Falafel is nearly ubiquitous in the Holy Land. Both Israelis and Palestinians claim it as their own, not unlike the land itself. The truth may be different—the deep-fried balls of chickpea and fava bean dough were probably first made in Egypt—but it’s unlikely there’s any better … [Read more...]
WORLD FARE: Ishtar Restaurant: fighting ISIS one falafel at a time
There was once an old Vietnam-era slogan on posters, buttons, bumper stickers and T-shirts. Today it would, no doubt, be a ubiquitous Facebook meme: Join the Army; travel to exotic, distant lands; meet exciting, unusual people and kill them. It had resonance because it … [Read more...]
SAN DIEGO CITYBEAT FOOD ISSUE: Best-kept-secret ethnic eateries
The types of places featured on Guy Fieri’s Food Network show, Diners, Drive Ins and Dives, are generally not the restaurants I want to frequent. As I’ve observed in the past, “What makes [the show] work is the sense it highlights examples of a mythical ‘authentic American … [Read more...]