The Moshe’s Falafel truck that has been parked in Union Square for the past 6 months has given up on that spot and moved to 57th and Broadway.  According to the guys running the 2nd truck, business started off ok but has tapered off significantly during the winter.  So this week they decided to try out the NW corner of Midtown.  They haven’t settled on a permanent spot as of yet, but plan on being somewhere near 57th and Broadway every day starting around Noon.  Yesterday they were on Broadway btw. 56+57th on the West side of the street, and have already started to draw a crowd.

It’s been awhile since I’ve eaten at the Moshe’s Cart, so I decided to re-sample the goods…

Slightly better than I remember it from a few years ago (from the cart on 46th & 6th), my original complaints are still there: way too messy, and the distribution is all wrong.  I got one falafel ball on top, covered in tahini, then had to eat my way through a bunch of lettuce and tomato before getting to the other falafel balls on the bottom. Speaking of lettuce and tomato, if you are a big fan of the Israeli salad, you won’t find any here.  Another negative (unless you prefer lettuce and tomato.) Plus, I asked for hot sauce, but couldn’t taste any on the sandwich at all.  The falafel themselves are the big plus though… they have a great crunch on the outside, and were nice and moist on the inside (probably because I was there right when they opened and got mine fresh out of the fryer.)  The bread is forgettable, but all in all for $4.75 it’s tough to complain.

Amazingly, I just looked back at my Moshe’s Falafel post from 2006 and it could have easily been about the falafel I had yesterday. I guess at you can say they’re consistent.

The one thing that has changed is they added french fries a year or two ago.  They won’t put them on the actual sandwich (the way that Pick a Pita and Olympic Pita will) so I’ve never tried them… but yesterday decided to get an order.  For $3.50 you get a ton of shoestring fries in a bag (you can’t tell from the photo, because they’re at the bottom of a bag- but it’s a lot), and I love shoestring fries… so I was totally down with this.  If only we could get them to add the fries to the pita sandwich!!!  (Midtown Lunch Sandwich Challenge anyone?)

Regardless of whether Moshe’s is your favorite falafel or not, it’s a great addition to the one part of Midtown that is kind of devoid of falafel.  If you work near there, are are probably very excited today… (oh, and don’t wait too long to check it out, they will be closed for Passover.  So if you don’t make it by Wednesday, you’ll have to wait another week before they are back.)

THE + (What somebody who loves this place would say)

• Tasty Israeli style falafel balls (when you get them fresh out of the fryer).  Nice and crunchy on the outside, crumbly on the inside
• Cheap!  Sadly $4.75 is about as cheap as a falafel can get these days
• I love shoestring fries! And you get a ton for $3.50
• You get a whole pickle on top of your falafel
• Not a lot of falafel in this area…

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

• Way too messy!
• Too much tahini poured over the top
• Falafel/lettuce/tomato/tahini distribution is terrible
• Bread is out of a plastic bag, and not warmed up
• I don’t like shoestring fries! (And they’re frozen in a bag…)

Moshe’s Falafel (2 Locations)

• NE Corner of 46th & 6th
• Somewhere around 57th & Broadway

It's day two of my search for the best Falafel in Midtown… and while nobody has ever recommended Moshe's to me- I have walked by it many times, and it usually has a really long line.  Well, in most places, long lines means good- so I figured I'd try it.

I'm not sure if I was there on a bad day or what, but the falafel I got was a mess.  There was so much tahini poured over the top it was impossible to eat.  I asked for hot sauce, but couldn't taste any under all the tahini- so I'm not sure if it was there, or they forgot to put it on. 

Because this is a cart, and the falafel are made right there, they were warmer and a little fresher then yesterday's falafel (House of Pita), and had a really delicious outer crust that tasted sort of like the batter that you find around fried seafood in New Orleans (definetely not a bad thing!).  Unfortunately the inside was a little a dry.  You would think the tahini would have helped, but all of that was on the top, and the falafel was on the bottom.  Their layering could definetely use a little work.  Four falafels on the bottom of the pita pocket, lettuce and tomato on top of that, and then one falafel on top to make it seem layered… with the whole thing smothered in tahini.

I basically had two bites of falafel covered in tahini, four bites of just lettuce and tomato, and then the bottom was all falafel.  The pita was better then yesterday, but it started falling apart after bite two, because of the tahini.  Pretty disappointing.  Usually taste rules, but when considering a place to eat a quick lunch on your break from work- messiness has to be taken into consideration. 

Like I said, there was a really long line, so people must like this place- and maybe I just got one bad falafel.  Next time I will definetely ask them to go easy on the tahini… maybe that will be an improvement.  $4.25 for a whole, $3.00 for half… although I'm not sure what would constitute half… maybe less filling?  That might be an improvement as well… If you've been here before please comment and let me know if your experience has been the same as mine.

The +/- and location info after the jump…

THE +

• If you are into lettuce and tomato on your falafel, they give you plenty (along with plenty of tahini as well
• There's always a long line, so I'm guessing there are people who like it

THE -

• Too messy
• Poorly layered… not a single bite had a little bit of everything

Moshe's Falafel Cart on the SE Corner of 46th Street & 6th Avenue

• Day 1 of Falafel Week: House of Pita

After knocking Chipotle for it's lack of authenticity, I feel bad endorsing a burrito that a) comes from a place with Europa in the title, and b) specializes in salads and sandwiches.  Clearly the "burrito bar" (another embarassing detail), would be a mere afterthought.  If you have never been to Europa Cafe, it is another one of those chain deli type places that litter the city where you can make your own sandwiches, wraps, and salads, or choose from a ton of pre-made options.   With the exception of Variety Cafe, I tend to steer clear of these places- but I was intrigued by the Burrito Bar.

What I got after the jump…

The menu is actually a little complex, so you have to pay attention so you don't get ripped off.  First you choose your main ingredient… Vegetarian is $5.95, Chicken Adobo, Pork Carnitas or Spice Crusted Chicken are $6.50, and the Cuervo Lime Steak is $6.95.  Included in that price you get two hot items (Black Beans, Rice, Refried Beans or Peppers and Onions), two cold items (Lettuce, Pico de Gallo, Jack Cheese, or Sour Cream), and then a choice of salsa or dressing.  Guacamole is $1.50 extra, so don't just start pointing at things or you might end up with a $10.00 burrito.  I'm a big fan of carnitas (as I mentioned in my Chipotle post), so I went with carnitas, rice, black beans, sour cream and cheese.  They had a salsa verde which I chose as my "dressing".

All in all, it was surprisingly good.  The carnitas was nice and roasted (not smothered in some over spiced sauce) and the rice- a key part of a good burrito, was surprisingly authentic considering the source. The rice I got was not on the menu, so i'm not sure if they always have it.  All in all, I would recommend it.  Not the best burrito I've ever had, but it wasn't nearly as bad as it could have been.  Maybe that says more about expectations then anything…

Europa Cafe, 1177 Sixth Avenue, Corner of 46th, 212-575-7272

There are multiple locations… but I don't know which ones have Burrito Bars and which ones don't.  If you know of others, please post as a comment.  Burrito bar only open for lunch. 

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