Thursday, January 17, 2019

Time Travel

Forty years ago I had falafel for the first time. It was my first taste of Middle Eastern cuisine which I've grown to love. The restaurant that served this foreign, new food was a tiny place in Greenwich Village (NYC) named Mamoun's Falafel.

Falafel and all Middle Eastern food varies widely from place to place due to differences in seasonings and quality. Of the thousands of falafel balls I've eaten since Mamoun's, none have equaled its freshness, flavor and amusing green interior.

Imagine my delight when Mamoun's recently opened a new place ten minutes from my office in Woodbury! Tasting those same balls in the same green color transports me back in time. I remember wolfing down falafel sandwiches at two in the morning on MacDougal Street after nights of city excitement. The new place is decorated with pictures of that location in the Seventies. I actually checked the photos to see if I'm in any of them.

Go to Woodbury (Jericho Turnpike), order a "Classic" sandwich and pretend Jimmy Carter is still President. You'll feel better.

7 comments:

  1. As a vegetarian I love Falafel. So cool you have a spot close to you where you know the quality is great.

    Suzanne
    http://www.suzannecarillo.com

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  2. I started eating falafel when I started being a vegetarian and it made that easier to do.

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  3. Always exciting when something you love becomes easy to get to. So glad your favourite is close to you now.

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  4. oh I love falafel! I don't eat it often but it sure is delicious!

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  5. Oh I love falafels. I've tried making my own and they always end up falling apart in the process. Still edible though just not the same. I love finding restaurants like these.

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  6. Mmm when we lived in West Nashville there was a falafel truck we ate at. I work near a Mediterranean restaurant that does gyro, falafel, shwarma, and yet I still haven't been!

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