Archive for 'Middle Eastern'

The Gyro Laffa Wrap At Hummus & Pita Is Basically A Mediterranean Pizza

When The Hummus & Pita Co. opened its second NYC location downtown I wondered what their crowning glory would be. I had an enjoyable chicken shawarma sandwich where the meat was almost outshined by the vegetables stuffed in alongside. Based on the strength of that meal, I decided to stop into the shop on Chambers St. (btw. Broadway & Church) for round 2. Once again, I was seduced by a spinning cylinder of meat.  Read more »

A Moroccan-Vietnamese Hybrid On A Bun Can Be Yours At NY Standard Hot Dogs

The collection of carts along the water outside the World Financial Center has been a mixed bag since they launched a couple of years ago with burgers, lobster rolls and tacos among the foods on offer. The choices have changed, as the food scene at the WFC has.

Now that the indoor food court is closed for renovations, the carts and food trucks that park outside daily have picked up the slack. I was surprised to see a crop of mostly new vendors among the carts alongside mainstay Quality Burger, among them hot dogs, tacos and rotisserie chicken. Check out my experiment with mixing a Moroccan sausage with Vietnamese sandwich toppings straight ahead!  Read more »

Nish Nush’s Hummus Platter Is Three Lunches In One

I’m a big fan of the falafel sandwiches at Nish Nush on Reade St. (at Church), but I hadn’t branched out to any of the platters yet. There are a few platter options including falafel, shakshuka and hummus either plain or with various toppings. I decided on one of the topped hummus options, and provided you get some extra pita, it was enough for more than one meal.

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Roti Mediterranean Positions Itself As Healthier Street Meat Alternative

When last we visited Roti Mediterranean Grill on Pearl St. (at Cedar), it was a soft opening, the food was free, the lines were long and I was undecided as to whether I liked this place or not. That was back in May, and since then, every time I’ve walked by there’s been a line out the door (or they’ve been closed. That’s seemed to happen a lot too), and that’s a lot to say with so many lunch options on the same block.

So, I decided to actually purchase some food this time and see if it was better than what I got when they were doing staff training. My thoughts on healthified street cart fare straight ahead.

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First Look: Roti Mediterranean Brings Shawarma To The Assembly Line Lunch Model

Today Roti Mediterranean Grill officially opens at the corner of Pearl St. & Cedar in the Financial District (their Web site says at 10:30 a.m.), but myself and many other Lunch’ers got a sneak preview on Friday when they were doing staff training.

There was an intimidating line out the door, but it went really quickly which bodes well for opening day. But what about the food? If you want meat and carbs, and to eat somewhat healthy food, you might want to check this place out.  Read more »

A Crazy Cheap Falafel Sandwich As Big As Your Head At Baba Ghanouge

The couple of times I’ve written about Baba Ghanouge (Multiple Locations), I’ve somehow gotten items with chicken – in a sandwich with fries and in man-ushi form – and never tried the falafel or other vegetarian items.

If you’re not in the know, this place has a falafel sandwich for just over $4. Yes, it’s utilitarian and doesn’t involve hummus or anything, but for $4 no one should complain. You can barely get the same thing at a street cart for that amount of money in the Financial District!

But is their bargain falafel any good? I’m here to tell you that it is, and they don’t skimp on your sandwich either.

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First Look: Hummus & Pita Co. Nails Its Chicken Shawarma Sandwich

Sometimes it seems like the only places opening in Downtown Lunch territory are of the “build your own…” variety involving some sort of flatbread or bowl option. Maybe I’m exagerating, but when word came that the second NYC branch of The Hummus & Pita Co. was opening on Chambers St. (btw. Broadway & Church) where Carl’s Steaks used to be, I wasn’t exactly rushing out to review it. But, the menu looked promising and so I trekked over on a brisk day for lunch. One food coma later, I was happy I made the trip.  Read more »