The Tuesday Taste: Ali Baba's Falafel

 

 

Another day wasted out of time, I can't get out of it

Altered state of mind, I'm going overboard

My conscience meets decline into reality

I know this can't be fine

 

It's been a rough week over here at WC Street, but I'll do my best to not make perfect nonsense and instead continue Vegetarian Month by reviewing a falafel from Ali Baba's!

Ugh. Yeah.

I have a slight nostalgic affinity for the Ali Baba's falafel: I was a poor English major student paying his own rent/bills and trying to live up to the bold reputation of UofT. Now I'm doing the same and none of that got me particularly anywhere. But I have a (mostly) food blog so hurray? Optimism! Anyway, my affinity is how there was/is an Ali Baba's close to campus, so on Tuesdays I took advantage of their 2-for-1 falafel special as a hungry student spending a consistent half-dozen hours most weekdays at the Pratt Library. 

It'd been a while so I tried their falafel again exclusively for the purpose of this review. Frankly, it ain't great. The fillings (I bypass the onions and tomatoes and go heavy into the sauces, lettuce, pickled turnips) are the best part about it, especially when the thickness of the hummus or garlic filling hits. The falafel itself is as dry as summer sidewalk shit: you're looking for the earthy crunch yet slight herbal, spiced taste... instead this thing is only crunchy by how stale it is. It's texture without substance. And there simply isn't any flavour to the falafel patty itself. I chowed down because I was hungry, but I'd be in no hurry to go back.

It's like a cheap dollar menu hamburger: the toppings and bun/wrap give the illusion this is the same thing, but man it isn't. As consumption it'll hit the spot I suppose, but that's what cheap food is supposed to do. Don't waste your time and go to Ghazale or Delina (here in the Beaches) instead.  

 

Burnt Ends -- It was a truly horrible week over here. This Star Trek thing I love to hint at is potentially now a running joke, but I swear it will arrive. I like the idea of a running joke though so... hmmm...

Tuesday Tune: Kinda feel like I chickened out last week, but that was multiple panic attacks and the wrong end of sidewalk cyclist collisions ago... so F* it. As my opening teased, here's a Sum 41 tune I like a lot.  

 

   

That's it for now. Pray for Mojo, I'll hang in there as best I can... see you next week and don't drop the mustard.