W hat the hell, its getting cold in New York, which means I now feel more than justified in sneaking down to Soupy Place for lunch. To get to Soupy Place you have to leave the security turnstiles behind at work - yes you get to escape the four walls of the White Ivory Tower in pursuit of warm and tastie little snacks for lunch.

Only problem is that Soupy Place is not exactly the best kept secret in the city. You have to push your way through scores of people flooding the place. Its loud, its pushie, but man alive the soup is tastie as all hell. And if you really feel like being a pain in the backside during the lunch rush you ask for little tasting cups to help you decide what you feel like indulging in.

I am a fan of the clam chowder (I don’t even want to guess how fattening the damn stuff is), or the lobster bisque, but the ham and pea kept me entertained today - well that and the wall of boxed salad lectuce crashing to the floor in the middle of the rush hour - yeah exactly, bloody salads, who said they were good for you.

The entertainment continued when pushie chick decided it was an outrage that she had to then wait in yet another line to pay for her Soup, having already waited in the Soup line. Oh the drama “I am a busy person”, yeah whatever sweetheart aren’t we all, “How can they expect us to wait like this”, goddam lady go down to McDonalds and get out of my face this is my lunchbreak, “Im not coming back here”, if only I believed you - you are here every day. Bloody New Yorkers, sheesh.

I skuttled back to my desk and ate my soup from Soupy Place, ok it has a real name, Devon & Blakely, but that sounds like a pub not somewhere you sneak to for soup in the middle of the day.

Hmmmm I would like to find the Soup Nazi if he really exists?!

Categories: Food, New York
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Who said comfort food was just about sweet things from childhood?! Mmmm like lamingtons with jam and clotted cream, or buttered piklets, or apple crumble, or rhubard anything (mmm rhubard confit on french vanilla icecream, damn I hope they grow rhubard in the US).

It’s time we had a little cup-of-tea and a chat about savory comfort Falafel. foods - like the. Those little warmed pita pockets, lined with hummus, deep-fried spiced chickpea balls, freshly diced cucumber - tomatoes - parsley - onion, or tabouli maybe, a spread of tahini if you are very lucky, topped with spicy sauces to burn your mouth to the degree needed.

A staple of university life - cheap and readily available when you went to the movies in Auckland instead of studying - mmmm damn how can I forget the Middle East Cafe. The place was the size of a postage stamp, had an illuminated neon camel in the window, and was always the best spot in town to watch cute guys walking past hehe.

I lived on them in Israel (falafel that is). The only thing you were guaranteed to find on nights when it was snowing in Jerusalem were rug salemen and falafel carts. The former were entertaining (great place to get a cup of coffee and watch them set petrol alight on camel hair rugs), the latter were filling. For 20 cents you had your evening meal, and if you were loyal to your falafel man then he would though you the odd hot falafel ball while you were waiting.

I won’t mention how they were the standard food after way too much drinking and singing on London nights. Eeeeek.

Then Nelson (NZ) one of the best falafel stands outside of Israel I had found. Though they never seemed to go with chilled Sauvignon Blanc - I had to make a choice - the wine won out.
Then the big black hole of bad falafel, of mussy falafel balls, of sketchy vegetables, of over priced and miniature serving sizes.

Until Taim. The falafel is resurrected again. Taim is another postage stamp spot, this time in downtown New York (222 Waverly, where Perry & Waverly pop onto 7th together). Its uncomplicated chalk-board menu reminds you that they have a pretty simple focus, falafel. All I can tell you is that this is some of the freshest, crunchiest and simply tastiest falafel I have had in years. The diced salad is full of crunch and sweetness, the tahini, damn and the hummus … yeah and the roasted red pepper falafel balls rock! I am a convert again. Top it off with a fresh ginger-lemonade and you feel very special about life again. Hey and nice staff makes such a difference as well - they are not all over you, but they are nice to you and say goodbye when you leave (yeah - you remember those days too!?!).

Kosher too just in case that might be important.

Categories: New York
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