For the Love of Falafel

I have to tell you, I am addicted. To Mediterranean food. YOU ALL. HAVE YOU HAD THIS? No. My Cap lock isn't stuck. That is just how PASSIONATE I am about this food. The hummus and pita bread, the Greek salad, the chicken, the rice, the falafels. Oh my.

So anyway, this addiction has been growing for some time now. My old boss took me to a local Mediterranean place and I was like "Well, I will just try it and see. And took one bite and declared: "THIS! This is exactly what I want to eat ALL. THE. TIME." After that trip I took my best work friend Kristin there, and she was like "Well... we can give it a go, and then also proclaimed "THIS!! ALL. THE. TIME!" And since then we have scheduled a date at the little place every few weeks.

Well, then our local wonderful little shop decided to close down for SIX WEEKS. You all. Who does that? What independent restaurant just closes shop for summer to go visit family in Greece? Apparently these people do. So Kristin and I have been counting down the days until we can once again go back.

Now in this six week break a new girl started at work. We had talked about taking her out to lunch, so when it was time to go back to Mediterranean we decided this shall be her welcome lunch. She said something along the lines of being a picky eater, to which Kristin and I ignored entirely because the FALAFELS were back! We told her not to fear it, EMBRACE it. I comfortingly told her that this isn't like Thai or Indian, this is very basic. Grilled chicken, rice, Greek salad. You can't go wrong! My comparision to Thai or Indian did nothing to sooth her. She mentioned she is a burger girl. And you all... we knew it was wrong. This was her welcome lunch! We should... you know... let her pick where we eat. But the falafels and hummus blinded us.

So yesterday four of us from the lab headed to the perfect Mediteranian place. I first started to feel guilty when the new girl only ordered one piece of plain Pita bread. But still! I knew I could convert her! We talked her into trying some Hummus. She dipped the tiniest bit of her pita in and took a bite. I question if she could really taste it much at all. It did not go over well. Then we told her to take a bite of falafel. as soon as she saw the green interior her face was horrified. She took one little bite went back to her plain pita. I think I said "Try this!! It's SO GOOD!" about a dozen times. And every single time I could feel myself becoming a little more annoying to her. I COULD NOT let it go. I was like a mom of a toddler (Heh) saying "If you just TRY it you will LIKE IT!" But she did not. Not at all. She was nice and we had great conversations, but when we left I had to admit that she couldn't have possibly been happy with her 'Welcome to the Lab' lunch.

I do feel a little guilty, but not too much. I ate nearly the entire order of Falafels we ordered her on top of my own meal. Still, I am thinking she should get a do over on the welcome meal. Maybe Applesbees....or INDIAN!