads, toasts, pizzas, and pastries are not on the menu. You order them by pointing (be exact) at them and ordering whatever you think they might be (I mistook squash for sweet potatoes, and I got a heck of an attitude from the guy behind the counter. Just sayin’).
Grab the metal stand and take a seat
After you’ve ordered, don’t forget to grab your metal stand! You CANNOT SIT without one of these. If you try, they'll immediately tell you to get up. If you do have your number, take a seat inside or outside. There are heaters around the outdoor tables in the winter, which makes it quite nice to eat in the fresh air. While it is "seat yourself," the wait staff busses the tables between parties. Be sure not to sit down at a dirty table; if you try, they'll ask you to get up.
Unlike the folks that work behind the counter, the table staff is kind and friendly. They’re willing to answer your questions about the menu, favorite items, etc. They’re also very attentive and will clear away plates you’ve finished and bring you more water.
Come Hungry
Now on to the main event…the FOOD at Gjusta more than makes up for the kind-of-strange, militant, ordering system. Here’s what I tried with two friends and my reviews:
Baklava Croissant. THIS WAS AMAZING. It was the best croissant I’ve had outside of Paris. It was buttery, flakey, and the baklava filling was a nice addition. Absolutely delicious.
Squash. The squash was just ok. I actually thought it was sweet potatoes when I saw it in the deli case (cue the unhappy guy behind the counter and his attitude). It looked beautiful and was perfectly cooked, but it was a bit bland for my taste. It needed more sweetness or acidity. I believe this was the intention of the pomegranate seeds that topped it, but it missed the mark.
Build your own fish sandwich. We went with the everything bagel with Lox, fully loaded. The house-made bagel was delicious (you know how I feel about my bagels)! The Lox was super fresh and was accompanied (fully loaded) by sliced tomato, pickled red onion, salted cucumber and radish, herbs, sprouts, and capers. Mmmm. It was everything I’ve always wanted in a Lox sandwich. Served open-faced, it was the perfect combination of flavors and textures: soft, chewy, crunchy, salty, and creamy, with a pop of lemon. I’d eat this every day if it were healthier.
Steak and eggs with a side of toast. The smashed fried potatoes were OMG yum! They had a slight crunch and not too much salt – I thought they were perfect (which means most Americans may want more salt). The steak was cooked medium-rare with chimichurri. We ordered a side of toast to soak up the two fried eggs, sunnyside up. DON’T MISS the bread. It’s perfection.
Slice of Margherita pizza. Crispy, thin crust. Super flavorful. Incredible fresh basil taste to compliment the tomato. Simply amazing…I’m drooling thinking about it.
Reuben sandwich. This was VERY rich and VERY smoky in flavor. In my opinion, it needed something sharp to cut the fat. It came with a pickle, but I think it would benefit from a sharp whole-grain mustard.
A few other items I saw that looked delicious: baked eggs, egg sandwich, huevos rancheros (our waiter said this is the best thing on the menu), tahini croissant, pastrami sandwich, chicken parmesan sandwich, duck confit toast, bucatini carbonara, charcuterie board, and a cheese plate.
The dinner choices looked excellent, too. I would certainly try them all – especially the Steak Frites au Poivre, given how tasty the steak and eggs was. Get in my belly!
