Since we first posted about Barbanzo (58th and 3rd), we’ve been tracking the opening with interest. Aside from Omar’s Kitchen and Bakery, there aren’t too many brick and mortar shops to get a civilized plate of falafel and hummus in upper Midtown East, a gap which Barbanzo could have potentially filled.

Anyone familiar with Meze Grill’s Chipotle-esque scheme of ordering should feel right at home with Barbanzo’s menu. Step into the bright and immaculately clean restaurant and you’ll spot slowly turning shawarma spits of chicken and beef in the back. And up at the front counter, tubs of ingredients such as the fried falafel, clinging to life underneath a heat lamp. Choose your protein, your vehicle for delivery, then your toppings and sauces. But please choose better than I did.

To their credit, Barbanzo packed a whole lot of food into my $8.50 falafel platter salad, and most of it was certainly fresh, filling and Zach’s least favorite word — healthy. The order included five falafel, which while plenty crisp on the outside, were a bit too dense and disappointingly mealy. I was almost glad that they showed restraint when spooning the hummus on my platter, for it wasn’t as silky and appealing as the version found at Taim Mobile, or even Maoz. And the wan tahini and gutless harissa served better as coloring then flavoring.

But perhaps my biggest issue with this dish is calling it a ‘platter’, for it was most certainly a salad. In any other reputable falafel slinging shop, a platter would include a layer of rice, or perhaps a side of pita. In this case, a bed of shredded lettuce provided the foundation, making it a salad in my book. I’ll certainly check back at some point to see if their beef or chicken shawarma make this place a visit – it’s harder to screw those up. But with salad like this, you probably won’t win friends.

The + (What somebody who likes this would say)

• It’s a healthy lunch
• Clean, brightly lit space with plenty of seating.

The – (What somebody who doesn’t like this place would say)

• It’s a healthy lunch
• The food is middling — better perhaps than Pita Grill but not nearly as good as Taim, Maoz, etc

Bar Banzo, 969 3rd Ave (at 58th st); 212-317-1900

I walk down 35th Street from 6th Ave to 5th Ave pretty much every day on the way to work. About a month ago, a new Halal cart popped up and caught my eye. After the yellow halal truck on 33rd showed up and then disappeared a few weeks later, I hesitated to write this new cart up for fear that it would wander off before too long. At this point, it’s been around long enough that it’s worth mentioning, which is good since the guy who runs it has an interesting trick or two that absolutely makes it worth a visit. See why after the jump.

The cart is pretty much like so many others, which makes it so odd that he’d decide to park so far into what amounts to a pass-through block. 35th Street may have Leña Latin Grill and some notable Korean spots, but it’s not the high traffic area you’d expect a cart to look for. The cart on the other end of the block always sticks as close to 5th Ave as he can to make sure he gets as many passersby as possible. Still, as far as I can tell, this new guy has already begun to get a following, I know I’m fond of him already.

Here’s the thing that makes the street meat here different, in my opinion: he adds the white sauce and hot sauce onto the meat while it’s still on the griddle. This gives me extra sauce (because he still tops it all off with sauce when it’s done) and it leaves a thicker, reduced sauce blended into the meat while it’s browning. When I saw him do this, it caught my attention and I’ve noticed him do it a couple times afterward, so it’s not fluke. It’s a nice technique that I really appreciate.

On another visit, I decided to switch it up a bit and try out the cheesesteak on the menu. I was hesitant, after all it was just down the block where I had that terrible halal Italian sausage.

Thankfully, this wasn’t anything like that. He tossed a flat square of steak on the griddle and chopped it up with some onions and a couple slices of cheese. He even surprised me with a proper hero roll to put it in.

Now, I won’t claim this is an authentic cheesesteak, or even that it approaches the level of Carl’s, my favorite cheesesteak place this side of New Jersey. Still, it certainly hit the spot and is worth having again when I’m in the mood for greasy steak and cheese.

Besides having good food, the guy who works the cart is very friendly and already seems to know a fair number of his regulars. His cart is a good addition to a generally under-served area. I’m glad to have him there.

Halal Cart, Near 66 W. 35th Street (btwn 5th Ave and 6th Ave)

When Kolache Mama closed on 45th Street between Madison+Vanderbilt, they were the second such business to close in that very location. One might even say the spot was cursed… that is, until now. Chickpea of the “always baked, never fried” Downtown falafel fame had moved uptown, and by the looks of Friday’s crowd, it’s here to stay. I’ve never seen anything on that street with lines out the door!

I went in completely unprepared, relying on what looked good and what I saw others ordering (aka falafel wraps!) Mind you, this is baked falafel which keeps it a special green color not often seen by non-parental types. For an additional $2, the platter seemed to be enough food to tide me over to dinner since it comes with a good amount of hummus and bulgur wheat. Did I mention this place is sort of healthy? They don’t just serve falafel; chicken, turkey, and lamb are also available. The falafel is good, it has nice spices and a palatable texture, but it’s still not fried deliciousness. This is definitely for those who are craving your street cart falafel, but need something healthier. The wheat was very enjoyable, a great alternative to rice.

The hummus has options as well: original, roasted red pepper, basil and toasted pine nuts, and jalapeno and scallion. Luckily, the platter came with a pita to spread their creamy original hummus on. In essence, I could have made my own falafel pita with extra to share or save. Though the tahini was nice on the falafel and wheat, it completely ruined the salad I had picked out for myself-you have the choice of four ingredients.

And next time I will completely be splitting the platter. For $8, I got one of the most filling meals in a while, but since it wasn’t a greasy mess, I didn’t need a mid-afternoon nap in the conference room. I had to throw in the towel with three falafel pieces left, I felt like such a quitter.

Chickpea, 45 East 45th Street (btw. Mad+Park), (212) 697-1666

Taim is a veritable New York institution at this point. The quality of their product has earned them a legion of devoted followers, plenty of superlatives from food media, and recently received the prestigious distinction as the “Best Falafel Sandwich in New York City” by the folks from Serious Eats. On the back of their popularity, they’ve spun off a sister restaurant, the upscale bistro Balaboosta, and they’ve recently hit the streets with a mobile food truck. A few weeks ago, downtown correspondent Andrea got a first look at the Taim Mobile truck, and last Friday, I was lucky enough to nab lunch from the Taim truck in my neighborhood of Midtown West.

We at ML make no secret about it – we’re omnivores through and through. We have a healthy respect for a lunch that’s filling, meaty and starchy enough to get us through the long work day. However, the falafel platter ($9.50) shook any convictions that meat is a requirement for a sustaining workday lunch. And at this price, it’s a bargain, given the sheer volume of food and many layers of flavor from a generous shmear of hummus, a falafel quintuplet, pita bread, a nutty quinoa salad, refreshing cucumber based Israeli salad, and various condiments.

I simply couldn’t ask for more out of their hummus. The healthy mound of ground chickpeas is lavishly rich from the tahini and a small pool of olive oil, lusciously smooth, and utterly satisfying. Tear into the pillowy soft, za’atar flecked pita, drag it through the dreamy hummus, and you get a bite of food that’s so good you’ll swoon.

Almost nothing is lost in translation with the critically acclaimed falafel during the transition from brick and mortar to street truck. These globes of deep fried chickpeas sported the reliably crunchy exterior and ethereally fluffy interior that I’ve enjoyed at the original Taim. Flavor wise, the falafel stand by themselves – pleasantly nutty and herbal from the well integrated parsley and cilantro. Add a drizzle of the fragrant amba (mango chutney), a dollop of spicy S’rug (Yemeni hot sauce), or a dip in the hummus, and you’re in flavor country.

It’s more or less the unfortunate case that warm blooded Americans build their meals around animal proteins, a habit I’ve certainly been guilty of. However, this was easily the best vegetarian meal I’ve had in recent memory, and one of the better lunches (vegetarian or otherwise) I’ve had in Midtown as well. With vegetarian food this good and this exciting, I’ve had a suspiciously crunchy granola change of heart – “hold the hamburger, and please pass me the hummus”.

The Taim Mobile truck is closed today but hope to be in Midtown tomorrow or Wednesday.  You can follow them on twitter, or the ML twitter tracker, and stay up to date on their menu and location on their website.

Somehow this summer, I didn’t manage to have one at all and as the last week or so has proven, summer is definitely over. Then I noticed that halal carts all over town have started selling Italian sausages. (Well, maybe they were there all along… but it’s only recently that I noticed the signs!)  I was intrigued. Halal and pork don’t typically mix, but I wouldn’t tell if they wouldn’t.

All over town I’ve been seeing these same posters from halal carts and trucks. The XPL that Mamacita reviewed last week uses the same signs as does Mediterranean Healthy Food cart on 35th Street off of 5th Avenue, where I decided to sample for research purposes.

First and foremost, it should be clear that, despite all my hopes, these sausages are not pork. In fact, it’s not really anything like an Italian sausage. If I hadn’t seen another similar sign proclaiming that these are in fact beef sausages, I’d say it tastes awfully like gyro meat forced into a sausage casing. The meat has a slightly sweet spice to it, that could be cinnamon, but it certainly wasn’t fennel and red pepper flakes!

The sausage was split and browned on the griddle then put in a pretty big roll and topped with sauteed green peppers and onions. After that, the guy asked if I wanted white sauce on top, which really threw me for a loop. When I said “uh…no,” he seemed almost disappointed and asked if I was sure. I relented.

It’s a weird thing. And not in a ‘weird/interesting/good’ kind of way… more like a ‘it’s weird that I’m eating this’ kind of way. The casing lacks the snap of a traditional sausage and instead each bite involves a slight tearing feeling as you have to rip it apart in order to eat it. Inside, the meat had pockets of gristle that definitely didn’t make me appreciate the meal any more. The sandwich wasn’t terrible, but I don’t have any plans to order it again. Ever. Consider yourself warned.

I know Papa Perrone does sausage with peppers and onions, but 55th is a bit of a hike for me.  Anybody have an Italian sausage from a street meat cart goto that they would recommend?  Put it in the comments.

When Nanoosh opened up a couple months ago, I wasn’t really sure what to think. With the bright colors and san serif font, it looked like all the other new chains popping up around town. Plus, with all that talk about being organic and healthy, it didn’t really call to me the way a various fried chicken spots have, but I still made my way back a couple times. Surprisingly, I found that I actually enjoyed it.

On my first visit, opening day, I had the Hummus Nanoosh platter ($8.75), a swirl of hummus with a pile of beef in the middle mixed with caramelized onions and mushrooms. As I said then, it all looks pretty small at first glance, but the hummus adds plenty of weight that can fill you up easily.

The hazard is that all that hummus can get thick and boring on its own. The chicken in the Hummus Chicken platter ($8.25) doesn’t have the flavor that the beef has and might get dull before you’re done except for the onions and mushrooms which add a sweetness to the meal that breaks things up really well.

Somewhat surprisingly, I think I actually enjoyed the Nanoosh Wrap ($8.75) as much if not more than the platters. The whole wheat shell is really good (despite looking very much like it’s going to taste like cardboard) and the narrow wrap is jammed tight with ground beef all the way through, so you don’t get stuck with a half a wrap with no meat.

My biggest complaint with Nanoosh is that most of their meat fillings are limited to ground beef and chicken, but no lamb. A place like Nanoosh with real actual lamb, instead of gyro meat, could be something really special. Instead, it’s just good in a pinch or when I’m feeling like too much of a fatty.

The + (What people who like this place would say)

• Much better than you’d expect for an organic, healthy blah blah blah sort of place
• They serve beer, always a plus, even if it’s organic.
• They pack a wrap right, no meatless section at the end.

The – (What people who don’t like this place would say)

• How can you have Mediterranean food with no lamb?
• That much hummus can get to be a little much after a while.

Nanoosh, 173 Madison Avenue (33rd & 34th), 212-447-4348

The Bistro Truck is such a tease. When Zach posted about their opening last year, he mentioned that they might come up to Midtown eventually. Nearly a year later and we still get no love. So, after spending all winter drooling over the tweets about their specials, it was time to take matters into my own hands and hop the bus down 5th Avenue.

Except for some recent difficulties that have left them renting someone else’s truck, they have been showing up to the same spot on 5th Avenue near 17th Street pretty faithfully. That’s just bad news for Midtowners because they serve some great Moroccan specialties along with burgers, frites and regularly changing specials that I’d love to have closer to the office.

Some more on the menu and the food after the jump…

The menu sports seven sandwiches ranging in price from the $4.75 burger to the $7 steak sandwich. For a couple dollars more, the entree platters trade in the rolls for piles of rice or couscous, a salad and a little dollop of yogurt that is surprisingly refreshing with whatever you dip in it. The specials often include fish tacos or fish and chips and an ever-changing list of soups.

The mixed grill platter is a regular special – I’ve seen it on the chalkboard every time I’ve passed by – and it offers the most bang for your buck. It’s basically the best chicken and lamb over rice I’ve ever had. That’s a strong statement, I know, but hear me out. It’s not just chicken and lamb over rice. It’s chicken and lamb and merguez sausage and skirt steak over basmati rice with a salad.

At $10, it is a lot more than most halal carts, but with all that meat jammed in there it’s a bargain to me. It also serves as the easiest way for a newcomer to sample the meats that fill the various sandwiches. I love a spicy merguez, but it’d be a struggle to have to decide between that and the juicy skirt steak.

Most recently, I tried the Marrakech Lamb, a platter of shreds and chunks of roasted lamb on couscous. If you eat enough street meat, after a while you almost forget what real lamb is. This is that. Underneath flavors of ginger and spices, you can actually taste lamb. Now, the hazard of that is you’ve got a mild gaminess that real lamb has, which some aren’t into, but I like just fine. My only complaint was that it cried out for harissa or some other hot sauce to liven it up a bit. I didn’t think to ask for it, but it may be available. I’ll have to check next time.

If that’s not enough food, they have a few small ‘cigars’ for starters. Lamb, chicken or veggies are rolled up in phyllo wrappers and served like little savory ladyfingers.

The only thing that Bistro Truck doesn’t have is a place for me to sit and enjoy the food, meaning I’ve got to schlep back up to the office before my food gets cold or sit in one of the area parks, weather permitting. With the weather hopefully improving for the season, I expect to spend some quality time deciding between the skirt steak and the merguez.

The + (What somebody who likes this place would say)

• I love that you can get four types of grilled meat with rice in one giant platter
• All entrees come with a salad made with real greens and tossed with a vinaigrette, You won’t eat it, but it’ll look nice.

The – (What somebody who doesn’t like this place would say)

• $10! For street meat? Real lamb is fine, but I’d rather have gyro and pay half the price
• Needs some hot sauce
• No place to sit nearby

Bistro Truck, 5th Avenue between 16th and 17th Streets (West side of the street)

There have been some conflicting reports in the comments about Nanoosh’s free lunch giveaway today. Some have said that they were told the event is invite-only. I walked by to check it out and was flagged over by a guy working the door. As far as I saw, he was inviting anyone walking by to come in and try some out. When I left, the guy at the door said they’d be serving until 3pm.

The line was long, but went by fairly quickly, considering. Check out some scenery and food shots after the jump.

I had the Hummus Nanoosh platter, which is a swirl of thick, tahini-rich hummus with a small pile of sauteed ground beef, onions and mushrooms in the middle. It all looked pretty small to me, but that hummus is heavier than it looks.

Word is that yesterday afternoon, Nanoosh- the new Mediterranean counter on Madison btw 33+34th- was giving away free lunches to hype up its big opening day tomorrow (Weds).  We’re hearing word from a fairly reputable source that they’ll be back at it this afternoon from noon to 3pm. Not sure exactly what they’re giving away (samples?  complete lunch?) but I got there around 2:30pm yesterday and it was all over, so for hardcore freeloaders we suggest going early.

Not interested in waiting on line for the possibility of free food? If you don’t mind spending a couple bucks, so long as it goes to a good cause, Nanoosh will also be open from 5:30 to 8:30pm tonight serving a main, a side and a (non-alcoholic) drink for $10 to benefit The Leukemia and Lymphoma Society.

Related:
Nanoosh Hummus Bar Expanding South

On the way back from lunch yesterday, I came across this in the old AI Friedman space on Madison Avenue between 33rd and 34th. Just down the block from Tina’s Cuban is a sign for a new place called Nanoosh, a “Mediterranean Hummus Counter.” I’ve never heard of such a thing, so I did a little googling. Apparently it’s a chain with locations on the UWS and UES whose schtick appears to be topping pretty much everything (from salads to wraps to entrees) with hummus, tahini or both.  Anybody been to the other two locations?  Should we be excited for this?  Or is it just another in a long line of trendy, brightly colored, well marketed chains popping up in Midtown these days? According to their website they’ll be open in May.

Related:
Zaro’s Bakery to Become French Pasta Chain?
Yummy Yummy Falafel Bar Coming Soon