Foxy Falafel forks over fantastic food

Erica Strait's journey from farmers' market to food truck to Middle Eastern restaurant

Comments (0) By Emily Weiss Wednesday, Sep 26 2012

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Alma Guzman

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Foxy Falafel

791 Raymond Ave.
St Paul, MN 55114

Category: Restaurant > Middle Eastern

Region: Macalester/Groveland

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Menu items $4-$9.50

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Foxy has a couple of sides to help bulk up your vegetable intake and turn your mains into more of a meal, since portions, while totally reasonable, are somewhat moderate. The side of marinated beets came brightly dressed with a heavy dose of coriander and were a welcome alternative to chips or other familiar carbs. We also marveled over the springy-light quinoa salad, which changes with the seasons. This one featured sprigs of mint, a little feta cheese, and sweet slices of melon. What you should really spring for is the pickle plate, which is great to snack on while you wait for your food, but even better to put on top of your sandwich or salad. Thin slices of pink pickled onion, snappy pickled green beans, relishy rounds of zucchini, and even regular ol' kosher dills added a bit of acid and a lot of interest to our food. They also made us long for a fancy bloody Mary, which might not be far off in Foxy's future. Strait hinted that once farmers'-market season ends in October, the brick-and-mortar store will look into adding Sunday brunch. Beet hash? Savory chickpea pancakes? Eggs Benedict with a pita base and that delightful goat cheese sauce? These are just free ideas, people.

Though historically, this particular location has proved to be a hurdle for some of the other restaurants that came before it (Caribe, Chet's), Strait's fast-casual, quick-turnover model and to-go fare already seem like they're much better suited for the space. Though we were always able to get a table, the line at the counter never seemed to slow to a halt, and that's a promising thing for a new business. Walking away with Saran-wrapped, gluten-free molasses-ginger and lemon-thyme cookies in hand, I felt full, virtuous, and very happy to know that we have this local business owner who saw so much potential in the humble chickpea, and a local community that seems to see so much potential in her business.