Shiksa Eats: The Foxy Falafel Edition

First of all, and most unrelatedly, I would like to give a shout out to my friend Phil, who is a little under-the-weather this week. Get better, and always utilize the buddy system.
Back on track.
I have good news and I have bad news.
The good news is that I am over the whole “Spanish Influenza” from We Fest. The bad news is that I promised everyone I would be doing a piece on the food trucks this week, and that is clearly not happening.
I swear, I really tried to visit the food trucks this week. … I just failed. It’s a little hard to take a break in the middle of the day to go track down ROAMING food trucks in Minneapolis, especially when the University of Minnesota has about a gazillion visitors each day. (An exact figure, of course.)
So I did the next best thing- go to the brick and mortar version of one of the food trucks.

Foxy Falafel.

Super quaint. The max capacity of the restaurant is 45 people!

Foxy Falafel is what one might call, “a hole in the wall.” Meaning, unless you’re looking for it, there’s a good chance you’ll drive right by it. … Like us. Luckily, my friend Katie caught their green header out of the corner of her eye and yelled, “FOXY!!” Yes, our windows were down, and yes, there was a group of people eating outside.
Not even ashamed.
The inside of the restaurant is earthy toned, which fits well with owner Erica Strait’s theme – organic food and sustainability. The colors green and brown colors of the restaurant fittingly match both the falafel and mother nature.
When we entered, Katie and I shared a wild, panicked look about what to do next, because there isn’t a sign indicating whether to seat yourself, wait to be seated, or order first.
Don’t worry, I fumbled my way through that awkward situation for you guys. (You order first.)
We were only sitting for a few minutes before our sandwiches were delivered to our table. I only had enough time to grab a glass of water, sit down, and snap some pictures of the restaurant before we had our food.

Shortly before I devoured the sandwich.

I have a confession. I have an aversion to picking up food in pitas and tortillas. My irrational fear probably stems back to my childhood and the many times my fajitas or burritos ended up in my lap. Life’s hard.
So, while I sat trying to figure out how to pick up my sandwich and take some more pictures, Katie was inhaling her falafel. Literally. That little blonde girl is a vacuum.
I spent the next half hour nibbling on my falafel and trying each of the unique dipping sauces that Foxy offers: Cucumber Mint Yogurt, Green Tahini, Spicy Harissa, and Amba.
My two favorite sauces were the Spicy Harissa and the Amba.
Spicy Harissa: which was a dark, garlicky “goo” (for lack of a better descriptive word) that had a pleasant spicy after-bite.
Amba: Sweet and tart sauce that makes really wakes up the taste buds in the back of your mouth, with an aftertaste almost like a pink wine.
Katie preferred the Amba and the Cucumber Mint Yogurt. … In case anyone cares.

Katie- the Tiramisu challenger is back from Rome!

The Shik-Down

Atmosphere: Quaint and friendly. It seemed like everyone there knew each other, and were already regulars.
Pricing: Cheaper than Uptown, more expensive than McDonald’s. (Translation: Very fair. It would be about equal with Qdoba or Chipotle pricing, and frankly the food is just better quality at Foxy.)
Taste: The falafel is actually as good as preached about- crispy on the outside, soft and smooth on the inside. Also, I’d be doing the sandwich a disservice if I didn’t give the tomatoes a shout-out. Honestly, they were the best tomatoes I have ever eaten, and I really don’t like tomatoes. Katie even went as far as likening them with the quality of Italian tomatoes.
Overall: I would definitely recommend this restaurant for the next time you are craving some really quality falafel.
And in case you hadn’t heard about Foxy Falafel yet, and were feeling guilty about missing out on this experience, don’t worry – Foxy Falafel just opened the restaurant on August 3rd! So if you want to experience before you have to become part of the bandwagon, go now.
Check out Foxy Falafel’s hours and menu details on their website! Or find the Foxy Falafel food truck on Twitter here.