Falafill - Now open in Oak Park

The downtown Chicago location has gotten some mention and they are now open at 1053 Lake St in Oak Park.

A nicely decorated space with a big communal table and a few smaller tables along the walls, some counter seating along the window.

Regular or curry falafel is offered either in a pita or a bowl. Order, grab your object of choice and walk the toppings and salad buffet.

We opted for the monthly Chef Special by chef Jason Hammel of Lula and it was a very good sandwich (wrap)! Several falafel that worked well with the fresh veggies and a sweet and savory sauce.

With their tight focus I do not think they will threaten the Jerusalem Cafe across the street too much.

I will have to return to try the falafel alone to give it a fair assessment.

http://www.eatfalafill.com/

Been there twice. I really like the regular and curry felafel bowls.
The sides that go with are fresh with nice flavors. I tend to like spicy food
and I was not disappointed.

I stopped in yesterday and got the regular bowl. Good falafel, and a nice assortment of toppings and sides at the mezza bar. I'll be back.

I think they have a location coming to Oakbrook Terrace on Butterfield Road in the building that houses Noodles, Chipotle, and Jimmy John's. Going into the space vacated by Cosi.

Warning: You May Regret Reading this Post

For lunch, I made my first visit to Oak Park's Falafill. Many people who were there ere having the falafel in a bowl – you can get it in a pita, but the bowl enables you to load up on condiments.

But I didn’t go that way: I went with “Jason’s August Wrap,” and I was very glad I did. This wrap, designed by Jason Hammel, contains regular falafel, summer corn and smoked Sun Gold tomato relish, pickled pistachios, crispy fried kale and honey labne (a type of yoghurt cheese).

This was one delicious sandwich, and what was most amazing, I thought throughout the eating of it that I was eating bacon.



“How could this be?” I wondered.

After eating, I checked the sign for the sandwich, and asked the people behind the counter, and lo…no pigs were harmed in the making of this sandwich. That wonderful bacon-y flavor was conveyed by the crisply fried falafel and the slightly sweet smoked corn and tomato. It was a remarkable illusion.

And it was a fantastic sandwich, really one of the best bites I can remember having on Lake Street.



This sandwich, an August special, will be rotated out in September. If you haven't had one, you may miss the chance to have it. Forever. Sorry for you.

The monthly special described by David is also available in the downtown location on East Adams. As I've been describing in the thread about the Loop location, the monthly specials have all been great and are some of the best sandwiches available in the Loop. (Perhaps these threads should be merged)

Jonah

I may have to get this sandwich this week.

I had it today and it was as good as described. Kind of sad I waited until today... maybe I'll go back tomorrow for another one.

Skip the fries by the way, in case anyone was wondering... for $2.75 they are just standard fries and you get about two dozen of them. I got a little to-go cup of every sauce on the condiment bar to taste test... no idea if this is legit or not, but the guy at the counter was too busy dealing with people who had no idea what they were doing when ordering that I wasn't seen.

Jonah wrote:The monthly special described by David is also available in the downtown location on West Monroe. As I've been describing in the thread about the Loop location, the monthly specials have all been great and are some of the best sandwiches available in the Loop.

Slight correction: the downtown Falafill is at 72 E Adams, not on W Monroe. I've enjoyed your monthly falafel report over in another of the several Falafill threads and have almost stopped by any number of times. Earlier this month I went for Jason Hammel's creation. As soon as I took my first bite I thought, "Wow, this is awfully sweet, really too sweet," but by my second bite I appreciated how well the honeyed labne worked with the other ingredients, especially the smoky tomato and corn relish. The marinated pistachios were a nice touch.

David Hammond wrote:After eating, I checked the sign for the sandwich…

I, too, consulted the sign after I finished to be sure what I had just eaten. A remarkable combination of flavors, textures and temperatures. If anyone tries the falafel-of-the-month in the next few days, I'd advise eating it right away instead of taking it to go. Partly to preserve the temperature contrasts, but also to keep it from getting soggy. The tomato-corn relish seems to contain quite a bit of liquid.

Rene G wrote:As soon as I took my first bite I thought, "Wow, this is awfully sweet, really too sweet,"

Same here. The difference is that I kept thinking it with bites 2 through n, as well. I think the honey is a big fail here -- the corn is already plenty sweet and the honey throws the whole concoction out of whack. It felt a bit like I was being bribed into eating something supposedly good for you by sweetening the hell out of it.

Aside from that, the falafel itself was nicely fried and very flavorful. I still like this place and really approve of these monthly specials. What still detracts from the overall sandwiches for me is the lousy pita they use. There are several bakeries in town that put out a quality product; I don't know why these guys can't source better bread.

Anyone tried the stewed brisket yet? It's offered at the Broadway location, at least. I know that's not the point of this place, but I was curious.

This month, the sandwich is courtesy of Chef Brian Green of recently-opened The Savoy.



Green’s wrap is a traditional falafel with smoked salmon and eggplant, pickled fennel, tomato-cucumber salad and harissa.

This monthly sandwich was perhaps the most complex falafel wrap I’ve had, though the fish seemed a little odd in this combination, adding a flavor I’m unaccustomed to in falafel and, with the eggplant, a certain mushiness that also seems at odds with the crunchy chickpea balls. Still, as with his work at Purple Pig, I appreciate Green’s effort and would rather eat the food of a chef who takes chances than one who churns out chow according to some familiar routine.

My current ordering strategy at Falafill is to order the monthly sandwich and a “side of mezze,” which gets you a small plastic container that you can use to load up on salad bar offerings. Indeed, though I’ve had excellent falafel at Falafill, the salad bar is another major reason to eat there: the options are abundant, there are many gluten-free items, and the staff always keeps it fresh. Warning: you probably don’t want to eat here, or at any other quick service restaurant, if you have a problem with sodium: this is some salty stuff.

This monthly program is especially nice for those of us in the provinces who might not otherwise have a chance to try food by Hammel, Green, etc.

Ultimately, although the September Wrap is worth a taste, it really can’t compare with the August Wrap – so you’re just going to have to keep feeling sorry if you missed that one.

David: I was planning a post on the September offering, and it would be have very similar to yours. Challenging and very interesting, yes, fantastically delicious, not quite. I don't know how you come up with the idea of paring smoked salmon with falafil; perhaps the salty element in the salmon? The texture was fine by me. I'm sure I'll have another before September is out, but I won't need a weekly fix like I have for the prior entries.

Jonah

Jonah, and I should have underscored that my response to both August and September was "Whoa, didn't expect that!" Difference is that in August I liked the suprise (Bacon!) but in September not really.

The mezza bar is going to significantly change my local eating circuit; delicious and boldly flavorful stuff, and at least an illusion of vegetable healthfulness (though I trend towards the salty and olive oil-saturated offerings, yum).

Brisket sandwich with pomegranate barbecue sauce was not great, but I just ditched the meat and used the pita for the hummus, which I doctored heavily with harissa and cilantro-chili sauce.

For October’s Falafill sandwich of the month, the brothers Sheerin have created butternut squash falafel with duck confit, cocoanut curry aioli, pickled watermelon rind and cilantro leaves. That’s a whole lotta of flavor going on in this sandwich.

This is a sizeable helping of duck confit (about which I will never complain), and the cocoanut curry aioli is a surprisingly beautiful complement to the moist duck meat.

The butternut squash falafel is a promising idea as it leverages a seasonally appropriate ingredient vegetable, but one drawback is that squash is really difficult to crisp up (think sweet potato fries). The falafel kind of fell apart and got lost in what is already a lot of different flavors.

Pickled watermelon rind, I love, but it was hard to discern the flavor of this condiment in this rather complex sandwich.

I really like this month's offering. I didn't mind that the falafill fell apart because it meant all of the flavors blended together. I particularly liked the curry sauce which was gentle but flavorful.
The only critique of my sandwich was that they sprinkled on too much pickled watermelon rind. I liked the crunch and the tartness but it almost dominated. Next time I'll have them go light on that and it will be a home run. I think in general they get better at making the sandwich of the month as the month goes on.

What a treat, though. Not sure when I'll be able to make it to the Trencherman, but I can sample the chef's cuisine at my desk over lunch.

Jonah

Not sure if this applies to the other locations, but Oak Park has significantly revamped the menu, upping the prices slightly, adding three standard proteins (hanger steak, chicken, and halal sausage), and supplementing the side section with french fries, including a very nice herb-and-citrus tossed option. This month's special wrap is from Heather Terhune:

featuring curry falafel, julienned Granny Smith apples, celery, toasted cumin-lime aioli, golden raisins and roasted and salted cashews in a whole wheat wrap

Didn't try it, but I was unimpressed by the last few chef wraps, and they don't come with the awesome mezza offerings. Muhammara (which I have not had there before, very tasty) was being offered in place of my other zaatar-tossed vegetables fave.

Hey Matt, I had it this afternoon.

This kind of Middle Eastern Waldorf salad sandwich is good effort, but I have to say, I struggled to detect the falafel in the welter of tastes going on in these sandwiches.



Now, if I ate falafel more than once every month or two, I’d probably jump at the chance to try a variation on what would be a tired old theme. But I find the taste of the falafel itself very pleasant, and it’s easy to lose that flavor when there’s so much going on in the sandwich.

But that’s pretty much what you have to expect with these celebrity sandwiches. The chefs, all stars of varying magnitudes, must feel pressure to put their mark on what is already a very good sandwich.

The result is usually a very complex bite, and even when I’m not 100% in love with the sandwich, they are always interesting…and well worth the $6.50 or so to try.

I belatedly got to try the December wrap by Heather Terhune of Sable. I loved it. I think, as you can see from Hammond's comments, one shouldn't approach it as a falafill sandwich, looking for that familiar flavor with just a minor twist. For me, the combination of sweet apple, falafill and a creamy sauce, in a whole wheat wrap, made for one terrific sandwhich, whatever one might call it.

Jonah

My wife is especially worried that Falafill of Oak Park is doomed. She thinks it way too under utilized. She may be right on the latter, but the former? Can we pick up the pace?

I am trying to frequent it as much as possible and I think its a great addition to OP. But.... I do think the pita bread is dreadful (as someone else mentioned). It is dry and stale tasting every time. I have enjoyed the wraps and do wish there was a way to use the wrap for regular falafel and have the mezze added using Chipotle style service vs. self serve. I think the falafel bowls are a bit pricey, otherwise I would order them vs. the sandwich.
LO

Oddly enough, my wife and I found ourselves needing a little extra sustenance after a holiday party near-by Falafill last night. Seems they're trying to address certain issues. For one, there's now more than falafal. Options now include hanger steak and Lebanese sausage. I tried the steak, which I thought was decent enough. In addition, as requested above, they now offer a certain amount of pre-determined "wraps" for thse who don't want the mezze bar. Still, for most of the time we were there, we were the only customers.

I have a hunch - only a hunch - that opening up literally across the street from another falafel place could not be helping.

Vitesse98 wrote:I have a hunch - only a hunch - that opening up literally across the street from another falafel place could not be helping.

I was a big fan of Jerusalem Cafe, but the quality at this older place has not, in my experience, compared with Falafill's. However, it is somewhat less expensive.

Quality, shmality - I wouldn't open up a cupcake place across the street from another cupcake place, even if mine were better, either. As if someone who didn't like falafel would try the new place because it was "better." It was bad enough when Crumbs opened up down the street from Sugar Fixe (which itself was around the corner from Bleeding Heart). I mean, I like this place fine, but its very presence seems comically gratuitous to me.

Vitesse98 wrote:Quality, shmality - I wouldn't open up a cupcake place across the street from another cupcake place, even if mine were better, either. As if someone who didn't like falafel would try the new place because it was "better." It was bad enough when Crumbs opened up down the street from Sugar Fixe (which itself was around the corner from Bleeding Heart). I mean, I like this place fine, but its very presence seems comically gratuitous to me.

As someone who does like falafel, I haven't been back to Jerusalem Cafe since Falafill opened because of, you'll never guess, the higher quality.

Ha, well, then I guess anecdotal evidence places you in the minority.

Me, I'm more likely to go to Jerusalem for comfort falafel, and across the street for fancy monthly specials. I'm also more likely to smuggle the former into the Lake than the latter.

My Faith in Falafill Restored

I was so ready not to like this month’s celebrity chef sandwich at Falafill.

I had come to the conclusion that these sandwiches were like the recent wave of fancy-pants cocktails: just too much stuff put together, stuff that may not actually go together but which is somewhat exotic or somehow self-consciously cool-sounding, as in Jerry Lewis and his Alaskan Polar Bear Heater:



[Digression on the roots of comedy: you sometimes hear that comedians are motivated by anger, and no comedian exposes the angry base of his humor more completely than Jerry Lewis, one of the most frightening funny men ever]

The last couple of sandwiches I’d had at Falafill seemed, for the most part, loosely associated compositions of ingredients that clouded over the very pleasant taste of falafel with a load of largely extraneous stuff.

As for Dale Levitski, this month’s celebrity chef creator of the featured Falafill sandwich, I had mixed feelings. I’ve eaten at his restaurant, Sprout, and happened to be sitting next to another Chicago food writer. We both concluded his anchovy and lamb entrée was a combo of flavors that just didn’t work together. Innovative, but overall a fail. I was ready for the same over-worked composition.



One bite of the Hibernator, this month’s offering from Levitski, and my faith was restored in Falafill and Levitski.

This is a fantastic sandwich. It’s a white flour pita pocket of regular falafel and curry falafel (proclaimed on the menu board to be “a first”), with yogurt, frisee, julienned red onion, celery root and pears with red verjus…and steak.

It was the last element that initially threw me. Meat…red meat…really?

But it worked, oh man did it work. The meat, which was tender and of good quality, had a slightly woodsy flavor (like it’d maybe been grilled over fire), and the very light vinegary tang of the verjus popped the flavor way up. The frisee played a perfect green note, staying crisp despite the considerable moisture in the sandwich, that also had lots of additional crunch from the onion and celery root. Yet despite all these flavors, the falafels, both flavors, were distinct and set off by the other components, which just seems right as it is, after all, a falafel sandwich.

This was a good sandwich. At $7 not exactly a cheap sandwich, but way worth it.

You want fries IN that?!: Chrissy Camba at Falafill

When I was in Lyon, France, earlier this year, I had this odd “taco” that I’d seen advertised all over the city, mostly at Middle Eastern kebab places (I’ve posted about it before). This sandwich was basically a flour tortilla, griddled on a Panini press, containing kofte (a lamb/beef blend), a few other ingredients like North African harissa, and most strikingly, French fries.

Having French fries in a sandwich may strike one as odd, but you’ll get fries in your falafel at Falafill when you order this month’s celebrity chef sandwich. The featured chef, Chrissy Camba of Pastoral, sez this composition was inspired by her “first street cart falafel in New York.”



In the 90s, I was a little taken aback to see people in Manhattan street-scarfing pizza topped with pasta: carb on carb seemed so wrong. But perhaps this is the way it’s done in NYC. One may need to carbo-load to keep the energy up in the city that never sleeps. The carb-on-carb approach is apparently also the way of New York street vendors of falafel.

Camba’s sandwich-of-the-month contains braised eggplant, which is a super addition to the sandwich, and hummus, which is honestly a little more carb (not to mention chickpea) than I need in this thing.

Overall, the sandwich seemed a touch under-salted, which makes it a perfect complement to the very salty offerings on the mezze bar.

For about seven bucks, Falafill consistently delivers one of the more interesting lunches in the area…but there’s a better deal across the street, if deals are what you’re after, and I usually am.



At Falafill, for every “charity sandwich” sold, one dollar goes to Daphne Zepos Teaching Award foundation.

Fries are a standard sandwich topping in Israel (falafel and otherwise).