Cuozzo Tries MealPass, Finds Options Caloric And Stressful

The Post's lovable curmudgeon Steve Cuozzo tried out MealPass, the ClassPass founder's foray into the dining world, and his reaction to it was mixed. The meals offered through program, which allows people to prepay for lunch for $99 a month, were fresh and substantial, and pre-ordering theoretically forces you to commit to a healthier lunch, Cuozzo writes.

But that's all it really has going for it, he says. Most of the offerings are caloric, and it's only saving you money if you actually use it every day. Skip enough meals, and it's comparable to any other lunch, he writes. Plus, getting in on the good dishes can be hard:

Each restaurant offers only a limited MealPass quantity, and many ran out as early as 7:15 the night before. Claiming Kat & Theo’s chicken and kale Caesar salad felt like trying to book seats at Momofuku Ko. I nailed it in time, but leg, thigh and tough kale tossed with romaine lettuce did not show this splendid kitchen in its best light.

And, for added agita, you can’t strategize in advance, because between 9:30 a.m. and 7 p.m., all choices vanish from the screen with the words, "The kitchen is closed."

The start-up launched last week and is currently only offered in about 100 restaurants around Union Square, Chelsea, Flatiron, and Gramercy. See here for more information on how it works, and if you've tried it too, let us know what you think.