For the first few years I lived in New York, I mostly hung out in the Theater District. I’d have auditions in the morning, see a show at night, and usually eat at restaurants nearby in Hell’s Kitchen. At that time, I would have said the best restaurants in the city were in this area. Now that I spend most of my free time exploring all the food the city has to offer, I rarely find myself in this tourist-laden neighborhood. I’d tell people visiting New York to hop a subway downtown to explore the best food options the city has to offer.

But there are certainly some gems worth trying before heading to see a Broadway show. Chez Napoléon is one of those worthy options. It’s a restaurant that truly transports you to another time and place. It’s been on this corner since 1960 and the Bruno family, who run the restaurant, enliven it with some old school French charm.

While the second and third generation tend to the front of the house, the octogenarian chef prepares all the usual French classics – not the ones you find at Americanized brasseries. Here you could sample veal kidney or calf’s brain with lots of butter, capers, and garlic. We opted for chilled leeks with a tangy vinaigrette, some buttery escargots and a homey cassoulet with lamb, duck confit, and garlic sausage.

But the pièce de résistance was the grande finale. We put the order in for the chocolate soufflé when we placed our savory order. The menu warned that it could take up to an hour to get this delicate French specialty just right. And it was just right. It was perfect.

After a decadent chocolate sauce is poured inside the soufflé tableside, we began to devour it. Forget modern molecular gastronomy, this was just like chocolate air. The lightness of the soft, puffy textures and the rich chocolatey goodness made it impossible to put the spoon down. Even after the bulk of the dessert had disappeared, I still managed to scrape up some bits and pieces. I’m afraid I put the dishwasher out of work for the night.

As much as I enjoy the trendy and innovative food options downtown, it’s classic places like Chez Napoléon with their simple and well-executed French dishes that make me yearn for Paris in the 1960′s. Or at least Hell’s Kitchen in the early 2000′s.

Upon entering Alfanoose, I thought I’d get something you don’t usually get with falafel: table service. The large dining room is unusual for a falafel joint in NYC, tying into its old history of being traditionally a street food.

My instincts were wrong at Alfanoose. You still had to approach a counter at the back of the long dining room to place your order, pay, and wait for the preparation before you can take a load off and start munching. Still, unlike most establishments that serve falafel, Alfanoose did offer a comfortable environment to enjoy the sandwich.

Focusing on Lebanese food, Alfanoose has been very popular since they opened downtown in 1999. They even expanded a few years ago to this larger restaurant space from a more expected take-out joint down the street. It’s only recently that I’ve started spending more time in the Financial District (giving food cart tours) so it’s no surprise (to me at least) that this was my first visit.

I was surprised, however, by the sloppy presentation of the sandwich. The ultra-thin pita was wrapped more like a burrito than the Middle Eastern pockets I’ve come to expect. The bread ripped easily as I picked it up, forcing me to embark on a knife and fork endeavor.

As I bit into the sandwich, I got a lot of lettuce, tomatoes, and onions.  Where are my pickles, eggplant, or tahini? It also took a few bites before I got to the falafel itself. These were chopped into strips rather than shaped into balls. I have nothing against shape, as long as they taste good.

And just like the unusual presentation, Alfanoose’s falafel had a distinct flavor. There was a raisin-y sweetness that was unique and pleasant, along with some hints of cumin and garlic. It had a decent crunch, but I found the falafel itself dry. Unfortunately, there was just a light schmear of tahini sauce (although I could have sworn it was yogurt) so not even that helped with the dryness.

It wasn’t a bad falafel, but it certainly doesn’t warrant all the accolades it has received over the years. Even early on in my falafel journey, I know there are better options out there. But those places might not offer a place to sit down.

Does Alfanoose have the best falafel in NY? The sandwich itself is a mess and while the falafel had a nice, unique flavor, it only gets a 7 out of 10 since the fried pattys were a little dry.

Yuji Ramen has been getting a lot of buzz in the food world lately. Japanese chef Yuji Haraguhi’s unusual ramen dishes have been a popular option at Smorgasburg since last year; the chef is serving a sold-out tasting menu at Whole Foods through the summer; and the word is a permanent location will be opening up in Williamsburg in the next few months.

All of this excitement made me curious about the noodles. When I found myself at Smorgasburg this past Sunday, the last thing I was craving was ramen soup. It was one of the warmer days of the year and I could have done ice cream, oysters, even a huge BBQ sandwich. But ramen wasn’t on my mind.

Yet I saw that Yuji Ramen’s stand had virtually no line and I thought this would be my opportunity to see what all the hype was about – ramen craving or no ramen craving.

Turns out the ramen that Yuji is serving is not the ramen I was expecting. All of his wacky concoctions are brothless mazemen-style ramen, more similar to a rich Italian pasta dish (but with no vodka sauce in sight). So I wasn’t going to have to sweat in this heat.

While the bacon, egg, and cheese ramen sounded intriguingly weird, I chose the Squid Tan Tan. Sure, the portion was small for $10, but the flavors were big. The springy noodles soaked up the light sweet/spicy flavors of shiso, garlic, and seaweed. On top of the noodles sat the mind-boggingly delicious squid ragu, which featured chunks of tender squid in an Italian-style ragu sauce. This was one strange but refreshingly delicate ramen dish.

This brief taste makes me want to march out to Yuji Ramen’s special omakase meal at Whole Foods and to start eating more ramen in the summertime. Bring on the sweats!

After spending just nine days in Hawaii, I’m convinced I should start a version of this blog on one of the islands. If I don’t end up moving to paradise and eating my way through their iconic food and drink, then at least it will have inspired me to start a travel section of this blog. I don’t travel nearly as often as I’d like, but maybe now I have a good reason. And perhaps it’ll be tax deductible?

The one dish everybody seemed to ask me about upon my return was poi. “How did you like the poi?” they said with a bit of a chuckle. I think they were expecting me to throw up in my mouth a bit. No such luck. I sort of liked poi. For those who have no idea what I’m talking about, poi is a purple pudding made of pureéd taro root. It can often have the texture of baby food and the flavor is rather bland. I heard from some of the locals that poi is often best two or three days old. It’s not really eaten on its own, but used as an accompaniment to dried or grilled meat.

The best poi we tasted was at Helena’s Hawaiian Food in Oahu. It’s pictured in a bowl on the upper left corner of the photo above.

I can’t say it was the star of the show (Helena’s Pipikaula short ribs were perfection), but it had its place and was much more enjoyable than most mainlanders hint at.

We had big combination meals like this pretty often. Helena’s was by far the best with fresher ingredients and stronger flavors than most. No wonder they’ve been filling bellies since 1946.

Ono Hawaiian Food is another classic hole-in-the-wall joint in Oahu. It was our first experience with this kind of food and it took a little bit to fully appreciate the lomo salmon (salty dried fish pieces chopped up with tomatoes) I did, however, thoroughly enjoy the pork laulau, which is big hunks of fatty pork cooked inside earthy taro leaves.

All of these dishes were re-visited (plus a a few others) on my gigantic buffet plate. This was at our only luau experience, the Old Lahaina Luau in Maui. There was an overall feeling of Disney World here (except the beach setting wasn’t a facade), but the food was surprisingly fresh and really showcased the ingredients of the island.

Now these big combo plates were similar to, but different from what Hawaiians call “plate lunch.” I suppose any of those dishes could be part of a plate lunch, but not necessarily. Basically, plate lunch is a meat with rice and sides. The plate lunch we enjoyed most was at Kaka’ako Kitchen and consisted of fried catfish, shoyu chicken, and a great macaroni salad. I’m not generally a fan of these types of mayonnaise-laden pasta salads, but they sure know how to make them out there.

Poke

Perhaps the dish I was most excited to try in Hawaii was the poke. I quickly learned that this was pronounced “po-kay” instead of the vulgar “poke”. Traditionally, it’s chopped bits of raw ahi (tuna) mixed with soy sauce, salt, onions, and some seasonings like furikake (a brilliant Japanese concoction of seaweed and sesame seeds, with perhaps a little dried fish thrown in for good measure).

We enjoyed some at a quaint seafood shop in Maui called Eskimo Candy and some at a bustling take-out lunch spot called Ono Seafood in Oahu. But I was most excited by the options offered at Nico’s Fish Market. We bypassed the big cafeteria restaurant and sampled as much as we could at the fish market itself.

There must have been about six or seven different varieties from ahi to white crab to garlic shrimp. We loaded up a poke bowl with some traditional ahi and spicy tako (octopus). There was a bar of unusual (and free) toppings so I loaded it up with sesame seeds and wasabi roe.

Shrimp Trucks

Another thing everybody seems to know about are the famous shrimp trucks. We could have spent the entire trip just exploring these buttery crustaceans, but we also had some sites to see and ocean to enjoy. Despite that, we still managed to hit two on our trip to the North Shore.

Giovanni’s came first on our journey and seems to be the most famous. It’s permanently parked at a glorified rest area with other vendors reaping the success of these guys. We got about a dozen large shrimp doused with a lemon buttery sauce with large visual garlic nobs. You can imagine the garlic burps that lingered for hours.

While Giovanni’s is the most popular, Macky’s might just be the best (I will save that proclamation until my official search one day). It’s located past the town of Haleiwa in a tucked away corner beside the highway.

But the shrimp here was pretty spectacular. They were smaller than Giovanni’s, but much sweeter and softer with an overwhelming freshness. With some salad and a slice of Hawaiian pineapple, this truck was serving slightly more refined food and it tasted a whole lot better.

Shave Ice

It was also on the North Shore of Oahu that we got our first taste of shave ice. That was not a typo. I didn’t accidentally leave off the “d.” The fine snow cone-like treat in Hawaii is known as shave ice.

The two most famous are across the street from each other in the town of Haleiwa and neither of them really impressed me much. After waiting in a short line at Matsumoto’s, we were handed the icy concoction. I chose guava, lilikoi (passionfruit), and mango. None of the flavors really sang, but left a rather sugary finish in the back of my throat. The fine ice was pleasant enough, but this reminds me of the sort of snow cones I despise. The ones that are drowned in sugary artificial flavors. They even gave you a straw so you won’t miss one diabetes-laden drop.

Next door, the shave ice is even worse. At Aoki’s (which I was hoping would be less touristy), the colors don’t even match the flavors. We got banana, coconut, and pineapple. Ok, pineapples are yellow. But coconuts are not pink and bananas should never be blue. Not even in Hawaii. I couldn’t get past the scary pastel color scheme to even begin to discuss the texture of the ice itself.

The good news is that shave ice can be a whole lot better than these monstrosities. Some places actually make their syrups from real fruit and have a restrained hand when it comes to doling out the syrup.

My favorite shave ice on the islands was at a little hidden spot behind the Ala Moana Center in Honolulu called Ailana Shave Ice. We loved the strawberry ice cream flavor (with remnants of real strawberries), the haupia (coconut pudding), and lilikoi. The homemade mochi put it over the edge giving it a brand new texture. Those were the best mochi I’ve ever tasted. I still yearn for them.

And on Maui, Ululani’s Shave Ice also featured some seriously delicious homemade syrups. We reveled in the tropical goodness and authenticity of their mango, lilikoi, and papaya. I also really enjoyed the tamarind flavor, which provided a nice tart contrast. Topped with big chunks of mochi and their li hing mui (salty dried plum) powder, we realized that shave ice can be a magical thing.

Pancakes and Doughnuts

Hawaiians also really love their doughnuts and pancakes. One of the most incredible bites on Oahu was from an uber-popular, sports themed breakfast joint in the residential town of Kahlua. Boots & Kimo’s top their banana pancakes with this wonderful macadamia nut sauce. I didn’t think anything could one up maple syrup when it came to bettering pancakes, but this creamy, (not too) sweet sauce made me forget all about the state of Vermont.

Their pulehu short ribs with eggs are also nothing to sneeze at. I would have a hard time choosing between these and those killer pancakes. Both excellent!

Turns out this rich, creamy pancake topper is not an invention of Boots & Kimo’s, but an island specialty. We got another version (with a Guava Chiffon sauce) at nearby Cinnamon’s that didn’t work nearly as well.

Malasadas are actually a Portuguese doughnut, but have become hugely popular in Hawaii. All the guide books and locals tell you to head to Leonard’s and they are totally right. The airy beignet-like orbs are fried to order and truly a little bite of heaven. Which is appropriate because you are in Hawaii.

Fruits and Vegetables

I’d be remiss not to mention the incredible fruit and vegetables we tasted. Some of our best experiences were walking around Farmer’s Markets (we especially loved the KCC Farmer’s Market in Oahu on Saturdays) and sampling savory foods and fresh produce, like the unusual-looking rambutan.

Aside from the best mangoes (from Yee’s Orchard in Maui), avocados, pineapples (Maui gold), papayas, and passionfruit (oh, I love the lilikoi), I’ve ever tasted in my life, we also had some rare and exotic fruits. My favorite was the Chico sapote which tasted like soft pears that had been tossed with brown sugar. Oh, I wish I could find those in New York!

We also sampled soursop (which we got majorly overcharged for) from Ono Fruit Stand in Hana. Soursop is something I had tasted before in a can, but the fresh one was a real wonder. It had a balance of tart and sweetness, tasting something like a pineapple-strawberry hybrid.

Spam

Aside from pineapple and ham pizza (which was really good at Monkeypod in Maui), the food most people associated with Hawaii is probably spam. That’s too bad because I’m not really a fan. At least I didn’t think I was.

And we only tasted spam in two forms. One was as a sushi musubi. That’s right, spam sushi! These are available wrapped in plastic in most local supermarkets. But we visited Iyasume Musubi in Waikiki to try this grease bomb. It wasn’t bad, but a few rich, salty bites was more than enough for me.

I preferred the pork product in Sam Sato’s saimin. This soup noodle dish is the national dish of Hawaii (they even sell it at McDonald’s – or so I hear) and fuses many different Pacific cuisines together – Japanese, Chinese, Filipino.

At Sam Sato’s in Maui (which felt like a legit Hawaiian diner), they’re more known for their dry noodle dish, which is the springy noodles, spam slices, and bean sprouts with the flavorful dashi broth on the side. They were called dry, but those moist flavorful noodles were anything but.

Restaurants

We also ate at our share of nicer, higher end restaurants while in Hawaii. We splurged big time at Mama’s Fish House in Paia (we were literally staying around the corner). It felt like Disney World on Hawaii and my jaw dropped when I saw the entrees that cost in the $50 range. This was more expensive than just about any a la carte restaurant in New York! Mama’s was good and featured some incredibly fresh fish, but nothing really stood out as being worth the prices.

Once we discovered that Sheldon Simeon’s (from Top Chef) restaurant was on Maui, we put that to the top of our list. We enjoyed a nice lunch at Star Noodle in Lahaina. It felt very much like a hip Brooklyn restaurant (down to the brussels sprout, bacon, and kimchi dish), but with much nicer service. The highlight for me were the inventive scallop shots in a broth of dashi, ginger, and lemon.

Crack Seed

Coffee

Crack Seed (we bought a bag from Camellia Seed Shop in the Queen Ka’ahumanu Center in Maui) is probably something you have to grow up with to enjoy. The bag of Sweet Sal Dried Plums reminded me of my intense experience with Dutch salted licorice. There was an initial sweetness, but it gave way to a very strong salty ammonia flavor. And the entire time, you’re chewing the “candy” from off a hard seed (hence the name). I can’t say crack seed was true to its name for me, but I had to try it!

You must be wondering with all this hearty (and sugary) food, how were we able to not fall asleep at the wheel? The answer, my friends, is coffee. And Hawaii has some of the most complexly flavored coffee I’ve ever tasted. After our visit to the Maui Grown Coffee tasting room (and their coffee farm a few miles down the road), I was flying for the rest of the week. The highlight there was the Maui Mokka, a very smooth and chocolatey brew.

And I haven’t even written about the coconut shrimp from Coconut’s Fish Cafe,

the coconut ice cream from Coconut Glen’s on the way back from Hana,

the monster abalone clams at the KCC Farmers Market in Oahu,

the dangerously potent mai tai with lilikoi foam at Merriman’s in Maui,

or the unusual sherbet/ice cream hybrid at Tasaka Guri Guri in Maui.

I could spend months just searching for the best shave ice or the best pohole salad or the best mai tai or poi or shrimp truck. There’s a lifetime of eating possibilities in Hawaii (and I only visited two of the eight islands), so don’t be surprised if I relocate soon and start an entire blog and video series devoted to the best and most iconic foods of the Aloha state.

Usually by now, margarita season is in full swing. During most Mays, New Yorkers are sitting outside at fashionable restaurants with their friends (and pets) and sipping on salt-rimmed tequila drinks. But something about this late winter is not making me want a margarita. Not yet anyway.

In fact, the dreary weather the last few days is making me want to pile up on my vitamins. Well, what if I told you, you could get all those nutrients while also drinking a legitimate margarita? And you wouldn’t have to sit outside in the rain?

The Wayland is a year-old cocktail bar in Alphabet City with a farmhouse atmosphere. It wouldn’t feel out of place in a rural town, except for the exceptional and creative cocktails which might get a few weird looks.

One of those strange concotions is their signature, year-round cocktail called the Garden Variety. Looking at the bright green drink won’t make most people think margarita and that’s probably for the best. This vegetal (yes, vegetal) libation is better than most margaritas you can find in the city.

Here they use the ever popular kale juice as a base, mix it with some ginger and lime juice, blue agave blanco tequila, and a little agave nectar. The brim of the glass is lined with smoked sea salt. The drink packs both a vegetal punch, some gingery heat, and is tempered by the sweetness from the agave.

I was worried that the inclusion of bright green kale juice was going to be rather gimmicky. If The Wayland hadn’t made a cocktail with it, somebody else would have. But thankfully, the folks behind the Wayland thought this through and created a refreshing, balanced, and delicious elixir that is both intoxicating and perhaps even healthy.

If these are the kind of margaritas they serve inside a warm, cozy bar, I’m happy to stay inside all summer long.

When this hot dog search began last year, I received comments urging me to check out the frankfurters at some of Brooklyn’s Polish meat markets. I hear Polish and I immediately think Greenpoint – the neighborhood known for pierogies as much as its known for hipsters. I still need to get out there to try Mazur’s Meat Market, but my first Polish hot dog experience was at Eagle Provisions, which is situated in the in-between neighborhood of South Slope. Some might say this is Sunset Park, others Greenwood Heights.

Eagle Provisions is a special place, the kind of place you wish you had in your neighborhood. There’s a large selection of Polish products and groceries, not to mention the vast deli counter. When you first walk in, you’re also tempted to check out the beer selection and once you peek around the corner, you realize it is its more than just a beer selection. More like a beer palace. The international beer choices are incredibly diverse and seem to go on for an eternity.

I got slightly sidetracked by the beer, but had to remain focused to find the dogs. When I did, I realized these are not your typical New York hot dogs. We all know that most NY-style hot dogs are all beef dogs (preferably kosher) that are either boiled or blistered on a grill. They’re put in a bun and topped with any number of toppings, but usually mustard, sauerkraut, onions, and relish. A salty, beefy, heart-destroying food experience is what we expect.

That’s not what’s happening at the butcher counter of Eagle Provisions. This homemade blend of beef, pork, and veal are sold amongst smoked kielbasa and pepper-coated  salami and are mostly meant for home consumption. And while the guy behind the counter didn’t bat an eye when I asked him to warm it up for me to eat immediately, he told me all he had for that purpose was a microwave. I agreed to the microwave approach, but I was very hesitant about the outcome. If I had been closer to home, I might have purchased a few links and grilled them up myself.

The large weenie (which cost me under a dollar) was served in an aluminum container – no bun, no accoutrements; I even had to hunt down a plastic fork. It lacked that distinct red hot dog color, looking browned and pruney with a jaundiced complexion. I was growing more and more doubtful that I had found the best hot dog in New York.

Thankfully, all my concerns were for naught because the first explosive bite revealed more flavor than I’ve experienced with any hot dog in a long while. Wow! I finally understand what a hot dog should taste like. Here, the salinity was subtle, but the smoky meat came through loud and clear. Crisp, taut skin gave way to a juicy moist exterior that made it impossible to stop eating – even though I was eating it with my hands (the old-fashioned way of eating a sausage!)

My only hesitation for crowning this the best hot dog in New York (thus far) is because it’s not the kind of hot dog most associate with New York. It’s lacking some very important ingredients (mustard, bun, etc.), but these ironically don’t need any of those additions. This is a perfect frankfurter. And perhaps if the Polish were more influential in the NY hot dog scene back in the 1800′s, we’d be eating these from every street corner. And the truth is, we’d probably be better off.

Does Eagle Provisions have the best hot dog in NY? It is an absolute perfect homemade sausage so it certainly deserves a 10 out of 10, but when put into the context of NYC’s iconic franks it’s a different beast and earns a 9 out of 10.

I must admit my expectations for Pig and Khao were pretty low. This Top Chef-driven restaurant (Leah Cohen was a troublemaker on Season Five) is co-owned by the Fatty Crew restaurant group. These are the brainchildren behind hipster hangouts like Fatty ‘Cue and Fatty Crab. These are some of my least favorite restaurants in the city. And after three disappointing meals of overpriced overhyped hipster Asian food with frustratingly bad service, I’ve vowed to never return to Fatty ‘Cue.

So you can imagine my hesitation in entering the narrow, super-hot new restaurant in the Lower East Side. Maybe I’m a glutton for punishment (I’m certainly a glutton), but the hype has been good so far and it’s hard to resist a restaurant with pig in the name.

The food here is mostly Filipino with Thai, Chinese, and hipster influences. At places like this, we tend to order more with our eyes then with our stomachs.

Dish after dish surprised me with distinct flavors and contrasting textures. Mussels with chinese sausage, fried mantou buns (instead of crusty baguette), and an addicting yuzu and dashi broth was one of the most unique (and flavorful) mussels dish I’ve ever had perhaps. Even the green mango salad, which is usually a throwaway at most Thai restaurants, featured bright herbal flavors (thanks to lemongrass and mint), smoky umami (perfectly charred chicken), and a sweet crunch from bits of dried shrimp.

Any one of those dishes could have been Dish of the Week this week, but the Khao Soi was the winner of the dinner. The Thai-inspired noodle dish had a real depth of flavor with all the notes I expect from Asian food – spicy, sweet, sour, smoky, and delicious. Ingredients such as pickled mustard greens, cilantro, shallots, and chicken swim in a delicate broth of red curry and coconut milk. Springy egg noodles soak up lots of flavor while a topping of crunchy fried noodles act as a smart texture foil. All of Cohen’s dishes had a crunch element and were perfectly seasoned.

This is the kind of food I had always expected from the Fatty restaurants. Service wasn’t much better here, but at least our harried waitress was personable and friendly. Perhaps there’s hope for this restaurant crew yet.

Judging by the exterior, I would never in a million years have guessed Nish Nush serves falafel. Okay, maybe if I really had a million years to guess, I would have come up with it eventually. I would hope so. But from the outside, this establishment looks like it would serve cheap beers and burgers.

But looks can be deceiving, of course, and I’m glad this is not another generic Irish bar in this area. In fact, it looks like most folks are glad because when I stopped by for my first official falafel tasting, the place was packed.

Nish Nush has been open for under a year and already has a dedicated following. Inside, the vibe is spacious, modern, and industrial. I could see this place being packed at dinner as often as it is at lunch.

One of the most enticing options here is to customize your own hummus (with mix-ins). Forget the DIY frozen yogurt bar, this might be the new trend! But I was here for the fried chickpeas. Not the mashed chickpeas.

The menu focuses on Israeli specialities with menu items (like sabich and banana/date smoothies) similar to the most popular falafel joint in the city, Taim.  Nish Nush also offers three different “flavors” of falafel. I was pleased to see they were different enough from the ones offered at Taim.

I chose the Deluxe sandwich in order to sample all three flavors in one pocket. In general, I noticed the falafel balls had a nice crunch to them and while the insides could have been hotter, they were definitely not dry. The ingredients that composed the sandwich – cabbage, pickles, cucumbers, tomatoes, eggplant, and tahini – were all fresh and balanced the richness of the fried orbs.

Most impressive was the sticky, sweet eggplant that clung to the bottom of the pita. The smoky browned bits gave the sandwich a unique flavor and reminded me of a campfire marshamallow but without all the sugariness (and mosquitoes).

First up in the Deluxe sandwich was the traditional falafel. Laced with bright, green herbs (like parsley, cilantro, and mint) it was full of flavor and was my favorite of the bunch.

The roasted red pepper falafel was certainly spicy. It was studded with red pepper flakes and had a healthy burn similar to harissa.

Finally, the spinach and mushroom falafel was the most interesting. It was the least seasoned of the three (or maybe my palette was overwhelmed after the red falafel), but it still had a nice earthy flavor that I quite enjoyed.

Regardless of the misleading exterior, once you visit Nish Nush, you’ll never forget what they sell.  Nish Nush translates to “snack” in Hebrew and their falafel are mighty tasty snacks.

Does Nish Nush have the best falafel in NY? The interior varieties offer something for everyone and their pita sandwiches are loaded with flavors. They get an 8 out of 10.

Runner & Stone does not look like most people’s idea of a bakery. There’s no deep glass display in front, no flour dusting the floor, no overwhelming buttery smell in the air. Instead there’s a well-stocked bar, an airy professional dining room, and customers enjoying a savory restaurant meal around tables.

Yet this new all-day café on Gowanus’ burgeoning restaurant row (3rd Avenue) has received much press for being co-owned by Peter Endriss, the former pastry chef of both Bouchon Bakery and Per Se. And while the breads have gotten all the attention, the savory menu (manned by Chef Chris Pizzulli) seems to take center stage after the early morning hours.

I didn’t have time for a full meal when I came by on a post-brunch excursion, but I was pleased to see that some pastries and breads were still displayed among the bar’s fancy wine bottles.  I had a carb craving and so I picked up a really nice buckwheat baguette and a tempting soft German-style pretzel.

This pretzel did not come with mustard or butter and it wasn’t even hot. My expectations were quite low and I was ready to write off Runner & Stone as a gimmick that stretched itself too thin. But once I bit into the pretzel, all doubts melted away, just like the sweet dough of the pretzel melted away in my mouth.

Although not hot, the pretzel somehow had a soft, dreamy quality that warmed my tastebuds. The airy bottom was buttery, while the nubby top had just enough crunch to hint at what hard pretzels should taste like. And the restrained salt crystals helped cut the richness. I was simply amazed at the genuine freshness and flavor of what I expected to be an ordinary generic pretzel.

Maybe it’s the bakeries that look nothing like bakeries at all that are doing the most exciting baking. Never judge a bakery by it’s storefront. But do judge it by its pretzel. And with that criteria, Runner & Stone is a winner!

There is much controversy surrounding the history of the humble little falafel. One thing that is certain is that it is now as ubiquitious in New York City as hot dogs or pizza. In fact, the task of finding the best falafel is as ludicrous as searching for the best pizza or best bagel in New York. I must be a crazy man. Or at least a really hungry one.

Falafel is an ancient food (probably the oldest of all the foods I’ve focused on so far), maybe even dating back to biblical times. But ironically, it’s a new addition to the New York food scene. Before 1971 when Mamoun’s opened their doors in Greenwich Village, it would have been rare (perhaps impossible) to find a falafel sandwich in the entire city.

Falafel (for those living under a rock for the last four decades) is a ball or patty of ground up chickpeas. Fava beans might be substituted or mixed-in. Herbs, spices, and vegetables can be included in the mix with anything from mint, and parsley to onion and garlic to cumin and red pepper. The ball is then fried until crisp and then eaten by itself or inside a pocket sandwich (usually pita bread). Toppings, like tahini, hummus, vegetables, and hot sauce also make the experience unique and delicious.

The word falafel might have come from the Arabic “filfil” meaning pepper or the Egyptian “pha la phel” meaning “of many beans.”

Many nationalities and religious groups would argue where the falafel originated. But it is generally believed that it was first eaten about 1000 years ago in Egypt by Christian Copts. They ate fried chickpeas as a substitute for meat during Lent. Other theories suggest falafel first appeared on the subcontinent of India around the 6th Century. And still others claim ancient Jews invented it while slaves in Egypt. Wherever it began, it spread all across the Middle East and just about every country in that region enjoys it today.

Today, it’s considered the national dish of Israel (although Palestinians claim the Israelis stole it from them). It can be found in Syria, Persia, Jordan, Lebanon, Bangladesh, Pakistan, and the list goes on. It’s kosher, halal, vegetarian, vegan, gluten free, dairy free, nut free. What a versatile little fritter! No wonder everybody wants to claim it as their own.

In the last 40 years, waves of immigrants from the Middle East have come to New York and they’ve brought their food with them, making the falafel one of the city’s most recent iconic dishes. From food carts to meze platters to takeout storefronts with frustratingly long lines, I’m going to get in touch with my inner vegetarian in order to shut up and… Eat This!