Le Former Falafel Joint

Le Gamin
W 15th Street, Chelsea

I swear it used to be a falafel joint. When I lived at 241 I'd occasionally grab one to go. A falafel seemed healthier than the slice down the street.

Now it's a teeny French sibling of the one on 9th and 21st, where you can nurse a cafe au lait with the stack of magazines and newspaper.

No liquor license, so I had to go to 7th Avenue and fetch a bottle of cotes-du-rhone.

The frites were crisp, the salad dressing was ideal acidity, the croque monsieur padded with too much melty cheese. The ratatouille tasted like vegetables marinated in oil, but the buckwheat crepe was perfect.