If Old City Café’ falafel bar seems suspiciously similar in style and spirit to another, Adams Morgan-based falafel joint, there’s a reason. Before striking out to start his own business, Old City founder Walid Abuelhawa was a chef at neighboring Amsterdam Falafelshop. As a result, it’s difficult to tell the two establishments apart based on cuisine alone. Both function on the same do-it-yourself toppings-bar concept and, for the most part, the same toppings are represented—from the fried cauliflower to the Turkish salad. So picking a favorite is more a question of politics. Do you want falafel as product of imperialism: with cramped quarters and headshop palm cards as décor? Or do you prefer to consume your falafel in an environment that more closely represents the food’s Middle Eastern cultural origin: a dark and expansive restaurant with nary a pack of spent zig zags in sight. If you’re feeling the latter, choose Old City Café. —Aaron Leitko

Not long ago, Mohamed Elrafal decided to trade his antiques business for a spotless new street cart, which to this untrained eye looks as if it’s painted deep Egyptian blue. The color would be only appropriate. Elrafal is a native of Egypt, and his cart, Ali Baba’s Falafel, located on the corner of Willow Lane and Wisconsin Avenue in Bethesda, serves up the Egyptian version of this street food.

For those who have only sampled the Palestinian/Israeli version of falafel — you know, the kind basically  peddled at places as divergent as Amsterdam Falafelshop in Adams Morgan and Max’s Kosher Cafe in Wheaton — you’re in for a surprise. Or three.

First off, the fried balls, once you bite into them, reveal a vivid emerald interior, the result of the snack’s main ingredient—fava beans, not the standard chickpeas found in the Palestinian/Israeli iteration. (Ali Baba’s falafel is split about 90-10, favoring the fava bean over the chickpea.) The favas give the fried balls a softer, moister texture, which may disappoint those who have come to anticipate (and love) that first-bite crunch of the chickpea version.

Read More “Ali Baba’s in Bethesda Does Falafel the Egyptian Way” »

Okay, sorry for the lame headline. It’s late on a Friday. But I wanted to leave you with something to chew on: the new pita bread at Amsterdam Falafelshop in Adams Morgan. During the course of our conversation about Maoz Vegetarian entering the D.C. market, Arianne Bennett mentioned that the Falafelshop recently started using pitas specially made for the place by an “Israeli guy from the upper mid-Atlantic.” She wouldn’t name names but said the shop gets fresh delivers from the dude twice a week.

I stopped by the Falafeshop today to sample the new bread, and I have to say it’s a significant improvement over the dry, thin pita that I remember previously. This one has more body: Its chewy crust and soft, airy crumb provide a dandy contrast to the dense falafel balls. My only complaint is its size: It seems smaller than the old pita, which made it hard to stuff the amount and variety of toppings I wanted into my sandwich. I literally had to pry open the sides to try to squeeze in more salads and sauces.

I’d really don’t want to believe this is intentional, that the new pita is a clever way to save on toppings in a down economy. I really don’t. Perhaps my memory is off. What do y’all remember? Were the old pitas larger? Could they accommodate more toppings? Sound off!

Maoz Vegetarian, an Amsterdam-based falafel chain, appears to have serious designs on the D.C. market. In fact, Its first foray into the area, on M Street NW near Dupont Circle, could open in as soon as three months.

Which got me to wondering: How will this Dutch import affect the expansion plans of Amsterdam Falafelshop? Last time I talked to owners Scott and Arianne Bennett, way back in April 2007, they had pulled the plug on their second Falafelshop on Capitol Hill but were still moving ahead on a franchise location in Herndon. But nearly two years later, there’s still only one Falafelshop, the original in Adams Morgan. What gives?

Well, it turns out the expansion delays have nothing to Maoz, says Arianne Bennett. The couple just realized a while back that they needed more expertise if they planned to franchise the Falafelshop. So the Bennetts turned to FranPoint Partners, an Annapolis-based franchise development company. FranPoint is helping the couple develop a franchising plan “the proper way, so that our franchisees would be happy with what they got,” Arianne Bennett says. And so that they’d be happy with the profits, too, she adds, unlike too many franchisees who slave away for the corporate mothership and have little to show for it.

The Bennetts, in fact, seem to welcome Maoz’s entrance into the market.

Read More “Who Will Own the Local Falafel Market? Amsterdam or Maoz?” »