Richmond's Two Newest Falafels

In the past week or so, I've had a falafel from two new middle eastern eateries in Richmond. Now, I'm a bit of a completest when it comes to falafel. If a place is serving something and they're calling it a falafel, then I feel compelled to try it, and then rank it on my falafel spectrum of tastiness. For instance, Aladin's is a 9.5 (see my previous post on their pita paradise wrapped in foil) and the same (but oh so different) sandwich from Mediterranean Bakery and Deli also scores highly. The pita pocket sandwich that I once had at the chain restaurant, Pita Pit, was clearly made from a mix of dried ingredients. They even asked me what kind of cheese I wanted on the it and they didn't have tahini sauce. They scored a 2 out of 10.

But there's more to this system than a simple authenticity test. Not every restaurateur of middle eastern decent serves up decent falafel. And not every bohemian sandwich maker screws up their pita sandwiches (feel free to chime in on this). Some of my favorite falafels are at places like Harrison Street Coffee Shop near VCU and Sammy T's in Fredericksburg. However, when it comes to the real complex flavors of a well seasoned falafel ball, I do tend to put my money on places that also sell baba ganouj and brandish hookas along the walls.

Last week, I stopped in at the new place on Meadow, near Broad Street. It's called the Mediterranean Market. Inside, I was greeted by Abraham, a really friendly guy who used to work at Aladins. This was a good sign. On that day, I had already eaten and was just browsing. However, I did decide to take home some goodies for my wife (tabouli, halva, canned stuffed grape leaves, and pita chips). When I got to the register, Abraham had a falafel ball waiting for me. He said, "Still vegetarian, right? You will love my falafel." And I did.

It was sitting on a plate in a little pool of tahini sauce. The crunchiness was impressive. I could see whole fennel seeds in the crust and the insides were moist and lumpy with the remnants of chick peas. Not bad at all. The tahini sauce was also seasoned with something extra, but I couldn't tell what. I prefer more lemon juice in my sauce, but most traditional falafel's have a pretty plain tahini sauce going on. At this point, I'm not sure if I can rate the falafel, because I haven't had it served as a sandwich (I never order the "platter" version). But, what I've tasted so far is pretty exciting. Plus, the house tabouli is fantastic. Lots of lemon and parsley, just the way Karen likes it.

So, do yourself a favor and support this new market while you wait for Trader Joe's to materialize. And then, keep going back cuz Abraham deserves your support. In fact, order a sandwich and a side and maybe some Turkish coffee and then sit at the table by the window and watch the comings and goings at 7-11. Inner peace will soon follow.

The next falafel came from The Phoenician, a Lebanese restaurant which has replaced La Casita in the 4400 block of W. Broad St. A coworker and I popped by to get some take out while on lunch break. The place looks fancy! I mean, it is awash in red tapestries that spiral to the ceiling and the lighting is intimate. Not really suited for lunch take out, either. We sat in the lounge area looking over the menu and narrowed our focus to the sandwiches. They had falafel, so I order it. Of course, they had shwarma and lamb kababs, etc. And don't even get me started about their list of entrees and specials, cuz I don't wanna get off topic by talking about the $45 Mezza plate.

My coworker ordered a strange sounding cheese appetizer to go along with his falafel. They gave us styrofoam containers, which was instantly off putting for me. I mean, what's wrong with a foil wrapped falafel? No fries come with these pitas, anyhow. Once back at the office, we opened up the boxes and found a beautiful scene of hummus adorned with diced tomato, onions, and parsley and swimming in olive oil. There were fried pita chips as well strewn around, and of course, a fairly large falafel pita wrapped in foil. Not bad for $5.00.

The humus was great; garlicky, lemony, and oily. My fave. The falafel balls were also really good, featuring lots of seasoning, but not quite enough tahini for my taste. When I finished, I was singing the praises of the Phoenician. The falafel-o-meter gives it: 8/10 for the falafel and 9/10 if the accouterments are taken into account.

Now, about that cheese. I wish I could remember the name of the stuff. Wow, was it strong. And unfamiliar tasting too. Really, I couldn't handle more than two bites. Same for my friend. It wasn't haloumi (which was also on the menu). I'll be getting that next time instead of this stuff.

At any rate, the Phoenician surprised and pleased. You can eat cheaply there, but not if you really want to experience the Lebanese full treatment. Appetizers start at $5 and so do sandwiches. But, maybe that's all you need for lunch anyhow. As for the entrees, tune in next time, cuz I'm headed back for dinner.

Viva Falafel y Buena Suerte, Mexico

Last week I strolled into Aladdin Express (aka Aladdin’s at Broad and Laurel) and brought back a falafel for lunch. I’ve been going to Aladdin’s for years (10, to be exact) and I usually don’t stray too far from their savory and saucy falafel pita sandwich. For a while there, I was compulsive about falafel, ordering it everywhere I saw it on the menu and always comparing it to Aladdin’s consistently delicious hand-held meal.



Too often at other eateries, I have ordered falafel and rather than receiving fried balls of mashed chick peas and spices, what I got was a crumbly mess of rehydrated and fried prepackaged mix (yuck!). Other places go astray by tinkering with the tahini dressing, or getting too fancy with the veggies, imprecise pita manipulation, over or under-fried falafel balls, etc. Feel free to chime in and report your crimes against falafel (or to mention other good falafel venues, like the Mediterranean Bakery on Quioccasin).

What you receive for $3.99 at Aladdin’s is a 7” pita with a hole cut into the top. Dropped inside* you find a good balance of fried falafel balls, raw onions, tomatoes, and iceberg lettuce, all topped with a thick lemon tahini sauce that slowly drips down through the ingredients to the bottom of the pita. Yes, it’s bursting at the seams and unavoidably messy. But the combination of flavors and sloppiness just seems appropriate. I usually add a drop of Texas Pete hot sauce on each bite, just to make doubly sure that all of my senses are triggered during lunch break. For a little extra, they will throw hummus, baba ghanouj, or tabouli into the already stuffed pita.

Anyhow, I'd like to take a moment to reminisce about an old friend (the sandwich and Aladdin's owner). Behind the counter, Al (god, I hope that’s his name) greeted me after a couple years of missing each other. In recent years, I have been finding vegetarian lunch-break food in places other than Aladdin’s extensive Middle Eastern menu. And Al has been doing well enough with his restaurant (thanks to hooka-toking VCU kids) to consistently delegate cooking and cashier duties. I told him that he’s looking younger and well rested.

Al’s eyes light up. “You know what my secret is?” he says? “Um, you’ve finally gone vegetarian?” “No. Whole wheat pita with fennel seeds. I don’t sell it here, because it would raise the price of my sandwiches. Would you like to try it? You like spicy, right?” “Always. Lay it on me.”

In a couple minutes, Al presents me with a toasted corner of pita bread. There are fennel seeds imbedded in the dough, along with some specs that may have been black sesame seeds. Really yummy stuff, with a warm taste of licorice that really filled my mouth with flavor. I tell him that I like the bread. Once I'm back at the office, I’m not surprised to find that he’s made my falafel sandwich with his special pita/fountain-of-youth. It was delicious, although, by the end, I didn't want to see another fennel seed for a week. Next time, I'll ask him where I can buy the stuff myself.

* At the bottom of Aladdin’s falafel, you will find the very piece of pita bread that was cut from the top to create the opening. Apparantly, they just drop it inside after they cut it of the top. Every time for the past 10 years, it’s right there at the bottom of the sandwich waiting for me. Little touches often make food that much more comforting


Buena Suerte, Mexico

I’ve been probing all of my friends who’ve visited Viva Mexico in Carytown and I haven’t heard a critical word from anyone (or any real excitement either). Maybe I’m just a food snob (do ya think?), but I was not impressed when I went there during their first week open. I know, you can’t judge a restaurant by it’s food for the first six months, but how hard is it to crank out a standard Mexican menu? If there really is a period of adjustment for all restaurants, Viva Mexico clearly needs one.

At Viva Mexico, I enjoyed speaking Spanish with the staff, but I did not eat a single bite that made me smile with pleasure. Okay, maybe the cheese dip, but I’m a sucker for chip’n’dip. The thing that has stuck with me most is that the beans were completely devoid of flavor and fat. This coming from a vegetarian who guiltily looks forward to the essence of lard in his Mexican food (don’t ask, don’t tell, ya know?). My wife didn’t want to speak ill of the place, but did mention that the meat in her taco was totally plain.

I didn’t want to blog about the experience. Karen and I are both excited to be able to walk to a Mexican restaurant. However, after eating there, I came to the conclusion that they were skimping and cutting corners to make ends meet in the high rent blocks of Carytown. It might pay off for them in the short run, but I wondered how long Carytown shoppers would fill their booths without el sabor de los chiles to look forward to.

We haven’t been back since, and I’m hoping that the cooking techniques at Viva Mexico change over time. Anyhow, Dana Craig’s review of Viva Mexico in today’s RTD hits the nail on the head. Rather than talk a bunch of trash, I’ll just endorse today’s review.

Buena suerte, Viva Mexico (that means good luck, by the way)