Look at all those balls!

Let me tell you about Alan's balls.

Falafel balls, that is.

In close proximity to my office in Lower Manhattan, on the corner of:

There is a row of street vendors. Among these humble carts is one of the greatest earthly pleasures you could experience. It is Alan's Falafel.

If you decide to try out Alan's balls during regular workday lunch hours, be prepared to wait. Not an exorbitantly long time, but still, it's a wait.

Oh, it goes on...

...and on...
(What can I say? We New Yorkers like our street meat.)

Finally, after fewer than 10 minutes—really though, there's only 2 things on the menu, how long could that take—you finally reach it:


You order either a falafel sandwich or a falafel platter. Being the PhatKid that I am, I usually opt for the latter. Is it worth standing on line, exposing oneself to nature's elements and various street people begging for spare change?

Yes, yes it is. Because, for a grand total of:


You get all of this:

(sorry, photo quality sucks on a blackberry)

Seriously, look at all those crispy, savory balls, slathered in tahini sauce, with a drop of hot sauce...
Yum, yum...ballz.