Midtown Lunch

My, my, my how Midtown has fallen for the greatness being served by Taïm Mobile. It took our crew three tries just to get a sabich, but another one of their specials proved even more elusive, the harissa falafel. Last time I tried, they sold out with the person before me! When I spotted that special and their Midtown East location awhile back, I made sure to leave my desk no later than 12:15. 10 minutes later, I saw the line. Yes, I waited a good 40 minutes in line to finally get my hands on their harissa falafel.

Since my sabich more than held me over to dinner last time, I decided to get this in a pita: harissa falafel, hummus, tahini, pickled cabbage, and salad. I’d never knowingly had harissa before-it’s a Tunisian hot red pepper paste-so I didn’t know just how spicy this was going to be. Taste buds be damned, the wait made me so hungry I couldn’t wait to get back to the office to eat.

Fortunately, it’s not unbearably spicy. It definitely has a chili kick, this isn’t your normal fried chickpea. I’d say it’s closer to warm and tingly on the spice scale, and everything else including the pita helps to cool it down a bit. If you’re a lover of their falafel (apparently that’s everyone) and want some spice, this should be your choice next time it’s offered. And what do you know… according to the ML Twitter Tracker they’re on 45th and 6th today and their special is (wait for it) harissa falafel!