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Rami's, Brookline, MA, tasted on  July 25, 2004 — The venerable falafel stand is a staple of many a street corner in Israel. Israeli falafel is made mostly of chickpeas, unlike Arab falafel which has an emphasis on fava beans. Sometimes the two are mixed. I like both kinds, but I prefer the Israeli falafel. Not as much because of its chickpea basis, but because of its size. The Israeli falafel is typically smaller than its arab counterpart. I think that's part of why I like it better. But one of the best parts of the Israeli falafel stand is the dazzling array of salads that line the counter over which you place your order. In some establishments there are a handful - pickled cucumbers, marinated onions, some tahini, etc. But in the best there are dozens - all manner of pickled items, chopped salads, and delicious sauces. And the best part is that you sit there eating your falafel (or shawarma) sandwich and every time you eat a layer of your sandwich you build it back up again with generous portions of the various salads and sauces. I'm no size queen but you do end up eating almost twice the original volume of your sandwich with the constant salad replenishment. When the falafel is good and the salad/sauce selection is wide and fresh, life can be very happy indeed.

Unfortunately, Rami's in Brookline Massachusetts forgoes the help yourself salad bar for your falafel or shawarma. But given that they are one of the most authentic Israeli falafel establishments in the United States with very little competition in the country (and probably none in Boston) maybe they don't need to compete by offering unlimited salads. (Not sure, but the health department may also have an issue with people ladling more salad onto their half-eaten sandwich. Not in the middle east, but that's a different story.)

Rami's is awesome. A super selection of Israeli salads to complement very authentic falafel and shawarma. The sandwiches are simply huge. Maybe too big. The fries were pretty good as well - crispy, fresh, and flavorful. Two of the sauces in particular were quite good. The "schug" hot sauce was sharp and fresh, but the amba was even better (I found a recipe here). It's a mango sauce with an almost sweet, but somewhat bitter, tiny spicy flavor. It was delicious. I poured buckets of it onto my sandwich as I ate. All of these ingredients as well as the crispy brine pickles found themselves nestled in very soft pitas (which I particularly enjoy).

Rami's is street food with super fresh quality ingredients, a healthy does of cleanliness,and a line of people to the door who know that if you want authentic Israeli falafel, crisp, fresh, and soft on the inside with an array of delicious salads and sauces, this is the place to be.