Mediterranean Bakery and Sandwich, 3362 Chamblee-Tucker Road, Atlanta
There are many dishes to like at Mediterranean Bakery and Sandwich in Chamblee, and there are certainly a lot to try. The take-out/grocery store’s deeply flavored chicken shawarma sandwich (5.99) tightly rolled in lavash wrap (flat bread) that has been smeared with a pungent white garlic sauce is easily a favorite of mine. And the grilled lamb kabob halabi platter ($9.99) served on a bed of loose, buttery rice with two sides satisfies a “meat and three” craving and is not as heavy as it sounds. But it’s the siren call of the bakery’s falafel that makes me pass by some of my regular Buford Highway spots.
The falafel is one of the most democratic of foods. Restaurants, street vendors and even gas stations all over the Middle East hawk this dirt cheap snack, which is as omnipresent as hot dogs are in America. Its origin is hazy, but the generally accepted notion is that Egypt begat the falafel. High in protein and fiber, falafels are commonly made with ground chickpeas or fava beans, and in some cases -- like the Lebanese version at Mediterranean Bakery -- it is a combination of both.
The restaurant’s falafel cooking station -- a beguiling and boxy gas-powered contraption fitted with a wide wok-like pan on top -- sits in plain view alongside shawarma trompos (upright rotisseries) of beef and chicken. Perched at a nearby table, I watch Ramez Traboulsi, one of the restaurant’s falafel makers, scoop up the grainy mixture and shape small spheres with an aleb falafel (another intriguing device that resembles an ice cream scoop) and by utilizing rapid whittling motions with a spoon. One by one, Traboulsi then gently lays formed falafel balls into heated canola oil, flips them once after a few minutes, and then after a few minutes more removes and rests them against a circular rack attached to the cooking pan.
You can order the falafel individually as a side item (50 cents), in a sandwich ($5.49) wrapped with the restaurant’s toothsome lavash bread, or deconstructed into a platter ($6.99) with your choice of two sides (hummus, stuffed grape leaves or a selection of Mediterranean salads to name a few). A thick, tangy tahini (sesame) dipping sauce always comes with any falafel order; it’s nutty, kefir-like similarities induces an inner desire to drink it on its own like the fermented milk.
In appearance the falafels are a light shade of golden brown and are studded with off-white flecks of fava bean. A batch right out of the fryer holds a crunchy exterior and a hot steamy inside, which is neither too gooey or dry. If it sits too long waiting to be served, it can lose its crunch.
“My falafel is not a special recipe,” owner Bassam Monzer tells me. “It’s a pretty typical Lebanese recipe made with 12 ingredients and spices.” Monzer is secretive about the exact ingredients, but I taste the usual musky suspects of cumin and coriander along with a touch of heat from fine ground pepper.
Monzer’s falafel recipe may not be a special, but it tastes pretty good to me.
Mediterranean Bakery and Sandwich
Food: casual and healthy Mediterranean dishes with a Lebanese twist
Service: order at the counter and clear your own table when you're done.
Vegetarian selections: a few salads, falafel platter or sandwich and a huge mezza platter with the usual Mediterranean dishes (grape leaves, baba ghanouj, hummus)
Price range: $
Credit cards: Discover, MasterCard, Visa
Hours: 10 a.m.-9 p.m. Mondays-Fridays, 9 a.m.-9 p.m. Saturdays, 9 a.m.-4 p.m. Sundays
Children: yes
Parking: in lot
Reservations: no
Wheelchair access: yes
Smoking: no
Noise level: moderate
Patio: yes
Takeout: yes
Address, phone: 3362 Chamblee-Tucker Road, Atlanta, 30341, 770-220-0706
Website: www.mediterranean-bakery.com
Cafe Agora
Nestled off the traffic heavy Peachtree Road in Buckhead, Cafe Agora is a Mediterranean Turkish delight that is fine for take-out and a comfortable setting for dining in. The cafe’s flavor-packed falafel arrives warm and crunchy and goes well with a puckery cool tahini sauce used for dipping.
11 a.m.-10 p.m. Mondays-Thursdays, 11-4 a.m. Fridays-Saturdays, 11 a.m.-9 p.m. Sundays, 262 E. Paces Ferry N.E. Atlanta, 404-949-0900. www.cafeagora.com. $-$$.
Pita Palace
This tiny Israeli-Mediterranean eatery near Emory University is slowly solidifying itself as a metro Atlanta institution. Try the classic falafel sandwich where chunks of the chickpea fritter are stuffed into pita pockets and filled with hummus and your choice of other tasty additions from the vegetable bar.
11 a.m.-8:30 p.m. Mondays-Thursdays, 11 a.m.-3 p.m. Fridays, 11 a.m.-7 p.m. Sundays, closed Saturdays, 1658 LaVista Road N.E., Atlanta, 404-781-7482. $.
OU For U
If you really are a falafel die-hard try OU For U’s falafel platter, which should certainly satisfy your falafel fix. Eight golden brown falafels that crackle to the bite are served topped on a bed of greens and tomatoes with hummus and pita bread served on the side.
11 a.m.-9 p.m. Mondays-Thursdays, 11 a.m.-10 p.m. Fridays-Saturdays, 9 a.m.-9 p.m. Sundays, 1155 Hammond Drive N.E., Atlanta, 678-361-6761. www.ouforu.com. $.
Monzer's falafel recipe may not be a special, but it tastes pretty good to me.
Mediterranean Bakery and Sandwich
Food: casual and healthy Mediterranean dishes with a Lebanese twist
Service: not a service oriented restaurant. Order at the counter and food is delivered, which diners then dispose of on their own if they decide to dine-in.
Vegetarian selections: a few salads, falafel platter or sandwich and a huge mezza platter with the usual Mediterranean suspects (grape leaves, baba ghanouj, hummus)
Price range: $
Credit cards: Discover, MasterCard, Visa
Hours: 10 a.m.-9 p.m. Mondays-Fridays, 9 a.m.-9 p.m. Saturdays, 9 a.m.-4 p.m. Sundays
Children: yes
Parking: in lot
Reservations: no
Wheelchair access: yes
Smoking: no
Noise level: moderate
Patio: yes
Takeout: yes
Address, phone: 3362 Chamblee-Tucker Road, Atlanta, 30341, 770-220-0706
Website: www.mediterranean-bakery.com
Cafe Agora
Nestled off the traffic heavy Peachtree Road in Buckhead, Cafe Agora is a Mediterranean Turkish delight that is fine for take-out and a comfortable setting for dining in. The cafe's flavor-packed falafel arrives warm and crunchy and goes well with a puckery cool tahini sauce used for dipping.
Pita Palace
This tiny Israeli-Mediterranean eatery near Emory University is slowly solidifying itself as a metro Atlanta institution. Try the classic falafel sandwich where chunks of the chickpea fritter are stuffed into pita pockets and filled with hummus and your choice of other accoutrements from the vegetable bar.
OU For U
If you really are a falafel die-hard try OU For U's falafel platter, which should certainly satisfy your falafel fix. Eight golden brown falafels that crackle to the bite are served topped on a bed of greens and tomatoes with hummus and pita bread served on the side.
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