When my fiancé and I met, he was living in Chicago and I was here in Milwaukee, a situation that sometimes made for long, lonely weeks, but that also opened the doors for a dual citizenship of sorts when the weekends rolled around. The start of each new week brought with it the choice to remain in Brew City or hop the Megabus down to the Windy one.
The best part of the long-distance portion of our relationship was exploring a different city without feeling like a tourist. Sure, we did the Willis Tower (back when it was called Sears) and the MCA on its free day early on, but it wasn't too long before we stopped trying to make everything an official "date" and just had fun.
It was around this time that I discovered Sultan's Market. The Middle Eastern deli in Wicker Park (there's also another in Lincoln Park) is the perfect storm of fast, affordable and, most importantly, incredibly delicious. With a gigantic warm, fluffy pita stuffed to the brim with fresh falafel, hummus, Jerusalem salad and hot sauce and a few stuffed grape leaves on the side, Saturday afternoon never tasted so good. I especially love how they stick the two end pieces of pita they cut off right into the sandwich.
All these years, I've longed for a Sultan's experience at home. That's not to say I don't love many of the falafel offerings in Milwaukee; I do, and I eat them constantly. But it wasn't until discovering the relatively new Sahara Café, 4125 S. Howell Ave., that I even considered there to be real local competition for what I considered "the best falafel sandwich on earth." Sorry, but it's true.
My fiancé claims Sahara's to be the new "best falafel sandwich on earth," and while I'm hesitant to announce such a bold statement (apparently I take my falafel very seriously), here's why he's got ample arguments for his case.
For one, the sandwich is huge. But, as we all know, size isn't everything, so I'll go on. Theirs is the first one I've eaten that has come toasted, a rare technique that results in a slight exterior crunch while maintaining a warm middle filled with plenty of homemade falafel, cucumbers, tomatoes, hummus, and -- the best part -- hot sauce. Finally!
I also appreciate how easy it is to eat. Unlike most varieties, the mighty Sultan's included, Sahara's isn't overly sloppy. It strikes a delectable balance between drippy and dry.
Sahara Café is great, not matter how long our falafel feud continues. It's a simple stand on the South Side with authentic Mediterranean fare for delivery, carry-out or dine-in on its patio. There's not much room for indoor seating, so hit it up while it's still hot and chime in to tell me if you think their falafel stands up as the fairest in the land.
OnMilwaukee.com staff writer Julie Lawrence grew up in Wauwatosa and has lived her whole life in the Milwaukee area.
As any “word nerd” can attest, you never know when inspiration will strike, so from a very early age Julie has rarely been seen sans pen and little notebook. At the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee it seemed only natural that she major in journalism. When OnMilwaukee.com offered her an avenue to combine her writing and the city she knows and loves in late 2004, she knew it was meant to be. Around the office, she answers to a plethora of nicknames, including “Lar,” (short for “Larry,” which is short for “Lawrence”) as well as the mysteriously-sourced “Bill Murray.”
