They were delicious the 1st time, curious how things could get better? Read on…

I love Tuscany Catering and the Burrito Box. Why? Because their food’s delicious and they’re hidden gems. And the fact that they’re in Midtown, the most barren wasteland for affordable, delicious food, only ups their stock. Without further ado, I give you food porn:

Tuscany Catering (55th b/t 5th & 6th Ave.) serves some of the best pizza and sandwiches in Midtown.

It’s main business comes from catering to offices but they also serve food from lunchtime until around 7:30pm. In addition to what you see below they serve a great Chicken Parm.

Sausage & Pepperoni Pan Pie ($3.50/slice)

This bad boy is thick, puffy, and light. It’s crispy and not too doughy and is filling enough to validate the price. The sauce is sweet and the meats are always crisp and tasty.

Regular Pan Pie Slice ($3.50)

Well worth the price because it’s so filling. Not their best slice but I show it to you so you can get a sense of what a slice looks like out of the pan.

More pan pies: eggplant parm and vegetable

A diesel Sicilian pie ($3.50/slice)

Each slice is $3.50 and huge. Sauce is the same as other slices, crust is big and airy, a little doughier than I like and not very crispy. Obviously very filling.

Below is the hot items area where you’ll order your sandwiches. The menu never changes. Meatballs, Eggplant Rollatine, Chicken Cutlets, Baked Ziti, Chicken Noodle Soup are all standard.

Eggplant Rollatine Hero ($6.50) on an Italian hero

I recommend the baguette for all heroes but they usually run out. The Italian bread is also tasty, especially when toasted, so don’t worry. All sandwiches are put together first then placed in the pizza oven to cook. You can see the melty ricotta peeking out on the top half. This was a good hero but in the end I’d go with the Chicken, Bacon, Mozz over both….

Chicken Cutlet, Bacon, Mozzarella hero on Italian bread ($7.50)

I added lettuce, tomato, and some hearty honey mustard as you can see in the 2 photos below. This sandwich is excellent. The bacon was well done, the cutlets are crisp and flavorful while remaining moist inside, and the cheese, as always, is plentiful. This is my new go to sandwich at Tuscany. I might not go with the Honey Mustard next time though, it wasn’t as sweet as I’d have hoped.

Fresh Baked Chocolate Chip Cookies ($1.00 each)

Don’t be fooled by the larger, pre-wrapped cookies on the counter in the back. You want the cookies cooling in the racks next to the register. These puppies are small and overpriced but they’re filled with so much melty, chocolate goodness it’s worth the price to finish your meal with this sweet treat.

The Burrito Box (9th Avenue b/t 57th and 58th St.) is hands down the best Tex-Mex delivery you can get in Midtown.

Find out why and see photos of their delicious steak quesadillas, grilled chicken soft tacos, and awesome chips and salsa here.

Grilled Steak Burrito ($7.95)

This torpedo is short but thick (that’s what she said) and jakked up with juicy steak, moist Spanish rice, black beans, and in my estimation, too much sour cream. I’d opt for sour cream on the side unless you like a lot in each bite. Either way, the steak is juicy, fresh, and flavorful and the beans and rice are cooked well, not too firm. Pair this with a larger order of store made chips and salsa ($2.95) and you’re in business.

Hard shelled beef tacos ($5.55 – two per order)

They’re the only thing in my many times ordering Burrito Box that didn’t really stand the stress of delivery. The cheese coagulated on top of the tacos and the shells got a little soggy, especially at the bottom. Eat these only in store. Go for the soft tacos instead. Check them out here.

I hope you’ve enjoyed this little show. You can’t go wrong with either place. If you know of any hidden gems that you’d like to see on NYCFoodGuy.com please get in touch and let me know.

I’m all about the hidden gems, ambiance be damned. My mission is to bring you the best and most affordable places everywhere!

Tuscany

Burrito Box

A cheesy, sweet-sauced mess of a hero, the chicken parm contains some thick and well-fried white meat chicken cutlets, elevating it a notch above the Ray’s Pizza and Lenny’s of the world.

A well put together sandwich stands on its own. Read on to discover even more delicious options at Tuscany.

Check out more sandwich reviews here or

NYC Food Guy has had a lot of chicken parms in his life; I’ve had them dry, overly cheesy, and over-sauced. I’ve received stale bread, flimsy bread, and one time no bread at all, just chicken and cheese in aluminum foil. While Tuscany’s version didn’t buckle my knees, it achieved a nice balance among all the ingredients. It tasted sweet and fresh. Baked in a gas-fired pizza oven, the bread was soft on the inside and crispy on the outside. The hero suffered due to the chicken to cheese ratio, which would have benefitted from at least one more half cutlet to even things out.

Key to success: request some extra sauce on top after the sandwich bakes and maybe even a request a side order for dipping. The sauce itself is nothing impressive but it’s sweet and tasty and gets the job done without overpowering the hero by making it too soggy or forcing all the chicken out the back. Ordering the hero on a baguette, which I was forced to do once, is also a solid and sturdier option…

…compared to the ordinary Italian Bread:

With a limited sample size for comparison, it may be premature to call this the best Chicken Parm in Midtown but NYC Food Guy feels confident in nominating Tuscany’s sandwich as a high-quality, DL spot for a satsifying, quick, and hearty bite.

Tuscany does deliver if you’re stuck at the office and they have plenty of gourmet options to choose from.

Salads range in price from $4 for a House Salad with Romaine, Mesclun, and Tomato to $12.95 for a Grilled Steak with Roasted Peppers Salad.

Sandwiches are broken down into three categories: Hot, Regular, and Focaccia.

Hot Sandwiches consists of Chicken Parm, Meatball Parm ($6.50), Roast Beef & Mozzarella on Garlic Bread ($7.50), Eggplant Rollatine ($6.50) and a few others.

The Roast Beef on Garlic Bread was pretty tasty, albeit it a little dry, the few times I’ve eaten it. The Meatball Parm was pretty delicious, loaded with three or four fat and tender meatballs spiced in the traditional Italian style.

Cold Sandwiches range from Grilled Chicken Breast Heroes ($7.25 to $8.95) with honey mustard and a few mayo choices (herb, pesto) to Rare Roast Beef with Horseradish Cream ($7.50) and Grilled Filet Mignon with Peppercorn Crust, Honey Mustard, and Romaine ($11.95).

Focaccia Sandwiches offer few options but the Genoa Salami with shaved Asiago, Mesclun, and Herb vinaigrette ($7.50) sounds intriguing as does the Smoked Chicken Breast with sundried tomato, arugala, and creamy dressing ($8.95).

I haven’t tried anything but the Hot versions of Roast Beef, Chicken Parm, and Meatball, but everything I’ve seen made to order looks pretty quality. There’s a small selection of Cape Cod potato chips and a cooler of drinks in the front so you can get a full lunch here.

There’s a skimpy hot plates section with dry looking Lasagna and Baked Ziti. I’d probably steer clear just because you’ll be in major food-coma status thereafter.

The most intriguing option may be the pizza. Tuscany makes Neapolitan and Pan Pizzas. The pan pizza is really just a round version of the airy Sicilian, but when dripping with oozey mozzarella and covered in fresh, greasy slices of sausage and pepperoni or wispy pieces of fried eggplant, you can’t really go wrong. I split a slice of the sausage/pepperoni pan pie with my brother today while we waited for the Chicken Parms and we were pleasantly surprised.

A Personal Pizza might be the way to go though I’m not sure if you can get a personal pan pizza. Options are standard but the Spinach with roasted mushrooms and mozz ($7.95) as well as the Artichoke hearts, roasted tomato, black olive, and mozz ($7.95), both sound like a nice break from the norm.

Pasta and Hot Entrees make up the final section of the menu. It seems like the pastas are made to order as the array they offer is not sitting out on the hot plates. Orecchiette, noodles resembling little shells, ($10.95) with slice grilled chicken and sundried tomato in a light tomato sauce sounds pretty tasty.

Hot Entrees range from Grilled Salmon with green sauce over rice pilaf ($11.95) to Grilled Filet Mignon ($17.95) served with a peppercorn sauce over rice pilaf or served skewered with zucchini, red pepper, and sweet onion, also served over rice pilaf.

You can’t eat inside Tuscany, this is a take out or delivery spot only and there isn’t much ambiance when you’re inside. You will almost assuredly walk by the simple storefront the first time you try to find it and once inside you will not be impressed, but listen to what your mother once told you and don’t judge a book by its cover.

Check out more great sandwich reviews here.

Tuscany (Free Delivery for orders of $5 or more)

61 West 55th Street b/t 5th and 6th Ave.

212-582-4421 (4422)

Catering: 212-582-0074

Hours: 7AM – 8PM Mon. – Fri.

Delivery area: 59th St. to 48th St. from Park to 8th Ave. (they’ll deliver citywide for an additional charge)