This homey Israeli restaurant greeted me with a whirlwind display of line cooks chopping cucumbers, slicing bread and ladeling sauces, when I entered the line to order. As usual, I took it as a good sign that the restaurant displayed its kitchen to the public, for it means that the joint has no shortcomings to hide. My tastebuds proved me correct in this regard. Since I was super-hungry and coming near the end of a long (and productive) workweek, I decided to splurge on the 12-dollar falafel plate, rather than getting a sandwich (I had heard from third-party sources that the falafel was amazing, so I didn't even consider shawarma).
The first thing I noticed when my dish arrived at the table was not the plate but the basket of pita that accompanied it. I reached in, tore off a piece and took a bite: it was warm and fluffy, fresh from the oven (I've eaten fresh pita in Isrsel so I know home-made pita when I see it).
I then set my eyes (and fork) on the plate. I scooped up some hummus and fell into a trance: it was savory and garlicky, heavier on the chickpeas than on the Tahini (meaning that it lacked the unpleasant pungency of the store-bought stuff). Next, I broke open a Falafel: crisp on the outside, soft (and warm) on the inside, brimming with the flavor of spices and garlic. Finally, I turned my attention to the creamy, light-colored salad on the plate of condiments the waiter brought to accompany my meal: my taste buds identified a tangy, spicy baba ghanoush (perfect for a summer's day). I even enjoyed the pickled beets and carrots (slightly sweet with a kick of spice) that accompany the baba than ghanoush.
The best part was the generous size of the "plate". Devouring 2 pita, 8 nice-sized falafel balls and a massive dollop of the hummus (along with the baba ghanoush, pickles and salad), I left satiated and satisfied.
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