I don’t think I have ever met a human being who doesn’t like any of the following- Pita, Gyro or Hummus. How could you not, they are all freaking delicious? With the ever growing trend of quote unquote “down the line” joints, where you order as you go down the line, one place in Chelsea seems to take that concept and put a fresh spin on it.
This is Hummus & Pita Co, located in the heart of Chelsea on 6th Avenue between 16th and 17th street. With its bright colors, fresh Mediterranean flavors and friendly demeanor from all of its employees, this place should definitely be on the radar for all Manhattan foodies, especially the ones who are watching their weight for the summer season (keep reading).
After a huge television segment on Bloomberg TV’s “Taking Stock With Pimm Fox”, I sat down with owner David Pesso who told me more about his innovative and delicious establishment. Take a look.
How did Hummus & Pita start?
The Hummus & Pita Co. started as a collaboration between my mother, brother and me. My mother sold her finance company at the end of 2008 after about a year and then the stars aligned; she came to my brother and I to discuss opening up a restaurant that serves the food we love…..Mediterranean. My father is from Greece and she is Jewish. So we grew up eating a lot of Hummus and Pita!!
How would you describe Hummus & Pita’s menu to our readers?
Our menu is a mixture of some of the best dishes of the Mediterranean as well as Middle Eastern. From Turkish, Greek, Moroccan , Israeli etc., we make everything fresh All day everyday!! We use the freshest ingredients and import our spices from overseas. We get our produce daily. Everything is made on the premises from pitas, to pastries.
Do you have any particular dishes that you love more than others?
My favorite dish is Chicken Shawarma on a laffa with hummus and harissa and lots of tahina and tabouleh.
If someone is being health conscious what do you recommend they order off your menu?
Our entire menu is for the health-conscious. Our chicken and steak is cooked in our Taboon (ancient Clay) oven or fire-roasted on a spit. Besides 90% of our menu is vegetarian as well as Gluten free. We make our hummus all day every day fresh….soaking our own chic peas! Nothing comes from a can and there’s no preservatives!
I sense some comparisons to Chipotle in terms of how you order when you go. Have you gotten this before, and if so what do you say to people in terms of lessoning those comparisons?
Being compared to Chipotle is taken as a compliment based on their success and quality organization but there are not many other similarities. As far as our ordering process being similar is concerned, I guess we both use the decades old cafeteria style way of a serving line where the customer goes down a line while servers build their meal in front of them. Just like I had for lunch in public school. Growing up in Brooklyn that is exactly how all the Falafel places did it as well as many Italian eateries. For example the Original Sbarros and Joes of Ave U in Brooklyn. Both are staples of Brooklyn for generations. We believe and so do our customers that Our Food and Atmosphere is much better than Chipotles!!!!!!
What are you hopeful for in regards to the future of Hummus & Pita?
To be bigger than Chipotle! 🙂
The Hummus Pita & Co
585 6th Ave
(212) 510-7405
Two other locations in Tribeca at 79 Chambers Street and in Union Square on 815 Broadway!!