Fabulous Friday Falafel

Back with the alliteration of course, but what could make this Friday complete?  A night out with a great friend, a falafel sandwich, and an Oscar nominated movie :)

First things first, have you heard of the show "Diner's, Drive-In's and Dives" with Guy Fieri? Well, Guy goes around the country searching out just that - the best diner's drive-ins, and dives and lets us know the hottest places to eat.  Many are what you consider "holes in the wall" eateries and others are more well-known.  I always drool while watching the show (too much information I know, I'm sorry) and hope one day I can find the best of the best.  A couple of years ago when I first arrived in the Santa Clara area, one of my triathlon buddies treated us to lunch at the Falafel Drive-In.  Not to use a cliche, but it was love at first bite.  The falafel was so fresh, the pita just right, and just enough sauce and vegetables to make the sandwich juicy and delightful.

The dining area and walk-up order window

It's located off Stevens Creek Blvd and can be spotted by the old-fashioned light-up arrow flashing and pointing down towards the joint.  It's just like the old-timer In-N-Outs with a walk up window to order and all-outdoor seating.  They have a sort of canvas cover to keep the rain and wind out, but it provides for a refreshing dining experience.

I have been back a few times, but its honestly been about 6+ months since my last trip.  When trying to think about places to eat out, it always seems to slip my mind.  But tonight, I made it happen!

They are known for their falafel but also have a variety of sandwiches, gyros, chicken pitas, salads, and even search America's favorites - hot dogs, hamburgers, fries, and onion rings for the more picky or shall I say "traditional" eaters.  I have to say, their shakes are my favorite.  They use a lower-fat milk, so while they aren't as creamy, it serves as the perfect combination for the falafel sandwich.  And that's just it - one of their best deals is for about $5.50 or so (will have to check on the price again) you can get a snack wrap pita sandwich and a banana shake smoothie.  I'm sure you can substitute it, but they are probably as popular for their falafel as their signature banana shakes.

I suggested the idea for a falafel dinner to my friend Lisi and she was all for it.  When we arrived, I noticed the cashier and cooks were speaking Spanish.  Being the gutsy individual I am, I decided to order in Spanish and boy, I think we made a few more friends.  They were thrilled we were speaking Spanish, made our order up in record time, and all waved as we left for the parking lot.

We both ordered the original falafel snack sandwich and I had a lemonade.  I know I am a lemonade snob so an honest opinion? It was Tropicana and not too bad.  It paired well with the sandwich.  I would have ordered the delicious shake had it not been Lent and I was bold and gave up sweets.  So far it is going well but this whole Pinterest thing is making me salivate for a brownie-cookie-pazooki or some fashion of ice cream sundae.

We also decided to experiment with the menu and split a side order of pita chips. EXCELLENT choice!  It wasn't like the greasy sort you find in the grocery store (although those are quite tasty).  Some were still a little chewy (a favorite of mine) and all of them had the perfect amount of seasoning.  Not too sure what was on the chips, but it's worth it.  I spotted an order of fries at the table next to us and those too looked mighty fine.

I noticed a sign for a shirt they are selling - one with the Falafel Drive-In logo on it and while it's not the only reason drawing me back (I can't wait for another falafel sandwich and hopefully shake soon!), but I sure would like to sport one of those around school :)  Who knows, maybe I could convince my new falafel buddies to cut me a discount for good 'ol PR and promoting around campus? :)

Afterwards, we went to CineArts movie theatre at Santana Row to watch the Oscar nominated movie The Descendants, which I have to say was also refreshing and a truly wonderful movie.  It had the potential to be depressing but who could resist that gorgeous Hawaiian coast?  

So what are your favorite food spots?