I finally made it to Better Being Underground, the lunch-only (open 12pm-3pm) take away spot in the West Village. What is this alluring place? It’s a teeny tiny nook that’s located literally underground at 55 Leroy St. It’s easy to miss but luckily they have this cool sign (created by a guy named Dan who is the props guy at SNL):
Dan was also the guy who called the shop about creating Brownie Husband (the infamous commercial parody where Tiny Fey ditches her dream of finding a real man and ends up with a giant man made of brownie). I believe his exact words were:
“I need a sh*tload to build a brownie man, maybe 10 sheetpans. And some kind of saucey thing for puke. I need it by 7.”
Just the fact that this interaction occurred makes me love the place even more. The shop also churns out a different menu every day and is known for its sandwiches, salads, soups, and yummy desserts. Make sure to get there early if you spot something that looks tasty. I arrived an hour after they opened and they were already sold out of a few of the items on the menu. But, that led me to ordering one of their staple sandwiches, The St. Luke – buttermilk fried chicken, new pickles, brioche bun w/ chipotle or rosemary horseradish mayo. I opted for chipotle (since I’m apparently the only person in the world that hates rosemary). It was delish. The chicken was crispy and hot while the savory yet sweet bun perfectly complimented the slightly spicy mayo. And those pickles!
I also ordered their small mac n’ cheese of the day. I believe it was jalapeño. It wasn’t the best thing I’ve ever eaten but I give them an A for effort – especially because they come up with concoctions like blue cheese and apple mac n’ cheese.
Overall, I definitely recommended checking out this West Village gem. Even if it’s just to have a mint and chocolate brownie. The people working behind the counter are super friendly and they seem to thoroughly enjoy what they’re serving up. The only catch? It’s CASH ONLY so come prepared. I still can’t wait to try The Squashbuckler (butternut squash, manchego, sauteed kale, chipotle mayo, pressed country sourdough) and their grilled salmon salad with frissee and spinach, blood orange, fingerling potato confit, shaved fennel, grilled artichokes, & mustard vinaigrette.
*Note to self: Find out whatever happened to Brownie Husband. Just sayin’.
Carly Petrone 
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