Fresh Balls and a Free Soda? I’m there.

Last week, I was in a quick rush for lunch and decided to check out a new street cart across the street from my office.  I was in the mood for falafel and luckily, the guy on the street had a great neon green poster advertising my dish for $3.75.  I was sold.

As I waited in line, I was wondering what the heck could possibly be taking so long.  I didn’t know if the people in front of me were placing orders for there whole office, until it was my turn.  And that’s when I realized – this place makes fresh falafel balls.  I never had seen anything like this in my whole life, but this two-man show had one man making the pitas and rice dishes, and another man scooping in the chick pea mixture and putting it in the fryer.

As I was waiting for my food to get fried, I then noticed another sign – free soda with purchase!  Granted, I get unlimited beverages at work, but just seeing this put an extra skip in my step.  I love free things, and especially enjoyed that this cart went beyond just your typical cola and Sprite and included other beverages, such as Brisk Iced Tea and my beloved grape soda (although after trying it yesterday, I realized it tasted better when I was drinking it in 1994).

In addition to the free drinks and fresh falafel balls, these guys aren’t stingy on the toppings.  They offer onions, lettuce, tomatoes and I even got the guy to throw a couple black olives on there for me – it was like being at Subway.  They also offer a variety of sauces, beyond your traditional “white and hot sauce.”

I’ve tried this cart twice and had great experiences both times.  The falafel has a great texture, is delicious and I love that it’s fresh.  The pita doesn’t fall apart, although the second time I had a little bit of difficulty eating it because I was overzealous with the sauces.  Next time, I’ll ask the guy to not pile everything on there like I did last time as if it was the all you can eat buffet, and I think I’ll be good to go.

Guest Post by Doug Feingold, Columbia Correspondent

Needless to say, since the guy on the corner vanished some time ago, my falafel urges have yet to be filled. I always kept hope alive though – consistently pitching “Unsolved Mysteries” with pleas to open a case and track him down – anything to cling to the thought of his reappearance one day. However, today I think I finally moved on from that broken relationship. I finally met someone new.

It is an inconspicuous little cart, oddly positioned in the middle of a block rather than on the traditional corner, but for what he lacks in aesthetics and design, he more than provides in flavor and flare. The guy across the street is extremely welcoming, telling me to come on over to him and step away from the rest of the line after I place my order, as if he were my personal chef for the next three minutes. Even more impressive though is that he doesn’t simply pull together falafel from a stack of balls in the corner – each one is made to order – delivering a fresh falafel pita to each customer.

Subsequently, the pita is a hit. He packs a solid amount of balls into the pita, and it is like a falafel buffet in a cart. Rather than simply plopping on the traditional array of ingredients, the guy across the street gives a variety of options, including a Tahini sauce and onions. Most people just give the white and red sauce, with a little bit of lettuce and tomato. All the ingredients blend together well. No one flavor dominates the pita – instead they all complement the fresh falafel to create a well-rounded pita. Best of all though, the whole thing stayed together! Nothing is more frustrating than an over-packed pita that turns into a platter. However, the guy across the street knew to put enough in there to make it worthwhile without going overboard.

Overall, it’s nice to know I have a new falafel cart in my life. Am I scared he will leave when it gets cold out? Yes. But for now, I’m going to continue to enjoy the time we have, and make this cart across the street a regular in my lunch rotation.