The New Truck on the Block - Moshe's Falafel

Moshe's Falafel - b/w 27th & 28th on Park, New York NY 10016
6 Train to 28th Street

I only had a few dollars in my wallet and no packed lunch, so I figured my best bet would be to stop by a food truck--preferably for falafel--during my lunch break. I had noticed a week or so ago that Moshe's Falafel was a new rolling establishment in the area, so I decided to give it a shot. Moshe's is already a recognized, and reputable, entity around the city, so my expectations were kind of high.

Experience

Stopping at the truck was actually pretty fun. The guys working there were so friendly and seemed like they were having a good time serving the lunch crowd. They were even offering free falafel samples to some loiterers and really anyone who stopped to ask for one.

Food

I wasn't too hungry, so I went with a half pita, filled with about 3 falafel balls, lettuce, tomato, tahini, a little bit of hot sauce, and a spicy pickle on top. This may have been half a pita, but it was pretty filling. Though I have to say, I was kind of disappointed with the falafel. It was definitely fresh and crispy on the outside, but it was lacking the flavoring and spice that I was hoping for. And, unfortunately the pita itself was drenched with tahini, which I wasn't too fond of. Overall, it was fresh, kind of sloppy, and maybe a little bland for me. But the price was definitely right--you can't beat a $3.25 lunch.

Moshe's Falafel truck has a few other food options to offer, including fries, which I think I will definitely sample at some point over the summer. The service at the truck is so great, I have faith that another go around might prove more satisfying!

Oh, and for those readers who might be interested, I'm pretty sure Moshe's is strictly parve. If I'm wrong on that, let me know.

2 Mmmms

Call me Martha - Banana and walnut and chocolate chunk, oh my!

As a Borders Rewards Club member, I'm sent a few emails a week with in-store coupons attached. Over Memorial Day weekend I got one for 40% off so I decided to head over to Borders, which resulted in my purchase of the Martha Stewart "Cookies" book. I found it difficult to decide on which cookie I should try out first, but in the end, the banana-walnut chocolate chunk cookies prevailed. The decision was a wise one--this cookie takes on the taste and texture of a banana bread (with chocolate chips), but as a cookie, it's definitely way more fun to eat.

Suggestion: If you choose to make these cookies and you're pleased with the results, do what I did--buy a nice looking cereal bowl, fill it with cookies, wrap it up with cellophane and ribbon, and gift it to a friend/family member/lover <3

Ingredients:

1 cup all-purpose flour

1/2 cup whole-wheat flour

1 tsp coarse salt

1/2 tsp baking soda

3/4 unsalted butter, softened

1/2 cup granulated sugar

1/2 cup packed light brown sugar

1 large egg

1 1/2 tsp vanilla extract

1/2 cup mashed ripe banana (~1 large)

1 cup old-fashioned rolled oats

8 oz semisweet chocolate, coarsely chopped

1/2 cup walnuts (~2oz), coarsely chopped, toasted

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Whisk together flours, salt, and baking soda in a small bowl; set aside. Put butter and sugars into the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment; mix on medium speed until pale and fluffy. Reduce speed to low. Add egg and vanilla; mix until combined. Mix in banana. Add flour mixture; mix until just combined. Stir in oats, chocolate chunks, and walnuts.

2. Using a 1 1/2-inch ice cream scoop, drop dough onto baking sheets lined with parchment paper, spacing about 2 inches apart. Bake cookies, rotating sheets halfway through, until golden brown and just set, 12 to 13 minutes. Let cool on sheets on wire racks 5 minutes. Transfer cookies to wire racks; let cool completely. Cookies can be stored in airtight containers up to 2 days.

I think the next time I try these, I'm going to use a little more banana and a little less chocolate. I'm interested to see if they'd be just as good with more emphasis on the banana. Oh and if you try these out, let me know what you think.

Socarrat - Even Better at the Last Bite

Socarrat Paella Bar - 259 West 19th Street, New York NY 10011
212.462.1000
1 Train to 18th Street
www.socarratpaellabar.com

My first post this week is all about a paella bar in Chelsea—Socarrat. By definition (according to the web site), Socarrat refers to the “sensuous crust that forms on the bottom of the paella pan when the liquid is rendered and the rice reaches its peak of succulence.” Because this sounds like the opposite of really bad, I went to check it out.

Experience/Atmosphere
We got to Socarrat at 8 pm on a Saturday, expecting a wait. We were right, as we were told to come back in an hour—which was not a problem considering the number of bars in the area (shout out to Flight 151). Anyway, we came back within the hour and were told we’d be seated in just a few. The super-friendly man at the door—I suspect he was the manager?—asked us which paella we were interested in having for dinner so the kitchen could get to work (the paella feeds at least 2, and you're charged per person).We waited another 5 minutes and then were seated.

Now, Socarrat is definitely “intimate.” It’s a charmingly narrow space, with one long table that accommodates probably something like 20 people at a time (hence the wait). Everything about the restaurant screams charm and vintage, with a hint of romance that isn’t so glaring due to the seating situation. I’d say you can definitely bring a date here, but don't expect your conversation to go unheard by those around you.

Once seated, we were immediately given glasses of water and the drink/tapas menu by our friendly waitress. After that, the food came out pretty quickly.

Food
Ensalada de Remolacha: The presentation of this dish is beautiful and colorful, and it tastes just as awesome. As an avid beet-eater, I can say that this is one of the best beet salads I have come across. The combination of the sweet beets and the creamy manchego was perfect and really exceeded my expectations. I know that the tapas are supposed to pale in comparison to the paella, but A+!

Patatas Bravas: Fantastico. Though I would have liked the small cuts of potato to have been a bit crispier, they were still done really well, and topped with just the right amount of both garlic aioli and a flavorful tomato sauce. The potatoes were spiced perfectly and were really filling. But of course, we saved room for the paella.

Paella Socarrat: Quite the combination—chicken, shrimp, cuttle fish, green beans, mussles, and clams, all atop a bed of crackling golden rice. The dish was 2x the size of my face, which apparently posed no problem for me or my dining partner. We split the paella right down the middle and kept helping ourselves to serious spoonfuls. As we grew closer to finishing up our dish, a waiter spotted us and made sure to scrape up the best parts of the paella that were stuck to the dish—the socarrat! He split that remainder in half and dropped some onto each plate.

I think the paella bar is a great concept and really well executed by the staff (managerial, wait, and kitchen) at Socarrat. The menu isn’t overwhelming, but definitely offers a great variety and I’m pretty sure I’ll be heading back there soon to try out some of the other tapas and of course the other paella offerings.

3 Mmms