taim: a review.

While I do cook a lot, ethnic food is not something I make as often as I would like.  The sad truth is venturing into the world of Thai, Indian, and Middle-Eastern cooking usually requires a whole slew of ingredients that my teeny-tiny kitchen can't hold.  This isn't too say I haven't dabbled in it, but considering my love affair with the cuisines of the world, I haven't had the opportunity to really deep-dive into them.  Someday..

The plus side of all of this is that I don't feel bad about eating out at ethnic restaurants.  They are making me things I can't make as easily for myself so OF COURSE I can validate us getting take-out from the Indian restaurant in our neighborhood (even though I am 90% sure they hate me there). As of late, I've been on a falafel kick and while I've made them at home (and blogged about them here), there is something incredibly awesome about not having to deal with deep frying.  Plus at a falafel place you can get a whole slew of accouterments that you would never have available to you at home (Israeli salad! Roasted beets!) and while I have many go-to spots in the city, the one that consistently kills it is Taim.

Taim was started by the woman also manages Balaboosta (home of some of the greatest hummus I have ever eaten) and Bar Bolonat (currently on my long list of places to visit) but it's their teeny-tiny falafel store-fronts (SoHo and the West Village) that I constantly return too.  There is an ever rotating variety of falafel flavors and a selection of salads that leaves me overwhelmed (how can I pick just one?!) and absurdly happy (I love all the choices).  The falafel is always fried to order which makes them incredibly crispy and perfect for nestling in a pita with hummus (some of the best), salads galore, tahini, and hot sauce (lots of hot sauce).  Probably the best sandwich in the city for $6.50.