Food Adventuring Around NYC
My search for the best falafel in New York continues…. SADLY, GAZALA PLACE IS NOW CLOSED. Gazala Place in Hell’s Kitchen (and its bigger, newer location on the Upper West Side) is the only place in New York to get Druze cuisine. The Druze are a religious people that live throughout the Middle East and have …
My search for the best falafel in New York continues…. You can pretty much stuff whatever you want inside a falafel. And some places do. I’ve seen such unconventional fillings like sundried tomatoes, olives, and spinach. It seems these tend to be popular at Israeli falafel joints. And I love it because I can usually …
Every week, I document another dish that impressed and satiated me during my food adventures around New York CityEast of Sixth Avenue, Bleecker Street is where restaurants go to die. With the abundance of college students and tourists coming through here, you’d think this stretch of Greenwich Village would be prime real estate to open …
My search for the best falafel in New York continues…. I was recently in the far south neighborhood of Bay Ridge. One of the things I love about this neighborhood is that its generally not a destination neighborhood. Most people in New York have heard of it, but unless you live there, odds are you …
Looking back on 2014, I present the most memorable and greatest dishes of my year. In years past, I’ve done a full two month countdown of all 100 of my favorite dishes. This year, I decided to just focus on and give praise to the ten most memorable dishes of the year. I’ll still put …
A hearty stew of boneless chicken with crushed walnuts and cooked in a sweet and rich pomegranate paste, is one of Iran’s most famous dishes. And it’s the highlight at the Persian grill known as Ravagh. Price: $12.50 RAVAGH PERSIAN GRILL 11 East 30th Street (between Fifth Avenue and Madison Avenue), Midtown East (212) 696-0300 1237 …
SADLY, RAKKA CAFE IS NOW CLOSED. Once upon a time, Cafe Rakka was an institution in the East Village. Back in the rough and tumble 80’s and 90’s, its two locations would be the place to grab a quick meal before heading to any one of the nearby music venues. Sadly those days are mostly …
I underestimated the modest little falafel. I was expecting some great things, sure, but I was also anticipating lots of dry and dense chickpea balls. Greasy, soggy, and mealy were words I used very rarely in my falafel reviews. Of course, I stuck with the most renowned and popular falafel spots in the city. I’m …
My search for the best falafel in New York continues…. If this was 1992, the year that Rainbow Falafel opened, I’d be jumping up and down because I just discovered a secret little, under-the-radar falafel joint housed in the back of a tiny little bodega. But it’s 2014 and Rainbow Falafel has certainly been discovered …
My search for the best falafel in New York continues…. SADLY, WAFA’S IS NOW CLOSED. When my mom called and I told her I had travelled to the middle of Queens for some falafel, the natural question was “Was it worth it?” And I can enthusiastically tell my mom it was indeed. I can’t imagine she’d …
My search for the best falafel in New York continues…. It’s easy enough for a business to call themselves the king. The King of tires, the king of beer, the king of burgers. It’s a marketing gimmick, of course, but it’s amazing how people tend to believe the royal decrees. King of Falafel is one …
My search for the best falafel in New York continues…. SADLY, UNIVERSITY PITA IS NOW CLOSED. Falafel has now become as ubiquitious as pizza in this city. You can find falafel on almost every corner and most of it gives the vegetarian dish a bad name. I’ve tried to focus my journey on the most popular …
My search for the best falafel in New York continues…. A Bedouin tent is a convertible structure usually made of goat or camel hair that allows nomadic people to stay safely and comfortably in the desert. It’s also the name of a restaurant in the cozy neighborhood of Boerum Hill. As far as I know, …
My search for the best falafel in New York continues…. SADLY, ZAYTOONS IS NOW CLOSED. Whether they’re stuffed with pickles, hummus, tahini, or hot sauce, most falafel sandwiches look the same. It’s usually a pita pocket overflowing with toppings. But leave it to Zaytoons, the long-time Middle Eastern restaurant on Smith Street to change things up. …
My search for the best falafel in New York continues…. Only in New York could you walk into a Middle Eastern restaurant and have the cashiers and cooks speak to each other in Spanish. It actually made me a little concerned about the autenticity of the falafel at Ba’al Cafe. Based on my research, this …
My search for the best falafel in New York continues…. SADLY, OLYMPIC PITA IS NOW CLOSED. Many people consider Midtown to be the worst food neighborhood in Manhattan. Even Zach Brooks has been trying to disprove his own declaration of it being a “food wasteland” on the well-known blog Midtown Lunch. At first look, yes, …
My search for the best falafel in New York continues…. You can’t find a New Yorker alive today who remembers a time when this city didn’t have pizza, bagels, and hot dogs on every corner. But there are plenty of people who remember the days before falafel. Today, it’s a pretty ubiquitous and iconic New …
My search for the best falafel in New York continues…. SADLY, HOOMOOS ASLI IS NOW CLOSED. Unless you’re from a Middle Eastern country, you shouldn’t pronounce the word for chickpea puree as “hoomoos” with the long “oo” sound. In this country, we say “hummus.” But the Israeli-Yemeni café, Hoomoos Asli, on the border of Soho and Nolita …
My search for the best falafel in New York continues…. New York City is the city that never sleeps, but certain neighborhoods are definitely more nocturnal than others. Williamsburg, Brooklyn is one of those neighborhoods that’s up all night. Back in the day, it’s where I would meet up with my friends starting at 10 …
Every week, I document another dish that impressed and satiated me during my food adventures around New York City Walking around Bay Ridge, Brooklyn really got me nostalgic for when I used to live in Queens. The streets are lined with independently owned shops and an intoxicating smell of spices emenating from ethnic restaurants and cafés. …