Dave Bonan

Falafel Open Face at Sesame Seed Restaurant

Vivianne's Middle Eastern Food
36 Tamarack Ave., Danbury
Falafel sandwich, $4.75

My father is from Cairo, where many believe the falafel originated, and I use his recipe as a benchmark for all falafels. So please forgive the snobbery.

Egyptian falafel uses only fava beans with coriander, cousbara and other spices. Vivianne's, like most Middle Eastern eateries, is Lebanese and uses a fava/chickpea combination. The combo isn't cooked but soaked overnight, drained, skinned and ground. Their recipe mixes the two and double-wraps a single pita — once for the first half of the stew and again in the other. The fresh cucumbers complement the hint of lemon and it's perfectly spiced. It was a tad dry, but light and refreshing.

Sesame Seed Restaurant
68 Wooster St., Danbury
Falafel open face, $7.50

A popular Danbury eatery for more than 30 years, Sesame serves a open-faced falafel dish, comprised of a Lebanese mix of legumes. You know a falafel mix is good when its inside is green, and this one was green and crispy and held shape. The spice mix was subtle and the tahini (crushed sesame seeds, water, garlic and lemon) was yogurt-thick — almost as good as my father's. It should coat the tongue like spackle.

Layla's Falafel
926 High Ridge Rd., Stamford (Also 245 Main St., Stamford and 2088 Black Rock Tpke., Fairfield)
Falafel sandwich, $6.99

Layla's, which always has a jam-packed lunch crowd, offers a fava bean/chickpea falafel. It was delicious, with the right crispiness, consistency and subtle spice kick (with cilantro). It left me with a clean palate and full stomach. The tahini was spot-on Dad, but a bit watery. The menu is Lebanese, but the staff is Israeli, Syrian, Lebanese and Palestinian — no doubt the spice mixes are interesting.

Hanna's Middle Eastern Market and Restaurant
72 Lake Ave., Danbury
Falafel sandwich, $5

Hanna's rounds out the trifecta of Middle Eastern cuisine in Danbury. You can have a Zagat-rated dinner, buy a plethora of Lebanese dry goods or grab a quick falafel at their deli counter. Theirs is the traditional sandwich — five or six fava/chickpea balls, combined with onions, lettuce and tomato and stuffed in a large pita pocket. The tahini was a little watery and too lemony for my liking, but the falafel's mild spices make up for it and leave you wanting more.