Taim Falafel
222 Waverly Place, West Village
I usually write-off falafel as mediocre street food that is neither very satisfying nor healthy. However, a recent visit to Taim has changed my perception with the best version I have tasted. Spud and I tried the mixed falafel platter ($11.50) with hummus, tabouli, and Israeli salad. The salads were all high quality, but the 3 falafel flavors, green (traditional), red (roasted pepper), and harissa (Tunisian spices), were the stars. They were all flavorful, light, crispy, and not greasy. We also tried the Sabich sandwich ($7.25) of fried eggplant, hard boiled egg, hummus, Israeli salad, tahini and amba sauce. It was messy, but very tasty, with bursts of complementing flavors. Taim is tiny with only a few stools, and with a 26 Zagat food rating, it gets busy. So order take out or find their mobile truck and revisit this Middle Eastern staple.
Mmmm… you’re making me want a falafel fix. I’ve recently realized that it’s one of my favorite foods — the way falafel combines with its classic condiments is second only to a hamburger. It will definitely be awhile before I make it to Taim, but in the meantime we’ve been enjoying Duzan (on the corner of Astoria Blvd. and Steinway). Great falafel, and a fun assortment of extra dipping sauces you can get on the side.
(The falafel mixes you can get at Parrot Tree on Ditmars aren’t bad, either!)
Thanks for the local rec Litza! I totally agree that the classic falafel condiments make for one of the best complex flavor profiles. Now that I’m back into falafel, we will definitely check out Duzan.