Williamsburg, NY – After bike lane protests, Bedford Avenue is becoming the new West Bank — and you can now blame falafel.
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An Israeli food truck is encroaching on territory long claimed by Williamsburg’s beloved Palestinian-owned Oasis restaurant, forcing foodies to chose their sandwiches carefully.
For eight years, Oasis has satisfied the neighborhood’s hunger pangs with fresh, fully adorned falafel sandwiches for only $3 from its humble N. Seventh Street storefront.
But highly touted Manhattan-based Taim Mobile planted its flag into Brooklyn this month by parking its shiny, jet-black truck on Bedford Avenue on weeknights.
Taim is wooing discriminating foodies with its brand of made-to-order Middle Eastern meals that make you want to scream, “L’Chaim!”
So far, Williamsburg residents are raving about falafel specials such as Kalamata olive falafel with Israeli salad, pickled cabbage and tahini sauce ($6.50) and irresistible toppings such as pickled mango chutney, cilantro garlic spicy sauce, and feta cheese, as well as freshly-made fruit smoothies.
Naturally, Oasis’ Ihab Jibril sees the proliferation of food trucks on Bedford Avenue as a looming threat.
Jibril says he has perfected the falafel sandwich — perhaps the best deal in Williamsburg — by keeping an almost holy devotion to his recipe and refusing to raise his prices. Oasis worker churn out 500 sandwiches a day — five times as many as Taim’s truck.
“Falafel in the Middle East is nourishment food for the poor, street food, and we tried to make it a popular sandwich here,” said Ibril. “I think we’ve succeeded.”
Like Taim, Oasis has its devotees.
Too bad, neither truck is kosher. The new one is for the “hipsters” not the Yiddin of Williamsburg
Does this remind anyone of “you don’t mess with the Zohan”??
Now some holier than thou person will pop up here and say they have never heard of UKS, or its rav machir, and that the whole thing is wrong.
I just wonder when.
Kleins restaurant on bedford is still the best.
Keep it up berele!
So is the Fres Truck back?
No competition, apples and oranges.
#15 – The charadim and modern orthodox Jews in Monsey and other nearby communities don’t rely on RYS hechsher.
Bottom line is that the truck is opened on Saturday.