I first checked this joint out moons ago after local food bloggers of stations higher than mine raved on and on about it.
Suffice to say that my first trip was underwhelming. I’ve not bothered to trek out there to try again, since I had La Villa a short jog away, allowing me to sate my appetite for falafel in minutes. Alas, my beloved La Villa closed, and I found myself hungry for falafel while out riding my bike on the north side, so i made a b-line for the cafe to get myself some mid-ride lunch.
The Cafe is largely unchanged from the first trip back in November, with one exception: to the right of the entrance, what was previously a storage room has been converted into a video crack parlor. I shit you not. how very odd.
I sat outside to keep my bike company, and had a Falafel sandwich. The kindly waitress asked me if I wanted it ‘regular’ or ‘special’. Special? What?
“Special means it’s grilled up.” she said. That’s all well and good. I ordered that, and an Ice Tea.
Food came out a little later. Garnish was a tangle of romaine and a few stray tomato slices. The sandwich was crispy on both sides and a decent size. The bread was warm from the grilling, but the sandwich chilled towards the middle. Other than a healthy portion of falafel, there was tahini sauce, pickles (jarred and crappy), lettuce shreds, perhaps a little hummus and some pink tomatoes.
I got some hot sauce when the waitress came out to check on me, and then snapped some pics before I ate it all.
tell me that doesn’t look like a Grilled Stuft Burrito ™. This is probably as close as I’ll get to a Taco Bell.
Overall the sandwich was fine, but nothing amazing. I still miss my La Villa, and I have yet to experience what everyone keeps raving about. Do I have bad luck? I don’t know. it’s gonna take someone else paying for me to go back, I think. Too many other choices to warrant it, unless I’m hungry and drinking at the Kennedy School.
what’s that? how dare you suggest I eat at the Kennedy School.
c’mon folks, I had to slide one joke in an otherwise bland depiction of mediocre food. forgive me.
