a falafel farewell

Tonight is it. It's my last night in the city. My last night to go big before I go home. My last night to drink one last Manhattan while actually in Manhattan. My last night to go to a swanky club, dance to some totally rad beats, and move my body until my brow is glistening and my feet are screaming. It's my night to go out with a bang and have one last delicious dinner to cap off my time here in New York. No, I didn't go crazy, I didn't drink a few Manhattans, nor did I dance to mad beats. But I did kill it with one last dinner. Damn straight.

I can't actually take the credit for finding such a delicious place for such a delicious price on my last night in delicious NYC. But my good old friend Sarah Buchanan can. An expert at finding great eateries and a whiz at seeking out deals in any form or fashion, Sarah knew what to eat and where to get it. She and her fiancé Chris just moved from their teensie apartment in Astoria, to a brownstone apartment on the Upper West Side of Manhattan and I was determined to get a peek before taking one giant leave of absence. Of course a get-together with Sarah isn't ever complete without some sort of nibbling (or gorging if we're in that kind of mood) so we decided to seek out a falafel spot 20 blocks from her apartment. We walked, talked, and talked some more, and then we ate. It's what we do best!

SoomSoom is a vegetarian bar that was actually voted by New York Magazine in 2010 as the best vegetarian place in New York in the "cheap eats" category. Living the unpaid intern life in one of the most expensive cities in the world, I'm always game for food that is cheap--but if I can get the best food that is cheap, then you've just made me one of the happiest unpaid interns in New York.

Sarah and I got to SoomSoom around 7:15, and were both greeted with a complimentary falafel ball. Immediately I liked this place. The only thing better than cheap is free. We scarfed the falafel down and very quickly decided what to order--with only 8 seats in this tiny establishment, and just 2 of them available, we were determined to make them ours. I stuck to my guns and ordered the falafel sandwich with hummus, but Sarah tried the sabich sandwich, which includes fried eggplant, hard-boiled egg, and boiled potatoes stuffed inside a pita. Both were ready before we the cashier could give us back our correct change, and we hungry gals were chomping at the bit to load our pitas with goodies from the open "salad" bar and get to our seats. Once we sat, the conversation didn't go much past "Mmmmm....orhw meh garwd...srrew grud."

Pros:
1. My dinner cost me $7.00
2. The pita was light, fluffy, and perfectly spongy--plus it was thick enough so it didn't rip. Best pita ever.
3. Self-serve access to the veggie toppings and yogurty sauces on the salad bar
4. The location is about 53 steps away from the 1-2-3 Subway line (at 72nd Street). Talk about convenience!
5. I had fabulous company!

Cons:
1. The pita opening was quite small, not allowing for maximum topping mixage throughout the entire sandwich--veggie toppings were only a first-half-of-the-meal deal
2. Sarah claims that the eggplant, being the main reason she opted for the sabich over the falafel, was very sparse throughout her pita...she only recalls one piece!
3. SoomSoom is in New York City. Therefore I will be unable to return any time soon.

A scrumptious steal, Sarah and I scored with SoomSoom.

*Note to readers: Although this is my last night in New York City, this will not be my last blog post. I have 20 hours remaining before I board the plane to Chicago--HELLO other big city!!--and what do you think I'm gonna do in the meantime? Starve?? Marybeth and I have brunch plans tomorrow. That's what's up.