Little Lad's

Back when I was a starving college student in Boston, I regularly took advantage of the all-you-can-eat vegetarian buffet at Country Life. I remember indulging in "pepper steak," "sea cakes," and desserts topped with cashew "whipped cream."

There used to be two Country Life locations in NYC, but they closed many years ago, and apparently the one in Boston just closed down as well. But Larry Fleming, the spry, ageless founder of the chain, is not about to give up on his dream of spreading healthy, inexpensive food to the masses. (And the massive - like me! Did I overdo it this past holiday season or what?)

In a dark, gloomy corner of the concourse at 120 Broadway, he's opened a little veggie oasis: Little Lad's. I got a little bit lost trying to find it... a sign on the Broadway side of the building advises visitors to walk around to the Nassau Street entrance, which is equally as confusing. After enlisting the help of a security guard, I walked down the stairs to the concourse, where I finally encountered Little Lad's. The entrance looked like a country store, with baskets of healthy baked goods and fresh produce everywhere.

To my disappointment, the buffet was about one-third the size of the one at the old Country Life. But for $3.99, I have no business complaining! (I must mention that for those who dislike buffets, there's a small menu of a la carte sandwiches - grilled "cheese," "steak-out," etc.) The buffet includes one go-around of soup, mains, salad and fruit; each additional visit is only $1. According to Mr. Fleming, customers used to complain that they always ate too much; this is why he added the small extra fee - as a deterrent.

On the day I went, there was a delicious, coconut-laced Jamaican black bean soup (I didn't try the split pea). Other selections included rutabagas, beans, dilled potatoes, Armenian lentil stew (this seems to be popping up all over the place; in my ill-fated, brief attempt to lose weight on the Diet To Go delivery program, this stew was one of the choices. I had never encountered it before I tried to go on a diet. Is it indeed an Armenian dish?). The salad bar was pretty standard. I sprang for some mixed berry pie; the cashew cream had more vanilla than I remembered but was just as addictive. The man in front of me, patting his ample belly, remarked that he wanted to consume an entire bowl of it!

As I sat down to eat, I noticed that many of the diners knew each other, and if they didn't, Mr. Fleming did! He flitted around like a happy butterfly: "Here's an old Country Life customer! She went to the one on Broad Street!" Next to me, a man called over to a co-worker, "Second day in a row here?"

Mr. Fleming will tell you that customers have drastically lowered their blood pressure or cholesterol with just one weekly visit to his healthy food emporium. Although I'm a skeptic, I do think it is possible to lighten one's mood considerably at Little Lad's, and the effects may last a few days... until your next visit!

Little Lad's: 120 Broadway, Concourse Level, (212) 227-5744.