The Philadelphia Falafel Project commences

Folks, as a Philadelphia native and ceaseless falafel gobbler, I've been seeking to document the Philadelphia falafel scene for quite some time now. Maybe it's the alliterative ring of the two words in succession - maybe I've wanted an excuse to eat as much falafel as possible. Regardless, the quest here is to visit and review every falafel vendor that I can find here in the City of Brotherly Love before my planned relocation a year from now.

Here's how it will work: I'll rank three elements of the restaurant based on the five-star system, then embark on a general review. The ranking will go as follows:

Falafel - falafel quality, referring strictly to the falafel balls themselves

General food - general food quality, referring to all non-falafel elements in the falafel-centered meal

Dining - feel of location, charm of ownership and other peripheral concerns regarding the dining experience

Cost - not ranked, simply reported

A few notes before we begin. Number 1, I am a vegan, so I will only be ranking the vegan components in a given restaurant's menu - but more importantly, I'm not out to review restaurants that serve falafel, but the falafel itself. Number 2, I am cheap and broke, so references to cost should be taken from such a slant. Number 3, I've been eating falafel in the city for a long time, so I know that some part of me is stuck in the past regarding some of these locations - this may potentially slant my bias towards the older vendors.

Philadelphia's falafel scene took a radical turn circa 2004, when Maoz opened their original (and still extant) South Street location, serving falafel replete with unlimited access to a fixin's bar. Prior to this, falafel was relegated to a novelty item on a handful Mediterranean menus; suddenly, with the falafel a proven success as the focal point of a restaurant, falafel joints popped up all over Center City, mostly modeled (I presume) on Maoz's innovation. Around 2007, I estimate that the Center City area alone had seven restaurants focusing their menus on falafel, but the country's economic rut, doubtlessly in tandem with other factors, has reduced that number a bit. Now, I seek to pick up the pieces and see what's out there, getting my body out of the house and subsequently stuffed with falafel. Let the games begin....