September 13, 2006

 Sam's Falafel - Liberty Plaza Luminaries

Step into Liberty Plaza (now renamed Zuccotti Park) and one pushcart stands out. Well, its line stands out, anyway. Nearly as many people are waiting in line for this one cart as are waiting for all the others put together. This food I had to try for myself.

Even thought the line is long, it moves quickly, and there is a tray of fried pitas to munch on while you wait. There is no time lost to wading through a lengthy menu becuase ther are only two choices: falafel sandwich or falafel platter. I decide on the platter.

Man, am I glad I came. This is a falafel to rival Moishe's, although they take the exact opposite approach. While Moishe makes a light, airy falafel, Sam's falafel is dense, almost meaty. The 7 (!) falafel balls they give with the platter are joined on the plate by a dazzling array of accoutrements: hummus, tahini sauce, baba gannouj, fried eggplant, fried onions, a stuffed grape leaf, lettuce, tomato, and pita. Every one of them is delicious, even the stuffed grape leaf, a dish I usually avoid, is wonderfully mild and flavored with mint. All together, they combine for effect which is as appetizing as any meal I can remember.

Posted by Sam on Sep 13, 2006 | Permalink | Comments & User reviews (2)

August 22, 2006

 Barbara - Wall St. Whiz

Barbara was my model when I was learning to be a vendor. Her cart is remarkable less for the range of dishes - she serves a standard (if expanded) run of traditional pushcart fare - than for the speed and efficiency of her operation, and the resultant consistancy and freshness of her offerings.

You can smell the piles of onions and peppers cooking slowly as you pass by, and to me this makes the italian sausage hero (loaded high with the savory vegetables) my number one pick, but anything you pick here will be a credit to her profession.

Posted by Sam on Aug 22, 2006 | Permalink | Comments & User reviews (0)