Falafel review #7: Pita Pockets Amherst, Amherst MA, July 20, 2026

A sister shop to the Northampton one, but they have different menus. The staffer was making the falafels when I got there, buttering mix from a large bowl onto a former with a rod in the middle – like in this video (Syrian style) – interesting to watch, and guaranteed fresh. I need to come back to try the “Super,” with eggplant and walnuts.

  • Falafel itself: Not green, but very moist. The outside wasn’t quite as crunchy as I like, but overall delicious. 7/10
  • Bread: I think it’s the same supplier as the Northampton PP. Fresh and tasty, but toasting it would be nice. 7/10
  • Sandwich fixings, taste and texture: Big parsley leaves; very fresh lettuce, cucumber, and tomato; excellent variety of pickles; and a great garlicky white sauce. Overall juicy, well-balanced, delightful. 9/10
  • Value for money: $10 before tax & tip. 8/10
  • Eatability: Held together down to the last inch, but also dribbled out the bottom (most of the juicy ones seem to do that). 4/5
  • Bonus points: Very friendly staff; it was lunch after a long run in Amherst so extra-welcome. 2/5
  • Total: 37/50

Falafel review #6: Amanouz Cafe, Northampton MA, July 15, 2026

Another hometown falafel, which I may never have tried before, and won’t again. Nothing terrible but overall not an enjoyable experience, which defeats the purpose of a falafel sandwich! I wouldn’t have said it was too salty, but I was dehydrated the rest of the day and didn’t love the flavor it left on my palate. This one really shrank on me.

Burrito-style falafel pita
Inside of a falafel sandwich
  • Falafel itself: The outside was dark but not crunchy. Maybe they had been sitting out of the fryer? They call it a “burger” and it was a little oversized, resulting in a gummy interior, greenish but bland. 4/10
  • Bread: WAY too much pita to innards – it was fully wrapped like a burrito, as you can see in the first photo. An open end is more tempting and promises better proportions. The bread wasn’t great on its own – fine but a little dry, not toasted or anything. 3/10
  • Sandwich fixings, taste and texture: As usual I asked for no onion. The counter person asked about a pico de gallo type thing and I said that would be great, but it didn’t make it into the sandwich. We had good green lettuce, big chunks of cucumber (too big), tahini and I think hummus. I’m realizing how much pickles matter. 4/10
  • Value for money: $9.95 before tax & tip; very good if I had liked it more! 6/10
  • Eatability: The extra bread was a drawback (the first bit was ALL dry pita), but it held together well. 4/5
  • Bonus points: I love the font on their website – Berkshire Swash. Gorgeously over-the-top (especially the M!) but still legible. The signs in the restaurant are quirky and cool too, and the service was quick. 2/5
  • Total: 23/50

Falafel review #4: Yalla Vermont, Brattleboro VT, June 25, 2026

First time eating my favorite falafel with a review in mind – and it did not disappoint, on the contrary! Everything about this sandwich is top-notch.

  • Falafel itself: Just about perfect. Very crunchy on the outside; soft, moist, and green on the inside; the ideal size. 9/10
  • Bread: Yalla is justly famous for their fluffy, pillowy pita which they now distribute to stores. It doesn’t have a natural pocket from what I can tell – they slice it open to fill it – but maybe that’s what helps it stand up to the fillings. It’s delicious on its own as well. 10/10
  • Sandwich fixings, taste and texture: Wow, so many ingredients to enhance the sandwich: hummus, fried eggplant, chopped salad (lettuce, tomato, and cucumber with olive oil), herbs with cilantro, green cabbage, red cabbage, pickles, “a 3 to 12 hour hard-boiled egg for creamy texture and smoky flavor.” (They smush it into the bottom of the sandwich). Plus self-serve tahini, onions with sumac and cilantro, tatbila (SO good!), fermented vegetables. Sounds like too much, but they all sing together. I skipped the spicy skhug but asked for everything else, and they volunteered the egg, which I didn’t see on the menu board (but I’ve had it before, and it’s great). 10/10
  • Value for money: $12.84, a bargain for an amazing sandwich that’s quite huge! (You can get a half for ~$9, but I always get the full and enjoy every morsel.) 9/10
  • Eatability: Remarkably high for this style of pita. They carefully butter the inside of the pita with the hummus, which helps its integrity, and it held up to the last bite. You do need both hands and full attention, and it’s a bit of a nosebag situation – I’ve had to wipe tahini off my face multiple times. 4/5
  • Bonus points: The people are so nice! A child behind me in line was offered a teeny pita, slightly bigger than a golf ball, which kept them entertained. Free stickers. The help-yourself fixings are nice and a kind staffer encouraged me to serve myself extra tahini in a cup. Great view of Main Street Brattleboro. I’d take away a point for the long, awkward line, but there are toys to look at and they are in the bonus zone already with the bonus points! 5/5
  • Total: 47/50

Falafel review #2: cart outside AMNH, May 25, 2026

I was trying to cram in as much of the American Museum of Natural History as possible before an appointment back on the Upper East Side, couldn’t find any food there without long lines, was super-hungry, and saw falafel on the digital top banner of one of the many food carts lined up on Central Park West. My expectations were low, but nobody was in line and I took a chance.

  • Falafel itself: Crunchy shell, fairly moist interior. A little cumin-heavy, and a not-unpleasant sour tinge (not exactly lemony). 6/10
  • Bread: Pillowy, warm, tasty. 8/10
  • Sandwich fixings, taste and texture: Just iceberg lettuce and hard tomato, but fresh; white sauce decently tangy, and I managed to say “not too much” in time. 5/10
  • Value for money: $14 (tax included) before tip, expensive for a fairly small sandwich but not out of line for the location. 5/10
  • Eatability: Given the fork, which I did not request, they expect it to be messy. But it wasn’t overfilled so I managed pretty well. 3/5
  • Bonus points: Fast, exceeded my expectations, and I was grateful because I was SO hungry! 2/5
  • Total: 29/50

Falafel review #1: Syriana Cuisine, New Britain CT, May 17, 2026

I stopped adding “treats” posts a while back… ran out of steam and motivation. But I’m glad I did them, especially since not a single one of those items is still available. I absolutely love falafel sandwiches and I’ve been on a quest to find good ones wherever I travel. And they vary so much – the falafel itself, but also the bread, the fixings, and the overall eating experience (is it a tidy bundle or a freaking mess that drips all over and falls apart?) We are lucky to have excellent falafel right here in Northampton (Pita Pockets!) although so far my very favorite is Yalla Vermont in Brattleboro.

So I’m starting another writing experiment which may or may not last. I searched for other falafel rankings and found a couple (both regional – wait, here’s a US list, and a short global list). Getting at least one falafel on the side to see them in their native state seems like a good idea, but also a bit of a hassle. I skip onions and don’t want it spicy, but otherwise I’m into whatever the shop offers to put on, from pickled turnips to Yalla’s 3-hour boiled egg. I’m going to score up to 10 points on five categories, for a perfect score (very unlikely, I’m picky) of 50 – but Jonathan made an excellent point that eatability isn’t as important as the others, so I’ll reduce that to 5 possible points and add bonus points.

When I’m out on a day trip, typically I’m visiting a museum, running some streets, and looking for other interesting things to do. I use Google Maps looking for “falafel near me” and pick a high-rated one. Sunday, May 17 was Syriana Cuisine, a large but quite empty restaurant in a strip mall in New Britain, CT.

  • Falafel itself: Well-cooked crunchy outsite, decently moist on the inside. Not as green as I prefer, but good. 7/10
  • Bread: Thin, not greasy, savory, great for wrapping, well-toasted. A little tough but that helps it hold up to the fillings. 7/10
  • Sandwich fixings, taste and texture: Excellent additions include lemon zest and mint. Tahini and also pickled vegetables on the side, very nice. 9/10
  • Value for money: $10 before tax & tip, decent for a fairly small sandwich. 7/10
  • Eatability: Excellent! Tightly-rolled, held together until the next-to-last bite, hands stayed clean, ingredients well-distributed. 4/5
  • Bonus points: a well-lit, spacious restaurant with comfortable booths, a very nice greeter/cook/server (just 1 staffer running the place!), and the side pickles. 4/5
  • Total: 38/50

Lemon meringue tart from Roost

Lemon meringue tart from Roost

I’m reviving this experiment, maybe just this once, maybe for other things like this: a platonic pastry. Lemon meringue pie isn’t in my top ten generally, but Roost‘s version is so incredibly good that I’m always delighted by it and look forward to getting it again. This must be the third one I’ve had (once every six months or so is plenty) and they are consistently excellent.

The three components are in perfect balance: light, crispy shell that snaps under the fork; very tart, smooth custard; sweet marshmallow meringue that is both creamy and fluffy. Best of all, the meringue is always properly toasted on top – it may even look burned but it tastes perfect. It is very messy to eat as the meringue innards and custard are both almost liquid, but 100% worth it. And it’s big enough to be entirely satisfying and give a feeling of abundance, but not as ginormous as some of their other baked goods.

  • Compared to platonic version: 5/5!
  • Originality: 3/5
  • Value for money: 4/5 ($6.95 before tax and tip)
  • Effort factor (1 = could make in my sleep; 5 = no way would I ever make this for myself): 4.5/5
  • 13 1/2 minutes to eat, 22 to write (of which 7 was figuring out how to do images in Gutenberg)

Carrot cake from Iconica

The time between eating and writing is stretching. I’ve also had two muffins (peach-ginger by Tart from Northampton Coffee, raspberry almond from Sylvester’s) and a scone (maple nutmeg oat from Hungry Ghost) which I didn’t blog. So this experiment is probably drawing to an end, as expected. An important aspect of evolution/maturity for me is to recognize that I have way too many ideas to fully carry out in a human lifetime, and it’s not a failure to start many and only finish a few. But what I might try first is just focusing on cake. When I first had the notion to do something like this, pre-pandemic, I wanted to focus on one type of baked good at a time, starting with almond croissants – like Nosh and Nibble’s ranking of them in the Vancouver area, which I just found – so I could start with cake. We’ll see.

Carrot cake from IconicaI had already had Iconica‘s carrot cake, which they describe specifically as “Carrot Cake w/ Ginger + Walnut: 3 layer; yogurt + honey cake, lemon + turmeric cream cheese frosting,” so I knew it was good. The frosting’s bright yellow color is a little shouty because of the turmeric, but it’s a lovely contrast with the dark brown cake, and as usual it’s not tooth-achingly sweet and there’s just the right amount (nor does it taste of tumeric in a detectable way). Note my slice got a little banged up in transit, plus I’m not a food photographer! Texture great, flavor amazing – I think maybe it’s the honey that lingers as a sort of unplaceable yummy aftertaste? It makes me want more, and I did eat it a little faster than I meant to. But one of the things I particularly appreciate about Iconica’s style of cake is that while they taste super-delicious, they don’t have that extra level of butter/sugar/grease that some “indulgent” baked goods have, and as a result my body has never regretted the eating of them. It helps that the slice is the right size to be a satisfying serving and not a temptation to eat too much. Anyway – high marks!

  • Compared to platonic version – 4/5 (my ideal classic carrot cake has coconut, more raisins, and pecans, but this a 5/5 of this specific style!)
  • Originality: 4/5
  • Value for money: 4.5/5 ($4 before tip)
  • Effort factor (1 = could make in my sleep; 5 = no way would I ever make this for myself): 4/5
  • 6 minutes to eat, 26 to write but there was a whole meta-paragraph!

Red velvet beet cake from Iconica

Red velvet beet cake from IconicaAs I told the Iconica folks, red velvet is not a favorite flavor of mine; I hoped the beet would make it more interesting. I wouldn’t have been able to pick it out, but the texture was not only moist but particularly sturdy – not chewy, yet resistant to the tooth in a pleasurable way. I wished the frosting had been a little more assertive on the lemon front. The cake itself had the classic “I don’t know what this tastes like but vaguely cocoa?” of red velvet cake, which is why I don’t much like it. Not a winner, but at least the beet meant it wasn’t soaked in red food coloring.

  • Compared to a platonic version – 4/5? (hard to say)
  • Originality: 4/5
  • Value for money: 3.5/5 ($4.50 before tip)
  • Effort factor (1 = could make in my sleep; 5 = no way would I ever make this for myself): 4.5/5, grating beets being an especially big nope
  • 9 minutes to eat, 12 to write

Southern hummingbird cake from Iconica

Southern Hummingbird Cake from IconicaOooh, a new cake variety – new at Iconica that I can recall, and totally new to me as I’d never heard of it before. Iconica’s description: “3 layer; crushed pineapple, banana, pecan cake; cream cheese custard; browned butter buttercream,” and their promo email explained “the pineapple creates a moist crumb but doesn’t feature as a taste in the cake, itself.” Indeed, the flavor was predominantly banana. I like fresh bananas but I tend to avoid them in ice cream or baked goods. It’s an instinctive aversion which doesn’t make much sense because I usually enjoy the flavor once I’m eating it, and this was the epitome of that intense banana flavor – interestingly, not only the pineapple but also the pecans blended in, contributing to the texture alone. As always, perfect proportions, great slice integrity, and delicious (lovely to look at too – the photo didn’t come out very well).

  • Compared to a platonic version – another holotype! – 5/5
  • Originality: 4/5
  • Value for money: 4.5/5 ($4.50 before tip)
  • Effort factor (1 = could make in my sleep; 5 = no way would I ever make this for myself): 4/5
  • 12 minutes to eat, 22 to write

Chocolate chunk scone from Hungry Ghost

Hungry Ghost scone Hungry Ghost makes my favorite scones, hands-down, but it doesn’t open until 10am these days and when I was working a regular schedule, I would seldom get there before they sold out. Got this one at 10:30 and had it for lunch/dessert – a new flavor for me, not quite as delicious as their rosemary/walnut/currant combos but a classic and plenty satisfying. I love the traditional triangle shape because the toasty points are my favorite bit, and Hungry Ghost always bakes to a lovely dark shade – my mother describes undercooked baked goods as “floppy,” and I join her in abhorring them (although sometimes I can redeem a limp cookie or biscuit in the oven). The texture is also perfect, breaking into craggy chunks without falling apart, moist but still with good tooth, and the cubes of chocolate were a good size.

  • Compared to a platonic chocolate chip scone – 4.5/5
  • Originality: 2/5
  • Value for money: 5/5 ($3 before tip)
  • Effort factor (1 = could make in my sleep; 5 = no way would I ever make this for myself): 3/5
  • 14 minutes to eat, 15 minutes to write – that’s more like it!!!