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I was admittedly skeptical about Crisp when it first opened. Mainly because it was plastered with all kinds of pompous signs touting itself while under construction. But Midtown Lunch has come to embrace it, so we thought we would give it a try. All I can say is: Good call.

Turns out, Crisp IS better than what I think. Crisp is definitely more expensive than you’d want falafel to be (the cheapest, most basic one is $5.75). So we opted for the more expensive Taj falafel salad bowl, which is quasi Indian-inspired.  Our logic was that obviously fancy falafel is what they do right. The Taj falafel was also Crisp’s offering to the ML sandwich challenge.

I could not be happier with my lunch. Falafel are well spiced, and (yes) crispy. They’re baked, not fried – but don’t hold that against them. They have tons of flavor, and manage to still be slightly oily and crunchy. The Indian inspiration for the falafel we ate worked really well – it’s lime and spicy and great. On top of a lettuce salad bed was mango chutney, lime chili pickles, cherry tomatoes (covered with black sesame seeds), and curry sauce. Yum.

And the pita…it’s the best I’ve ever had. It’s super thick, baked there, and light and fluffy. Heavenly.

Oh – AND they use compostable packaging and forks!

Yes, that’s a good lunch!