Ever since Francophile travel consultant M. Henri first called our attention to the superb nature of the cuisine found at the celebrated L’As du Falafel in the Marais district of Paris, I have been searching for its Boston counterpart.The fare at Moody's Falafel Palace in Central Square may be a contender. According to some, "the smaller and dirtier the falafel stand, the better the falafel," but Moody's is neither small nor dirty. Housed in a former White Castle hamburger joint, it's no smaller than your average neighborhood sub shop. Rumor has it that Ben Affleck comes here just for the working-class ambiance. I came for the food. My chicken shwarma had just the right amount of garlicky zing and the falafel featured a flavorful tahini sauce.
Also particularly satisfying (but not edible) are the offerings at Modells in nearby Fresh Pond, where Global Design Director JoeY (a longtime fan of pimpin' shoes at cut-rate prices) discovered Superbowl fans had overlooked truly fabulous game-day deals on pairs of $19.95 Skechers and half-priced athletic socks.
Need I say how I like a man in stripeys 'neath Skechers?
5 comments:
Mme. Button,
Merci beaucoup for the credit and the local falafel referral.
However, please be advised the Moody's building was never a White Caste. This is a common error, perhaps incited by the Boston Phoenix in their article on Moody's, that advises "the uninitiated" of its supposed White Castle origins:
http://www.bostonphoenix.com/boston/food_drink/cheap/documents/03751182.asp
The structure was built in 1932 as a White Tower, a chain that opened several years after the White Castle. It began with an exterior of white glazed brick, later covered by white ceramic porcelain sheets, later removed to again reveal the brick.
Photos of the original building can be seen in the book, "White Towers," by Paul Hirshorn and Steven Izenour, published in 1981 by MIT Press. (Ironic the Cantabridgian printer cites the site as "Boston," n'est-ce que pas?)
A site that features current pics and accurately traces the White Tower lineage can be found here:
http://www.agilitynut.com/eateries/wt2.html
I've tracked down most of the ten original Greater Boston sites; few are intact. One other can be found on Kneeland Street, along the outer perimeter of Chinatown, but, alas, it is barely recognizable. C'est la vie!
A bientot,
And "Sketchers" are actually spelled "Skechers"!
I am humbled by our Monsieur Henri's historic documentation and red of face, Accuracy Squad. A branding faux pas, if ever there was one.
Does Moody's also feature "lamb sandwich"?
Moody's has lamb, and...M. Henri can back me up on this...the falafel joint in Paris advertise them as "Yiddish Sandwiches".
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