M Wells Dinette
“The foie gras didn't feel too heavy but was definitely filling with the bread.”
“If nothing else, Dinette earns the coveted twin titles of "best food I've ever had in a classroom" and "best museum cafeteria".”
“The bone marrow tart was also very good, topped with escargot – the tart part was nice and flaky.”
M Wells Dinette
Accepts Credit Cards: Yes
Bike Parking: Yes
Wheelchair Accessible: Yes
Good for Kids: Yes
Good for Groups: Yes
Waiter Service: Yes
Price range.
$$ Price range $11-30
8 reviews
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I'm not sure what kind of collective hallucination has led this place to have an average four-star rating, but this was the most unappetizing meal of my trip to NYC. I hate to say it, but it came out looking like cat food & didn't taste much better. As just one example, the beet salad was drenched in a super-mustardy dressing, mixed with soggy croutons and specks of some unidentified white veg (zucchini?). After digging around in the goopy mess to at least fish out the beet chunks I discovered a glop of liquidy goat cheese in the bottom of the bowl. This is simply inexcusable, even before considering the $11 price. We also ordered the beef tartare sandwich, which at least was edible, but again, no new culinary heights were reached with a huge tartare patty slathered with some spicy mayo & raw jalapeños. Also ordered a cappuccino, which came out in a 12oz cup filled to the brim with milk. I have no idea what they would have done differently had I ordered a latte. Finally, they were out of a bunch of items on their menu, which based on the other reviews, is the norm. The space itself is indeed super cool, but I suggest you eat before your visit to MoMA PS1.
M. Wells at PS1 is in a large class room type space. They have old school furniture and chalkboard. Making it feel even more like you are back in school. What is more cool about this space is that they keep a notebook in the desk, 1 notebook per row. So, go ahead, get your pen or pencil out, and start doodling, or write some love message to your old sweetheart from school… Just have fun with it, while leaving the cool record of your existence at MoMa!
We spotted some yummy looking pies, and we decided on the one they called Coquito (?), which was coconut custard and cinnamon pie. It was soft, rich, very sweet. The bottom pie crust was a bit hard and soggy at the same time, as if it has been sitting there after being baked for a while, which could be true, it was in the afternoon… The crust did have nice flavor, but just a bit too hard, again, maybe from being sitting around all morning? I felt $7 was kind of pricey, but it is inside the museum… Read my full review of this restaurant and food on my food blog, foodlovergirl.
Very unique dining experience. You are in an old classroom, specials are listed on chalkboards on the wall. You are in the middle of a cool looking museum.
I stopped in by chance when it was open since it has limited opening hours.
I almost hesitated to order the spaghetti sandwich since it sounded like just too many carbs. I am glad I didn't.
Everything was awesome about that sandwich.
It appears that Parmesan cheese was cooked into the spaghetti burger. It added so much flavor. It was dressed with Caesar salad. All of this was contained in a garlic flavored bun.
I can't really complain about any of it except you may want to order something on the side. It is filling by itself but looks lonely on the plate. Perhaps share the sandwich and a couple sides with someone else.
My only other complaint is that I dined alone that day and was seemingly ignored initially when I arrived. Like 4 parties of two that arrived after me got menus, water, attention, everything before me. I almost walked out but then I think another employee noticed my neglect and was extremely attentive after that.
I would love to go back to share things so I can try a dessert at the end.
More like a 3.5. So I first visited M Wells in their previous location, which was the old diner car on 49th ave not too far away and I thought it was just OK. I only remember trying their version of a Mcd's breakfast sandwich and I thought it was just so so. So the new restaurant is located inside of MoMa PS1 and the dining room is a converted classroom, it's kinda neat actually. The place is cafeteria style where you order at the cashier, you find a table and then they find you to serve you the food. In terms of the food, it's a lunch place only but the lunch is on the pricey side, sandwiches range from $12-$14.
The food:
Hot chicken sandwich- Broccoli rabe, lemon aioli. The chicken sandwich was my fav. The bread worked well and the chicken was super moist. The one thing that was off putting was some burnt herbal note throughout the sandwich, not sure if it was burnt rabe. yelp.com/user_local_phot…
Beef Tartare sandwich- Pickled vegetables, siracha mayo. I thought the sandwich had a nice vinegar pop and a nice crunch from the vegetables, it had a little heat and nice creaminess from the sriracha mayo but overall a tad too sweet. The one thing I wasn't a fan of was the texture of the beef, it had this weird kinda pasty feel to the beef. Also, I think if this was served by itself or with chips, I think i would have liked it more, the idea of eating it as a sandwich seemed odd. yelp.com/user_local_phot…
Chicken Liver Mouse- Strawberries, black pepper pecans. I thought the flavor of the chicken liver mouse was great but I felt they skimped on the spread and the strawberry was kinda weird. I know it's supposed to have a sweet element to cut the richness of the mouse but the strawberries didn't work for me. I like caramelized onions or a blueberry reduction or something. The strawberries didn't complement the mouse. yelp.com/user_local_phot…
Brown butter peach pie- I thought the crust was great, but the filling was like firm apple sauce. The filling didn't wow me. yelp.com/user_local_phot…
Spaghetti Sandwich- Tomato sauce, caesar salad, garlic bread. It seemed like this was the popular dish to get but I was not a fan at all. It was a marathon runners wet dream, it was carb on carb. It's exactly how you think it would taste and it was not good. It was basic spaghetti sandwiched between two slices of bread… yelp.com/user_local_phot…
Art serves as an adventure, so does food. So eating some creative and tasty food in a classroom setting in a cool museum is an exciting experience.
The chicken liver mousse is so amazing. When I was little, my mom used to cook chicken liver in a very tasty way to feed me and our cat at the same time, because she believes that chicken liver is good nutrition food to make good kid and good cat. Both I and the cat loved it so much. I never thought I would eat chicken liver in a restaurant one day, because even in China now it's hard to buy chicken livers in supermarket. So when I saw chicken liver mousse on the menu, I was surprised and couldn't wait to try it. It is so simple and delicious! Chicken liver spread on whole wheat bread with little sliced pickles, walnuts and mint leaves… this is such a creative and great combination. It truly inspired me to put my heart and more thoughts into cooking – simple, fresh, healthy and tasty food is like a piece of art.
I dine at M Wells Dinette sometimes for lunch with my co-workers since we work at Long Island City. It's a fun place to eat with its classroom cafeteria-style atmosphere – communal tables and seats in desk form. The menu is displayed on a green chalkboard which fits the school building feeling.
Menu for lunch is limited, with only a handful of "hot" options, and two salad options. Sandwiches and entrees range from $12-$18, which is pricey for lunch, but some days you may just need to treat yourself. There is also a selection of wine and beer, but we didn't want to get drunk on our lunch break and just had water.
I ordered and enjoyed the Spaghetti Sandwich ($12), which was extremely heavy and rich. Both the bread and spaghetti were flavorful and well seasoned, but a little salty together. It was carb heaven. Me and my co-workers also shared the Charcuterie and Cheese board ($27) which was also really filling. The texture of the chicken liver mousse was very dense – none of us could finish it. The board by itself was probably enough for a meal.
The restaurant is cozy and a unique place to dine. We also didn't realize there was seating outside, which we will probably eat our meals outdoors next time.
I love the creative , unique aspect of the food. The restaurant layout is in a classroom setting. Great if you are dining with one person but would be difficult if you were dining in a group.
We dined here on a Monday during lunch and I was surprised how easy it was to get seated. This is not a typical lunch spot and diners should be aware of the limited menu items being offered. I dearly enjoyed by spaghetti sandwich…yes… spaghetti in a sandwich. The content was spaghetti in a flavorful tomato base that is shaped into a patty – nice and crispy on the outside and chewy and tomato-y on the inside. It was on a sweet brioche bread.
Loved the classroom setting, loved all the salad they have, didn't love the sandwich (I personally think the spaghetti sandwich was almost disgusting looking and weird tasting). I will come back to this open space airy place, because it is so cool to be in school!