King of Falafel Does it Again!

After an awesome video shoot last night for We Heart Astoria, together with graffiti artist, Louie KRONE Gasparro, I was totally hungry and in the mood to devour something good.  Having falafel and shawarma on my mind since last week, I headed over to the one, the only King of Falafel and Shawarma cart.

Atmosphere:
Freddy's cart was busy and bumpin' on this random Tuesday eve at 8 o'clock, but what else is new? You can't compete with greatness!  I got in line, which was about 10 people long, but everyone was in a good mood, including Freddy and his staff of course, infecting us with their endless positivity and cheeriness.  As they sometimes do, we got first dibs on some free falafel, which made the wait go even faster, the staff dishing out free smiles and jokes to boot.  Overall, it's always a pleasure to be surrounded by such great people, which makes me appreciate how much pride these guys have in what they do.

Food:
Since I was pretty ravenous on this evening (and knew Dan would be too), I opted for full meal options for both the falafel and the shawarma.  Anticipating us splitting both, that's exactly what we did when we got home, and even had leftovers for the next day.

Falafel Platter - Filled to the rim of the container, the falafel platter includes four big pieces of fresh falafel that are perfectly crunchy on the outside and creamy on the inside.  Resting on a bed of yellow rice and veggies such as jalapenos, tomatoes and lettuce, this platter is an explosion of flavors.  The falafel is quite hefty and nice to split into halves so you can stretch it further.

Shawarma Platter - Similar to the falafel platter, except for the protein of course, the chicken shawarma is also delicious.  Loving the expert way in which the chicken was cooked, it's all kinds of tender and flavorful, marinated in a carefully prepared mix of herbs and spices.  I chose to go with more creaminess on top through a generous helping of white sauce and tahini that rounded out the dish.

Service and Cost:

As I already hinted above, the service at the King of Falafel is second to none.  Every customer is treated with respect and is made to feel like they're important, which goes a long way, especially after a full day's work.  

Costs are super affordable, and since the portions are quite large, you're able to stretch the dollar.  The above mentioned meals set me back just $14 in total.  I can't wait to go back!

3 Mmmms

King of Falafel - 29-18 Broadway, Astoria NY 11106
718.838.8029
N/Q Train to Broadway
thekingfalafel.com

LIC Flea Foodie Highlights

This past weekend, we celebrated the return of the LIC Flea, which also in a way symbolizes the start of spring.  And while the weather didn't 100% cooperate (it was a tad windy, let's just say), we managed to have a great time and enjoyed checking out all the talented vendors and their bevy of creations.  The food is of course a huge highlight for me, and I spied both new and returning vendors from last year.  A few purveyors stood out to me during this first Flea weekend, including:

Trakia Pizza - This Astoria newcomer piqued some serious interest with their makeshift wood-fired oven.  Not only is the pizza delicious, boasting a crispy, thin crust, but the guys who run the place are happy and jovial, emanating all sorts of positive energy!

King of Falafel & Shawarma - There's just something about seeing Freddy (aka King of Falafel), which makes you feel that all is right with the world.  Smiling, joking and offering free samples of his irresistible falafel, we of course succumbed and had a few pieces that made our tastebuds dance.  There's nothing like that perfectly crunchy crust of the falafel and a creamy, slightly spicy middle that he dresses with a homemade spice mix that comes from a secret recipe.

Gotham Cookies - Also a newbie to the Flea, their cookie display was elegant and certainly caught our eye.  I was trying to be good and stay away from sweets that day, so I resisted, but Dan tasted the Peanut Butter Crunch and sang its high praises.  I gotta say, that Apple Pie cookie also looked very enticing.

The Grateful Bread Baking Company - Remembering these guys from the Coffeed, Qns Urban Market event back in the fall, I wanted to try a few of their new varieties.  The plantain/dark chocolate bread was a big stand-out, combining a mix of savory and sweet flavors, while the Buckwheat & Raisin stole my heart and I ended up buying a 1/2 loaf.  It's nice that they let you purchase smaller portions as well, which make this more practical in a semi gluten free household.

Overall, we enjoyed our time at the Flea and look forward to coming back in the next few weeks.  I'm also psyched for the Astoria Flea & Food to make its big debut on May 4th.  Woot woot!

LIC Flea - 5-25 46th Avenue, LIC
7 Train to Vernon/Jackson Avenue
www.licflea.com