Taïm

First, choose your flavor of falafel.

Looming over a side of fries, that's the mildly spiced harissa variety on a whole wheat pita, with hummus, Israeli salad, green cabbage, and tahini sauce (sandwich; $5.25). "Tah-EEM," (Hebrew for "delicious") also prepares these chickpea fritters in roasted-pepper and parsley-cilantro-mint flavors; below, in biteaway view, that's the "green" version on a white pita. As with falafel's Brazilian cousin, acarajé, a crisp shell and a tender interior make for irresistable finger food. Ask for a little amba, a thin pickled mango chutney, to pour on top; you can always get another napkin.

Double-fried shoestrings ($4) are excellent, even without the saffron aioli (included; an extra helping is $1). Smoothie flavors like date-lime-banana, pear-mint-lemon, and strawberry-raspberry-basil ($4.50 each) also wander from the commonplace. I tried the first, with whole milk; the initial impression was banana, until those little bits of date begin working their way up my straw.

Taïm
222 Waverly Pl. (near Seventh Ave.)
212-691-1287