Since they serve breakfast, lunch and dinner, I figured why not try all three in one day? My photographer pal and I arrived mid-morning to tackle breakfast and lunch. He ordered the scrambled egg malawach (a type of Israeli fried bread) and the acai bowl, while I went for the sweet potato falafel sandwich and a kale/banana/mango smoothie, though the schnitzel and waffle plate tempted me too.
Actually, sometimes I do forget to eat
We had the place to ourselves and didn’t have to wait long before confronting warm plates wafting delicious aromas. I was starving and got testy when my friend snapped too many pictures. I probably should not have ordered a green smoothie. It was too predictable -- earthy and tasting of virtue. I should have gone for the peanut butter/banana/cinnamon. But my sweet potato falafel sandwich was divine. Stuffed with beets, pickled red cabbage, hummus, tahini, feta, and delicate, crumbly sweet potato falafel, it more than satisfied my ravenous appetite.
Scrambled eggs and malawach make for a filling breakfast
I tasted my friend’s egg sandwich too, which he pronounced “really, really good” through a mouthful of malawach. I agreed. He raved about the acai bowl, topped with banana, granola, and almonds, but my green smoothie filled my healthy food quota for the meal. Maybe I’ll be won over by the wonders of purple goo another day.
My friend loved his acai bowl, and I had to admit it was beautiful
The place was packed when I returned for dinner with my kid. We nabbed the last two seats in the house and dug into a fried-food extravaganza: sweet potato fries, regular fries, plain falafel balls and chicken schnitzel. I tried to make her eat a vegetable, but they were out of her favorite Brussels sprouts and she wouldn’t touch the pickled red cabbage that came on the schnitzel platter. I happily devoured it, along with the tomato and cucumber salad. We both reached for the last bite of schnitzel just as I began to regret overdoing the fried stuff.
I think I could have persuaded my heir to try one of the salads: quinoa and arugula with toasted almonds, chickpeas, and feta or the kale and spinach with avocado, cranberries, and roasted sunflower seeds. What’s wrong with me?
Now that I’ve recovered from my grease overdose, I’m kicking myself for not trying the goat cheese and honey malawach for dessert—but I’ll be back.
Batata Pita Bar, 3021 Fort Hamilton Parkway, Brooklyn, NY 11218; 347.599.1260; www.batatabk.com