Gone but not Forgotten
Requiem for a Meal
Proto-Fast Casual
A piece of wax paper, a few fries, and the memory of the taste of tahini were all that was left as we finished a final meal on closing day for Amsterdam Falafel. Tucked along the Adams Morgan 18th Street strip for nearly 20 years, Amsterdam served fast-casual decades before the term was invented.
Lunchtime and late-night diners were transported to the ’Dam with the place’s authentically gritty vibe and racy photos on the walls. Fluffy white and wheat pitas filled with perfectly made falafel, placed in a wax paper cone, were made to order in the tiny upstairs space. Amazingly, the delicious array of toppings was self-serve. Double-dipping was aggressively policed, but you could load up your pita with as much as you could fit.
Grabbing a falafel on the walk home from work or as a post-Little League game treat with my son, I loved to pack pickled beets, roasted cauliflower, hummus, and chili flakes in the pita and sneak some extra salads in the cone to eat with a tiny wooden fork.
Amsterdam Falafel closed in 2023, leaving all of us hungry for more.
We invite readers to submit their own nostalgic remembrances of meals with loved ones or places gone-by to info@edibledc.com. Selected pieces will be edited for length and style. Writers will receive a complimentary annual subscription to Edible DC
Invitations to
Our next issue will be out in early June to get the summer underway. Look for our definitive guide to Farmers’ Markets in the DMV. We’ll travel to coastal Italy and back to feast on clean elegantly prepared cuisine with the team at Ama, share what we’re learning about Food as Medicine, scream about ice cream, give you the run-down on some high-tech home composters and share the perfect backyard barbecue menu.