Falafel Feud- Saxonville MA

What: Falafel Wrap Sandwich

Where: Subs and More

1609 Concord Street

Framingham  MA 01701

How much: $6.90

 

(readers, cue They Mighty Be Giants - Istanbul (Not Constantinople))  (clicking on link should open YouTube in a new browser tab so you can hear my selected audio track playing, but you will have to click back on this tab to return)
 

This days travels took me to Saxonville MA, an area in northeastern Framingham.  YM knows my falafel fetish.  I have driven by this place hundreds of times. The sign in the window that says "Best Falafel Gyro" has been beckoning to me for a long time.  The menu and another sign outside proclaim fine Mediterrean food.

 

This spot has been a seafood store and most recently a Mexican restaurant that Eatawholecake loved.  I'm sure he can provide the history of businesses in this location.  Eatawholecake, we will be looking for your history lesson in the comments below.

The falafel sandwich was freshly made by a father and daughter team by the looks of it.  There was chopped iceberg lettuce.  The pinkish tomatoes were diced and not ungenerous.  Onions were medium diced and did not overwhelm the other flavors.  There were no pickled somethings.  The pita was fresh and large.  The three falafel was golfball sized were very good quality and freshly fried.  The texture was coarser than breadcrumb, almost to rough beachsand (and that is the way I like it).  I was asked if I wanted hot sauce, which I opted for, but was not so hot nor spicy.  Overall sandwich size was large as seen in photo above.  In addition to hummus and tahini, there was some Havuc Kavurmasi, which apparently is cooked finely grated carrots mixed with garlic yogurt.  Fair value for the money.  It did have the best graphics on sandwich wrapping I've seen in a while.

The place was very clean and interestingly (not in a bad way) decorated. Service was decent with the young lady quite friendly when she pulled her earbuds out.  There were some younger kids around too.  You got to love family businesses.  I asked about the sign declaring the best falafel and she pointed to the man and said that "He thinks it is." to which the man added "It is the best.  I hope you like it".

The menu is an interesting mix of Turkish and other.  There are "Mediterranean Style" subs and wraps, a few not-Mediterrean subs and wraps, kebabs, salads, pasta and paninis.  There are even a few quesadillas (with a subtitle of Gozleme) listed.

Alas, it is not the Falafel King.

I'd give it 3B/6. 

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Donut Debauchery-The Zachary

What: The Zachary Donut (ok, I got a dozen).

Where: Honey Dew Donuts

99 Copeland Drive
Mansfield, MA02048

How Much: $7.50 +tip


(readers, cue  The Jesus and Mary Chain - Just Like Honey) (clicking on link should open YouTube in a new browser tab so you can hear my selected audio track playing, but you will have to click back on this tab to return)

This day's travels took me to Mansfield MA.
 

Honey Dew Donuts is a New England doughnut chain.  Most of the locations seem to be in MA and RI.  They are a great option to Dunkin'.  The waitstaff is super friendly and has been the same for years.  They seem to be open regular doughnut shop hours.  They do have a drive through window.

Back in the day, I used to work in Mansfield.  We used to get doughnuts some mornings and one day my co-worker Don came back with a few of a doughnut called a "Zachary".  I have gone to other Honey Dew locations and asked for "Zacharies" and got some seriously weird stares back. Apparently, this is THE ONLY location that makes this particular doughnut.  It looks like there are some other location specific donuts, a "Blake" and another whose name I forget.  Looking around the Honey Dew website, I noticed that Mansfield is their original location.  They do have a bakery in the back of this location.  I have been told that the donut maker named these special doughnuts after his kids.

Kids, your father is a donut genius.  Trans-fat free I may add.

The Zachary-  Make the softest honey-dipped doughnut you can. While the donut is still glistening in the honey-dipping nectar, take said don't and put it into a tub of cocoa powder (or something like that along with magical pixie dust).  Immediately serve.  Cocoa powder type stuff should be damp and adhered to every single crevice of said donut.  The donut becomes so large having soaked up magical honey-dipping nectar that it is not possible to fit a dozen in a dozen sized box.  See the heavenly light emitted by the donuts in the first picture.

I have been disappointed on one visit.  This disappointment stemmed from the fact that these sell very quickly and getting there after 10AM quickly decreases your chances  more than one or two (or in my case a dozen).

I have been very happy most every other time as I got there early and was able to get what I wanted in the quantity that I wanted.

Other times, I have been blessed by an angel. Sue is her name.  I had got there late and the Zachary count was low.  I took what she had and was trying to figure out what other donuts I would have to settle for.  I mentioned that I traveled over 45 minutes to get Zacharies.  She offered to make them fresh out of the honey-dipped that she had, if I was willing to wait.

I was traveling out of my way every two weeks there for a while, to the point that they knew what I wanted as soon as I came through the door.  I have cut back a bunch, especially as my travels have not taken me to Mansfield as much lately.  I went recently for the first time this summer with YM, K and Taters.

They only had 4.  My donut angel came out of the back and created a bit of heaven on Earth for me.

I waked out with a dozen.  They did not last a day.

Go to Mansfield. Eat a Zachary. Become a believer.

  6B/6

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Not you average PBJ...

What: Strawberried Peanut Butter M&M's
Where: Shop & Shop
How much: gift

(readers, cue  Bow Wow Wow - I Want Candy (Kevin Shields remix)) (clicking on link should open YouTube in a new browser tab so you can hear my selected audio track playing, but you will have to click back on this tab to return)

Another in the line of M&M options.

So my moral compass, gambling adviser and consiglieri, Edzo and his own moral compass, Bakin' were looking out for me and brought this back from the local Stop and Shop.

Edzo says "good", but they would be better if they were graped, not strawberried.

Thumbs up from Cesius (who also gave big ups to the coconut and pretzel versions previously reviewed here and here that were offered up for Edzo's consideration), Ocho, YM, Taters and K, but not big ups.

Colors were yellow,red and brown.  Note that the inside was peanut butter coated by chocolate then coated with the traditional candy shell.

Price was right, a gift from Edzo and Bakin' to give me something to do and keep me out of trouble.

Texture was exactly what you would expect.  Taste did have a bit of salty peanut butter contrast to the slightly cloying sweetness of the strawberry.


I'm not sure just what the deal is, but as you see in the picture there is a tie-in with The Transformers movie.


I guess it comes down to what you make your peanut butter sandwiches with.  I'm a Welch's Concord Grape Jelly guy.  I agree 100% with Edzo.  I suppose it you liked your PB with strawberry jam, you may give this a higher score.

On the good news front. it turns out that the pretzel M&Ms that were blogged about here do come in larger bags as discovered by my vicarious life living avatar Eatawholecake.  K says that he ate a whole family bag in one sitting.  Best part is he bought two, so he would have one for the next time he sat down.
 

I'd give it 4.5B/6.

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I'll stay with the pretzel M&M's.

Pizzapalooza-Paul's Pizza Falmouth MA

What: Paul's Special Pizza, no anchovies, taken to go.

Where: Paul's Pizza & Seafood

14 Benham Road

(Off Falmouth Heights Road, opposite Red Horse Inn, behind Dr. Fitch's office)
Falmouth, MA 02540

508.548.5838

How Much: $10.95

 
(readers, cue Les Savy Fav - The Sweat Descends) (clicking on link should open YouTube in a new browser tab so you can hear my selected audio track playing, but you will have to click back on this tab to return)

This day's travels took me to Falmouth MA as it often does.

Paul's is a local institution in Falmouth.  It has great pizza and seafood.  The menu is kid friendly (though the wait may not be-if so, call in a to go order).  The waitstaff is super friendly and has been the same for years.  Their ads in the local newspaper The Falmouth Enterprise often features the birthdays of their waitstaff.  You have to know their location as there is no sign for Paul's on Falmouth Heights Road.   They are closed Mondays and Tuesdays and open at 4PM the rest of the week.  Paul's can fill up fast on summer weekends.  The wait for takeout on a recent Friday night at 8PM was an hour and a half.  Wait, it is DEFINITELY worth it.

They serve beer and wine, but don't expect too much variety, though I did notice an ad for Cape Cod Beer on the tables and booths when I dropped by to pick up some takeout.  There was no mention of Cape Cod Beer options on the take out menu.

The Paul's Special is onion, hot Greek peppers (pepperoncini), linguica, sausage, mushroom, with or without anchovies.  I always go without anchovies.  Red Bullmoose goes with anchovies.  I love hot and spicy, but even I can't take a whole Paul's Special pizza's worth of the pepperocinis.  I usually get half way through and peel the rest off.  When I am not feeling so adventurous, I order the meatball and onion.  They also have some interesting toppings such as Paul's own Meatsauce, Apple (no tomato sauce), shrimp, scallop or Chourico in addition to the standards.

Paul's pizza is different than most other pizzas.  It is 10" diameter cut into eight slices. A single pizza will more than fill you up.  The only pizza that I've had like it is from Town Spa in Stoughton MA.  I have seen it described as bar style pizza.  It is pretty thin, but not thin like Regina's/Papa Gino's style (not that those deserved to be lumped together) and not Fig's gourmet style.  As you can see, there is not much crust either.  Paul's cheese pizza is available frozen too.  I guess you just have to try it (though most of you reading this have already been forced by me to try it) as it escapes an coherent description.by me.

Almost everything on the menu is great, even the chicken strips.  The fries are batter coated and onion rings are thin and very crispy.  The scallop plate is excellent, as is the clam plate which is served with bellies.  You can even get fried smelts.  The only thing strange is that they serve their subs with bags of potato chips.

If you are in the Falmouth area or on the way back from Martha's Vineyard (especially if you just got off the Island Queen, it is most definitely worth it to grab dinner here.
 
  5.5B/6

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Do not miss Paul's Pizza.  It is a destination unto itself, as appealing as Falmouth's beaches are (well, maybe not Chappy).