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Georgios Nassos
Prof. Spitler Lawson
English 113B
3 April 2016
Final Draft of Project Space
Word Count: 1,621
More Than Just Food
Virginia Woolf once said One cannot think well, love well, sleep well if one has not dined
well. Food is within our basic needs for survival but it also has the ability to trigger several
emotions within us. It can affect our mood and alert our senses. Take us to different places yet
bring us closer together. Make us feel content yet energized. It can also serve as a live testimony
of a countrys cultural and national characteristics. Falafel Palace or else the Mediterranean
version of Chipotle as some call it, is located at 9255 Reseda Blvd in Northridge, CA. While the
concept is indeed similar, comparing it with Chipotle would definitely be an understatement if
not an insult. More than just a place for food, it is amongst few restaurants that add and represent
the Greek and Middle Eastern element within the broader area of Los Angeles. A small milestone
that somehow contributes in its own way to the manifestation of a vastly multicultural and
multinational environment. For the simple reason that, Falafel Palace brings effortlessly a breath
of fresh Mediterranean air into the busy streets of Northridge familiarizing people with Greek
and Middle Eastern culture and cuisine while providing its costumers with a healthier diet.
Before we go any further with the particulars of the restaurant, at this point, Id like to
share with you how I found out about the place.
The first time I laid eyes upon Falafel Palace was by sheer luck while I was driving

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towards my school. In all honesty, at first glance I didnt think all that much about it. Still, you
cant really miss it. Thats probably because on the outside its painted with a loud red/ bordeaux
color which probably serves as a good attention getter to lure costumers in, or a smart make up
for a missing sign waiver or simply as a testimony of bad taste. In any case, it doesnt do the
place any justice. Nonetheless, what really caught my eye wasnt its paint job nor its tall
Americanized ugly looking sign with the name of the restaurant in yellow font- far from that. All
these became minor details at the sight of yet another sign of the same size right across the first
one and right above the main entrance of the restaurant reading GYROS with capital letters.
Given Im Greek seeing the Greek word gyros (which basically means marinated meat) in Los
Angeles was definitely a big surprise and a reason to reminisce and maybe rejoice the Greek
flavors and scents. While I was driving I got skeptic and for a moment I wondered if what they
claimed to be a Greek recipe actually tasted like one. Would it be the same as back home? Is it
the real deal? As you can imagine, there was only one way to find out. I ended up feeding my
curiosity and most certainly my appetite to the point where Ive become a regular costumer.
Surprisingly, Falafel Palace not only met my initial standards but exceeded them. It was better
than I ever hoped itd be and what is definitely worth mentioning is the fact that they have
managed to blend tastefully and smoothly the Greek with the Middle-Eastern cuisine. The reason
why Im mentioning this is because many others share pretty much the same views after their
first visit at Falafel Palace. Yet, in all modesty my Greek origin makes my opinion a lot more
credible.
Its amongst few restaurants that leave you with the lasting impression that you will check
back in again soon.
Falafel Palace is convenient and easily accessible. Right outside of the building you will

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find plenty of parking spots for automobiles as well as for bicycles ;if you are planning to cycle
to the restaurant. Mans best friend is also admitted in the house since Falafel Palace is a petfriendly destination. The entire menu is based on the worlds healthiest diet; the Mediterranean.
Its quick staff serves the food fast and hot making it ideal for lunch breaks. All within a
comfortable and laid back environment that doesnt require any type of dress-code. Everything
on the menu is priced reasonably granting great value for money altogether.
As you walk in through the always open and inviting entrance door you are immediately
greeted by the welcoming staff and oriented in line to place your order. The rhythmic sound of
Greek music playing softly in the background sets the tone and creates the illusion that you
actually entered a restaurant of the same kind in Greece. Next to the cashier youll find a glass
display of fresh ingredients, behind it sits the spotless open kitchen layered in stainless-steel
where all orders are freshly and promptly made by the kind and hard working staff. The
simplicity of the printed menu that hangs above from the ceiling makes it easier to make up your
mind and place your order. There are free samples for pretty much everything on the menu so
you know what you're getting into beforehand. Youll be in for a short trip to Greece if you order
a souvlaki which is pita bread filled with a mix of beef and lamp meat, lettuce, grilled or raw
onions, tomato and cucumber sauce that comes on the side. Thats by far my personal favorite.
The recipe is simple and easy to execute but the plates popularity lies in its fresh hand picked
ingredients.
Without a doubt, Falafel Palace wouldnt be the same if not for a specific component. As a
matter of fact, it wouldnt even be named the same way. Of course, that special ingredient which
along with their gyros sign the recipe of the restaurants lifelong success is non other than its
famous falafel. Falafel is made from beans which are freshly prepared by the staff after soaking

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them in water for 24 hours. It goes without saying that they could purchase their beans canned
and relieve themselves of all trouble. But the fact that they prepare the beans themselves is what
makes all the difference. For dessert, their renowned baklava is amongst the most gratifying
choices.
Finally, Its flexible menu offers a variety of options and the ability to customize your meal
to your preference which guarantees a personal gastronomical experience.
The restaurant is surrounded with windows thus filled with natural light. The interior walls
are painted beige while the square tiled flooring is colored with a dark shade of red. Brown solidwood tables and chairs fill the dinning area with small flower arrangements of red roses laying
gently atop. At the front of the building an outdoor sitting area with additional chairs and tables
is also available when the weather allows it. If you care about your clothes smelling afterwards
you will surely admire its extractor fan and the overall ventilation system that efficiently
prevents the propagation of unwanted odors. While everything is cooked on spot it doesnt smell
like barbecue compared to most grill restaurants.
In truth, Falafel Palace is a pretty expensive restaurant based on Greek standards. To be
more specific, to get the pre-mentioned souvlaki at Falafel Palace youll have to pay somewhere
between 10 to 12 dollars. For exactly the same end result in Greece you would pay 2,66 dollars.
This is almost six times more the original price and you can rest assured that restaurant owners in
Greece charging as much as 2,66 dollars per souvlaki (which is equivalent to 2,50 euros) already
make a profit for themselves. That being said the owners of Falafel Palace make up to 600% of
clear gross profit from a single souvlaki compared to the average business owner that sells
souvlaki in Greece. However, to be absolutely fair, comparing prices between different markets
is an unrealistic approach. When the scenery changes it is almost certain that a lot of variables

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will change with it. For example, Greek restaurateurs are faced with much higher competition.
Finding a souvlaki joint in Greece is the same as looking for Starbucks in the U.S. There is one
in every corner. As a result, the laws of supply and demand are forcing them to keep their prices
low in order to have any chance at being competitive let alone profitable and remain in-business.
Fun fact: the same applies for sushi in Japan.
On the other hand, the owners of Falafel Palace hold virtually a monopoly and have little to
worry about competition showing up anytime soon. Which encourages them to keep their prices
at a certain level. Interestingly, for American standards their price range is normal. At end,
Falafel Palace is neither more nor less expensive than any other restaurant in the same category
in Northridge.
Above all, Falafel Palace is a well established business that has been around since the early
70s naturalizing people with Greek and Middle-Eastern cuisine and fundamentally gaining their
trust for almost fifty years. This is definitely an extraordinary accomplishment for a family
owned business based on exotic cuisine.
If you become a regular youll notice that every time you walk into the restaurant youll
end up seeing familiar faces. That wont necessarily be its cheering and embracive staff but the
returning costumers who seem to revisit the restaurant almost religiously. From a realistic and
pragmatic point of view Falafel Palace fits all the criteria of a legitimate fast food joint.
However, its exquisite and healthy cuisine, the personalized experience costumers receive from
start to finish and its distinct cultural identity are the basic components that elevate and
ultimately distigniguish Falafel Palace from every other restaurant in that category.