Restaurant Review #2: A NYC Gem... and by Gem, I Mean Falafel Ball

Name: Mamoun's Falafel Restaurant

Location: Two locations in New York, NY, and one in New Haven, CT

Prices: Pocket Change

Food: Looking for the perfect place to snack in the city for a reasonable price? Well, you've come to the right place. Vegans, you're gonna love this!

Anyone who lives/visits New York City knows that finding reasonably-priced food can be near impossible. However, this statement does hold some falseness when one visits St. Marks Place. This area of New York City, along with Chinatown, contains the thousands of students attending New York University, pseudo-hipsters, and artsiest of the artsy, looking to put their dollar to the best use. Not only do they wish to fill their stomachs with something cheap, but also with something delicious. No duh there. This location is where I was taken one late winter night around a year and a half ago for falafel. Since then, I've been back two more times, and plan an infinite number of returns.

St. Marks Place's Mamoun's, from the outside, is just a small hole-in-the-wall dive. Outside are a few tables, and inside, there are even less. To give you an estimate, there are only three or four inside. To the side, there is a wooden bar, where a few bottles of hot sauce (we'll cover this later), a napkin dispenser, and a straw dispenser are positioned. Then there's the counter. Simple layout, nothing special.

However, what the joint lacks in pizazz, it makes up for tenfold in edible wares. I ordered the falafel, the restaurant's specialty, something that was recommended to me by my boyfriend, Michael, who is just as into exploring the culinary world as I am. For those of you who are unaware of what falafel is, it is a mixture of ground-up chickpeas, garlic, onions, and spices, which is then rolled into bite-sized balls and deep-fried until golden and crispy on the outside, and hot and fluffy on the inside.

After paying the equivalent of my usual spendings in the arcade (for Dance Dance Revolution) on the falafel (which is not very much, considering my lack of desire to be physically active), around $3, it was handed to me, in all its golden-delicious glory. The falafel were stuffed inside of a warm, fluffy pita, and was nestled safely under a bed of chopped lettuce, tomato, and onion, followed by a healthy drizzle of tahini-based sauce, a cool, creamy, sesame-based condiment used often in Middle-Eastern foods. It was the perfect package: crispy falafel, with the fresh crispness of the veggies, and creamy tahini sauce, all bundled up in a warm pita and wrapped up in parchment paper. Sweeeet...

First bite: like heaven~

I even invested an extra dollar (yes, one dollar) for a healthy cup of mango juice. You can choose between mango and tamarind if water or soda isn't your forte.

Now, for the kicker of my visit. Quite literally. Remember the bottles of hot sauce I mentioned earlier? Well, when you come to Mamoun's, there will only be one or two of those bottles out for customer use. Hefty bottles, too, and I have a good feeling that's all they go through on a regular business day. This hot sauce is, by far, unlike anything I've ever experienced, and can vary from 'not too bad' to 'blistering my lips and tongue for over an hour.' USE SPARINGLY IF YOU HAVE VERY LITTLE EXPOSURE TO SPICY FOODS. Here's how it goes: you have one bottle of hot sauce, which isn't entirely liquid. At the bottom of the bottle are the atomic bits of pepper, as well as the seeds of it. The lower your serving you used is in the bottle, the hotter it'll be. Don't try shaking it, because the bottles are, plain and simple, somewhat flimsy-looking. The last thing you want is to possibly burn a hole in your clothing. Or your skin. Mamoun's also sells bottles of the hot sauce to bring home for $3.50 a piece, just in case you miss the burn once you return home. I bought my own mother a bottle, and she hasn't opened it. She says she's waiting until she eats falafel again, but I just think it's because she's a bit scared from her own experience.

Apart from the falafel, Mamoun's carries various other Middle-Eastern specialties that are sure to be a delight to your tastebuds, such as hummus, a puree also made from chickpeas; or tabouleh, a salad-like dish made with bulgur wheat, mint, and chopped tomatoes. If you feel more carnivorous on your day, I recommend the shawarma, or rotisserie lamb. It has won critical acclaim for being some of the best in all the city, and of course, being matched with incredibly low prices. There are also the combo platters, where you can mix and match to your heart's desire. Or rather, to the limits the menu item gives you.

While eating at Mamoun's, and especially while waiting in line, I let my eyes wander over the walls, where various news articles and reviews were posted for the public to read. Best Falafel by the New York Press: Best of Manhattan, #81 out of 6718 restaurants in NYC by TripAdvisor (damn...), as well as a listing in the book 1000 Places to See Before You Die by Patricia Schultz (2003). Yet again, I am amazed at how something so simple can win the hearts of so many people. It makes me feel all warm (and hungry) inside that people can still learn to appreciate the basics of life, and the treasures that a dollar can possible get you. For more information on Mamoun's Falafel Restaurant, you can visit their website, mamouns.com, visit them at one of their three locations, or call them at the following numbers:

212-674-8685 (119 MacDougal, New York, NY 10012)

212-387-7747 (22 St. Marks Place, New York, NY 10003)

203-562-8444 (85 Howe St., New Haven, CT 06511)

Peace, love, and chocolate

Kayla~

Antipasto...in an OMELET?! (Recipe)

What started off as a harmless little experiment, soon turned into one of my favorite breakfasts. Here's the story: one Thursday ago, my mother had purchased a pretty large amount of cold cuts and cheeses for an antipasto she was to bring to my grandmother's house. Fortunately, she didn't have to use a good deal of the stuff for the dish, which left me to profit from her leftovers. While the concept for the interior of was that of my own design, the egg mixture was inspired by a little tip my best friend, Wesley, told me one day. The dude is a genius. Anyway, enjoy!

ANTIPASTO OMELET

2 large eggs

1/2 cup prosciutto, chopped

1/4 cup pickled hot cherry peppers, chopped roughly (TIP: To prevent too much pickling liquid from getting into the omelet, pat them dry with a paper towel before chopping)

1 Tbsp milk or half-&-half

1/2 tsp dried basil

1/2 tsp dried parsley

1/3 cup plus 2 Tbsp smoked mozzarella cheese, grated

Dash salt and pepper

For egg mixture: Combine eggs, milk/half-&-half, salt, pepper, and herbs in a small bowl. Beat with fork until well combined. Do NOT let it become too frothy.

Stove Preparation: Spray pan with cooking spray, or let 2 tsp of butter melt. Set the heat beneath the pan to medium-high. After butter melts completely and pan heats, pour egg mixture in the pan and allow them to set for several seconds.

Cooking: As the edges of the egg mixture in the pan begins to turn light and appears dry, use a spatula to push the edges in, allowing more of the wet egg mixture to flow into the empty pan space and cook. Continue until most of the mixture is set, but the top is still slightly moist. Bring the heat down to medium. (The egg mixture may seem just a teensy bit wet, but this is alright; it will cook once folding occurs.) Place 1/3 cup of the cheese, the cherry peppers, and the prosciutto on one side of the omelet. Carefully using a flipper (shut up, it's called a flipper), bring the bare side of the omelet up over the side with the toppings. Let sit in the pan for 1-2 minutes.

Now comes the cool part...

Sprinkle the top of the almost-complete omelet with the remainder of the cheese. Now, you know how that cheese is gonna melt? Take 1 tsp of water and pour it into the pan (not on top of the omelet), and cover quickly with a lid. After 60 seconds, check the omelet. By creating steam in the pan, you can melt the cheese on top of and inside the edges of the omelet without burning it.

Serve up the omelet with a glass of orange juice, or whatever you'd like. I personally like a side of fruit salad and a cup of coffee with my omelet.

NOTE: For those of you who don't necessarily enjoy things too spicy... Have no fear! Cherry peppers have about 20% less heat than your standard jalapeno pepper, with only a medium-hot strength. Try a cherry pepper before using it; if it is too spicy, finely dice the peppers, and reduce the amount by half. This will assure smaller kicks and equal distribution of spice throughout the omelet.

Peace, love, and chocolate

Kayla~