The best and worst of the new fast-food fare
By CRYSTAL PETROCELLI
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Cheap and easy — it’s the seductive combo that keeps the fast-food folks flush with cash.

That, and the endless stream of wild and crazy menu ideas they throw at us in hopes of creating the next McGriddle.

I sampled the latest crop of creativity and found two winners and two losers.

SALADS AT CHIPOTLE

Verdict: The grilled-chicken version is so flavorful, I don’t need the dressing. The creamy vinaigrette is tangy and delicious, but the chipotle-pepper adobo-seasoned chicken packs enough punch to stand on its own. I cover my large bed of chopped romaine lettuce with black beans, a hefty scoop of chicken, pico de gallo and a handful of shredded white cheeses. There’s no nutritional information available yet, but if you skip the dressing, the damage should be minimal.

Grade: A

Cost: $5.80

Nutritional info: Not available.

CRUNCHWRAP SUPREME AT TACO BELL

Verdict: You need giant hands to make this flat wrap “good to go,” as Taco Bell’s ad campaign claims, but it’s an impressive amount of food for the money. For $1.79, you get a large tortilla layered with hot, well-seasoned taco meat and topped with a tostada shell, which stays crunchy under the weight of sour cream, nacho cheese, shredded lettuce and diced tomatoes. The tortilla is folded inward and grilled on both sides, sealing the tasty package into an easy-to-eat but tough-to-travel-with meal. Enough to feed the average guy at lunch, but he may need an afternoon snack.

Grade: B+

Cost: $1.79

Nutritional info: 560 calories, 24 fat grams, 70 carbs

STREET TORTA SANDWICH AT RUBIO’S

Verdict: Rubio’s should stick to tacos and leave the sandwiches to Subway. My palm-sized torta has poor texture (soggy bottom bun, spongy top) and taste. There's a laughable amount of carnitas on the wheaty ciabattalike roll mixed with an unpleasant pink chipotle sauce, a smudge of guacamole, a touch of cheese and a few diced tomatoes. If you’re determined to try these, buy two. Three if it’s dinner.

Grade: D+

Cost: $2.39

Nutritional info: 370 calories, 24 fat grams, 23 carbs

SIRLOIN STEAKHOUSE WRAP AT ARBY’S

Verdict: It’s just over five bucks with tax and not worth half that. The whole-wheat tortilla is soft and easy to tear into, but that’s all I have in the way of compliments. The hot, thick-sliced sirloin steak is folded over itself and glued into a clump with some melted lowercase, Webster cheddar cheese. One would think a steak-and-cheese glob would be tasty, but there’s no discernible flavor when I single that section out. Both halves of my wrap have limp-with-sauce lettuce, but only one half had thick tomato slices and only one had onion crisps. Poor ingredient disbursement isn’t the only thing wrong with this wrap — there’s the 700-calorie hit, thanks in part to a mayo sauce.

Grade: D

Cost: $4.69

Nutritional info: 700 calories, 41 fat grams, 57 carbs