I don't often find myself agreeing with the Post (on many topics), so I was surprised to find this morning's Overrated Dishes article so spot on. As someone whose job it is to pick Citysearch's Best Of winners once a year, I often find myself considering many of the places on this list, which, for the most part, made names for themselves by offering a superior product ... at some point in time. However, oftentimes these chestnuts suffer serious quality control issues, or, as the articles mentions, in the case of Nobu (or Peter Luger, as Frank Bruni pointed out in his recent re-review), have been upstaged by superior imitators. Reading the Post's list got me thinking about some less-heralded spots that give these played-out "classics" competition.

Cupcakes: Crumbs
Sure, the idea of a Reese's Peanut Butter Cup cupcake is not very refined, but the reality is pretty much junk food bliss. This is, after all, cupcakes we're talking about.
Burger: Stand
I know lots of folks don't like the bun, but it's exactly the kind of burger I like: juicy and messy and full of beefy flavor. And don't even get me started on those onion rings and Il Laboratorio milkshakes.
Pizza: Lucali
We love this place, and continue to be amazed by how good it continues to be. So much so that we made a video of the owner/chef working his magic that left us feeling a little cultish.
Sushi: Sasabune on the Upper East Side is pretty low-key compared to the celeb-fueled scene at Nobu, but it keeps the focus where it should be--on the fish.
Barbecue: Hill Country's got a pretty solid lock on this one, so much so that I'm willing to ignore the fact that it feels so suburban. How suburban? I instinctively start trying to remember where I parked my car after dinner. (I don't have one.)

Agree, disagree, think I should be punished by being made to eat five Crumbs cupcakes in a row? (Pretty please.)

(Photo courtesy of Crumbsbakeshop.com)