Saturday, October 17, 2009

I'm talking about Falafel: a food review

let's eat this thing

a side-view of Chez Marianne's

a sukkah in the Jewish Quartier

where I like to eat said sandwich

the competition

can you see that hot little falafel fritter in there under all that other
goodness? hell yes, if you look for it!


oh chez marianne's.
thank you for your to the point service, but delicious food.

I think amongst tourists who come to Paris there is a consensus that L'as du Fallafel is the falafel place in the Jewish Quarter in Paris, as if there were no others. Not that I'm against the level of deliciousness coming from their quick and over-burdened mis-en-place on the rue des Rosiers, I just like Chez Marianne's more, just around the corner, where the layers of pickled cabbage salad, spiced cucumber and tomatoes, shaved slices of sweet onions, a creamy bed of fresh hummus beneath the small soft, tender garlicky falafel balls steaming and nestled on top, (yeah I said balls, steaming and nestle in the same sentence), with a delicious piling on of tender, surrendering eggplant artfully draped on top, a squirt of hot and yogurt sauce and I always put a few tiny cornichons, offered at the counter, on top for good measure. That big package-inside a freshly baked pita unlike any pita I've seen here in NY (sorry Sahadis), is enough for me and the line is much shorter because those guidebooks don't always know what's good.

I just like my experience there more, where I can duck around the corner and eat my falafel outside against the old school and enjoy one of my favorite lunches in all of the world, this one, at Chez Marianne's. But I always root for the (incredibly delicious) underdog.

14 comments:

heidi said...

i swoon for that falafel.

Callie Grayson said...

mmm, i am drooling it looks so delicious!

cindy* said...

that may be the prettiest place to eat a pita filled with steaming-nestled-balls...of falafel.

TheBeautyFile said...

love it! the sukkah is great!! i love falafel & would love to make it to the jewish quarter there one day!

mosey said...

love these pics! sukkah and the steaming balls :)

Clarity said...

I've already eaten and am now thinking of that falafel concoction.

My hips thank you. As for Paris, aah, please share more of the hidden of one of my favourite cities. XX.

limonana said...

having grown up in Israel most of my life, nothing sounds as tantalizing as these Parisian felafels!!!

melissa loves said...

Ooh...yum. You make it all sound so divine dear Deb!
I would love to visit there, with you, and nothing is better than tender, steaming balls nestled in pita! ;)
(I added tender, doesn't that just make it sound even worse? ha!)
xo
Melis

Julia said...

What a treat! I loved all the pictures, it just set the perfect setting!

Color Me Green said...

mm falafel. might need to go get some for lunch now ;-)

Elizabeth Donskaya said...

hi,

i just browsed through your recent posts, you take the most beautiful pictures! i'm totally sold and am now a new follower.

ps don't eat too much falafel, it will make you sick and you will begin to resent humus! (i went to israel for 10 days, all i ate was falafel lol)

Take care,
Liz @ prdctjunkie.blogspot.com
xoxo

Maria | Vintage Simple said...

You are hilarious...and in such a poetic way, too..! I love all these photos, as well... And ohmyGod: I re-read the earlier post about Merci... sorry I misunderstood - clearly not reading carefully, but... WHAT??!!?? They don't have your bonbons?? Do we need to write a petition letter explaining all the reasons why bonbons are needed at Merci?? Tsk-tsk. I hope this situation will be rectified soon...

xoxo,
-maria

Alyssa said...

love that stuff. next time I'm in Paris I will need to explore the Jewish Quarter!

nichole said...

Ahh, you are right. We ADORE L'As du Fallafel, but like Chez Marianne as well. Evan actually prefers it I think. :)