A falafel sandwich at Pita Cafe, $6. (DNAinfo/Alisa Hauser)
WICKER PARK — Another spot to enjoy a falafel sandwich nestled in pita bread has opened in Wicker Park, though the 45-seat Pita Cafe also offers healthy salads, grilled meat entrees and fresh-squeezed fruit juices.
At the northwest corner of Damen Avenue and Division Street —and just across the way from Shawarma Garden — Pita Cafe replaces Cavalini Menswear, a suit shop that closed in 2013.
"We are happy to be open finally and to bring something different to the neighborhood. I hope when people look at our menu they will see we are not just only falafel," said owner Majdee Yahya, whose father, Nader "Danny" Yahya, also owns the neighboring D & D Food and Liquor at 2009 W. Division St.
Chef Yoni Abdallah, who previously worked at a Middle Eastern grill on the Far South Side, is originally from Jerusalem and oversees four workers in Pita Cafe's kitchen.
The 31-year-old chef said lamb shawarma, an entree made with sliced lamb and turkey and served with grilled vegetables and rice ($13), is his favorite dish to eat as well as prepare.
"It feels good when you make healthy food. People like it more when they know it is better for them," Abdallah said
At $6, Abdallah's falafel sandwich is generously stuffed with fried chickpeas, hummus and pickles. Other sandwiches include chicken kabobs, mixed vegetables and chicken and lamb shawarma, all $7.
Fresh carrot-based fruit juices, made onsite, are $3.99. Seven varieties of salads include a grilled eggplant salad and Middle Eastern standbys tabbouleh and fattoush, ranging between $5-$7.
Tabbouleh salad, made with chopped parsley, bulgar wheat, mint, lemon, olive oil, tomatoes and lettuce (DNAinfo/Alisa Hauser)
Pita Cafe's entry joins many other Middle Eastern joints in the area, including Mish Grill, which opened in October at 1413 N. Ashland Ave., about two blocks north of the Polish Triangle and Tarboush Mediterranean Grill at 1608 W. North Ave., which opened in September.
Some longer established eateries include the neighboring Shawarma Garden, at 1951 W. Division St., Sultan's Market at 2057 W. North Ave., which has been open since the 1990s, and Falafel & Grill at 1317 N. Milwaukee. Ave., which opened in 2011.
Pita Cafe, 2014 W. Division St. Visit Pita Cafe's Facebook page for updates. Ph: 872-802-0992.
For more neighborhood news, listen to DNAinfo Radio here:
