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What does one look for in a falafel? To be cheap and filling, obviously. To be fried-to-order, naturally, crisp and greaseless, nutty and earthy and nicely spiced. Taïm, a bright and cheerful West Village falafel shack, takes the chickpea-croquette conceit even further, purveying three different flavors, best sampled in a mixed platter with tahini-dappled hummus, tabbouleh, and Israeli salad. Taïm means tasty in Hebrew, and these specimens are—one streaked with roasted pepper; another infused with harissa; and the third (and best) tinged with cilantro, parsley, and mint. Savor them individually, or do what we do—stuff them into warm rounds of oil-and-herb-touched whole-wheat pita and a healthy dose of the Yemeni hot sauce called srug.

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Featured In

• Cheap Eats Guide 2006 (8/7/06)
• Sabich Story (8/22/05)

Recipes at Taïm

• Spicy Moroccan Carrots (2006)