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NY Food Truck Lunch: Falafel Sandwich From Crisp On Wheels

Perry, the voice behind New York Street Food, brings you his latest review on New York City food trucks.

Some chefs use food trucks as a stepping stone to opening a restaurant, but some restaurants, lke Crisp on Wheels, use food trucks to extend their reach.  There are several Crisp Falafel stores, and last May they rolled out the truck.

There are a lot of places to get falafel in NYC, but Crisp gives falafel an international twist.  They pair French, Greek, Mexican, Mediterranean and North African ingredients with falafel, and you can get sandwiches, salads or salad bowls of each.

Related: NYC's 6 Best Falafel Spots

handbag
(credit: New York Street Food)

I usually enjoy peanut sauces, so I chose a Crisp Africa sandwich, which cost $7.75, plus tax.

Crisp sandwiches come in a "handbag" that you unzip in the middle to open.  This held the sandwich nicely in place for the trip back to the office.

The Crisp Africa had falafel, corn salad, cherry tomatoes, iceberg lettuce, thin slices of sweet potato, scallions, a few beans, and both a North African peanut sauce and an habanero harissa sauce.

More: NYC's 7 Best Arabic Restaurants & Food Stores

You get a choice of white or whole wheat pita, and the whole wheat pita I chose was soft and fluffy.

The falafel was shaped like a thick disc, rather than a round ball or oval.  It was crisp on the outside and soft inside, with a nice flavor, although it wasn't as green and herb-y as some of the other falafel vendors around.

Related: Midtown's 15 Best Lunch Spots

eaten
(credit: New York Street Food)

There were a lot of ingredients and sauces in this sandwich, and as I ate through the it, the spiciness from the habanero harissa got hotter and hotter.  This was great, with the coolness of the iceberg lettuce and corn taking some of the edge off the heat.

Falafel is typically one of the less expensive lunches in town, so $7.75 appears to be a bit pricey for the sandwich.

Regardless, the quality of the food was fresh and good, the ingredients were interesting, and the portion was large.

Crisp On Wheels makes the rounds to different neighborhoods, and you can follow them on Twitter here.

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