The Falafel

Today I walked home from work via a different route. I'm having a touch of walkanitis, its the intense displeasure that comes of walking a route too often. So today I walked though the center of Herzliya. Its probably about 20 minutes longer, but it made for a pleasant change.

As I was walking down the newly renovated main drag in Herzliya, my backpack (with my 17" macbook pro) started to weigh heavily on my shoulders. My back began to ache, and I started to think about hopping on a bus. I was walking along, hands crossed behind my back lifting my backpack slightly to give my poor neck and shoulders a break, when an oldish man walked up beside me and started chatting. He wanted to know where I was going to and where I came from and why I was walking and why an obvious high tech fellow like me, was without a car. We chatted for a block or so, when he told me what I needed to lift my spirits on a day like today was a falafel. And, not just any falafel, but one of Haim's falafels. And lucky me, Haim's falafel store was just coming up on our right.

The old chap was obviously a regular at Haim's. The two falafelers greeted him like a one of the family (maybe he was) and because I was with him, I got to cut the line. I ordered my "manah" (a pita with the works, cabbage salad, regular salad, turkish salad, and a smear of humus). The balls were just out the oil, piping hot and soft. The salads were crispy fresh, the tehina not too runny and the pita was fluffy and just melted in your mouth. I went easy on the harif (hot sauce) as I still had quite a way to go to get home. From the first bite it was heaven. I swear. It was just the thing to pick me up and get me home.

I ate it on foot. Every bite pure perfection. The best 12 shekels I have spent in ages. I'm not sure if it was the unexpected pleasure of the perfect timing, or the cute old man and his obvious experience in falafel therapy, but after devouring that pita packed full of goodness, I don't think my feet touched the ground all the way home.