Fine Falafel at Oasis Cafe in the Chicago Loop
Diamonds may be a girl’s best friend, but for this hungry reviewer, nothing puts a glint in this serious eater’s eye like roast meat on a spit. I know because this afternoon I ignored a pharaoh’s ransom of gold and diamonds and ran straight for a rotating sizzling hunk of golden chicken schwarma.
Never having worked downtown, what I don’t know about Chicago Loop lunch could fill a handful of blog entries, and so I had to rely on my best friend Aamir, a regular Windy City skyscraper denizen, when we met for lunch today. Aamir is so discriminating and enthusiastic an eater that I’m pretty sure he’s the only non-pork eating person in the world that I’d still trust with the responsibility of feeding me well.
Aamir guided me through the dreary drizzle of a day, under the rusty girders of the elevated train tracks, and shuttled me in to the Jewelers Mall, a co-operative of jewelers hawking rows upon rows of anything that gleams. The shiniest thing though is the Oasis Café, a tiny lunch counter in the back of the mall. If you ever saw the episode of Anthony Bourdain’s No Reservations where he goes to a café by the Rungis market where all the hard working blood-spattered butchers chow after a shift, Oasis is kind of like that, except instead of meat-merchants, you’re surrounded by Rolex salesman.
In addition to the schwarma spit, there’s griddled kebabs, roast chicken, and all manner of Middle-Eastern delicacy. Best of all, most of the selection outfitted with salad and pita provides a full meal for about $5.
Having gorged on a huge burger the night before and endured a case of the meat sweats, I decided to rock it out vegetarian style with the falafel plate. Bottom line: Seldom, except maybe at L'As Du Falafel in Paris, have I had better falafel. The plate was piled high with almost mahogany dark, deep fried chickpea balls. Crack them in half like a fresh doughnut hole and you’re rewarded with a puff of steamy cumin perfume and a coriander-infused, soft, verdant interior. Drizzle with a little tahini and hot sauce and serve. The pita and the salad only get in the way. Having recovered from my meat binge with a little fresh roughage, I look forward to coming back and finally taking a hunk out of that schwarma spit.
Oasis Café
21 N Wabash Avenue, Chicago IL 60602 (b/n E Washington Street and E Madison St; map)
312-558-1058
oasiscafe1.com
About the author: Michael Nagrant writes for Serious Eats from Chicago, where he also publishes Hungry magazine. Michael never met an organ meat he didn't like. He hopes to meet many more.
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7 Comments:
I have plenty of experience eating lunch in the Loop, and I agree that Oasis is one of the best. The place has been around for more than twenty years, serves great, cheap food, is always packed at lunch, yet still remains unknown to most. Why they haven't moved to a storefront remains a mystery.
Daniel Zemans at 3:13PM on 10/30/08
I've been here! I lived in Chicago for 5 years and worked downtown for 1 and this was a favorite. Nice to see it featured. :)
mrsbao at 4:45PM on 10/30/08
This is where I experienced my very first falafel. I loved it.
HappyJack at 5:07PM on 10/30/08
I have to agree with everyone else, the falafel at Oasis are fantastic! Crispy, just the right amount of seasoning, and never dry or chalky. And the workers there are usually really friendly. Once they were behind because of a big pick up order. I ended up having to wait like 10 minutes, which really wasn't a big deal. This guy behind the counter (manager? owner?) was so apologetic he kept handing me falafels while I waited. At first I thought he was only giving me some because it was the last of the bin and he was swapping it out for a new one (and for the record even the "old" ones were tasty), but when the new bin got set down he said "I'm really sorry, I know those weren't fresh. Here, have some more!" By the time I got my food I was stuffed but quite happy. :)
jenl at 8:03PM on 10/30/08
OMG! Earlier this year, I was at a hotel within a couple blocks of this joint. How did I miss it?
emilydev at 8:47PM on 10/30/08
Don't feel bad, emilydev, it's very easy to miss. But too bad you didn't get to try it!
me3dia at 11:25PM on 10/30/08
Any idea if this is affiliated with Oasis Falafel in Iowa City? They have, far and away, the best falafel, and the best hummus I've ever tried.
Rhetor at 11:33PM on 10/30/08