Although Northridge lies outside my everyday eating radius, I recently made the trip for the grand opening of Get Shaved’s store. With dessert covered, the big question was, “What to eat for dinner?” Opting to try something new (sorry, Brent’s), J and I settled on Pita Pockets.
Located in an unsuspecting strip mall, the casual, family-run Pita Pockets serves Israeli food including pitas, kebabs, falafel and babaghanoosh. After seeing the size of the portions, I wasn’t sure just how “healthy” my meal would be, but so long as it was “fast,” “homemade” and “delicious,” I was happy.
Here, a member of the Pita Pockets staff makes fresh laffa, a pillowy, chewy pita which is very popular in Israel and is one of the restaurant’s most popular items.
Pita Pockets also roasts its own meat. Check out the two spits behind this employee.
For those who would like to munch while waiting for their food (*raises hand*), there is a big bowl of crispy laffa near the register. The combination of a delightful crunch and light salting kept me more than happy while waiting for my dinner.
J’s lamb kebab plate ($10.56) came with fries, salad, hummus and pita and was much larger than we had expected. Unfortunately, however, what the plate provided in quantity, it lacked in quality. The lamb was overcooked and almost rubbery, and the hummus, although clearly fresh, was disappointingly bland.
Like J’s plate, my shawarma laffa ($7.75) was also jumbo-sized. Here it is compared to the pita. I was tempted to take a picture holding it up to my head for scale.
Unlike J’s plate, however, my shawarma laffa was delicious. Jam-packed with chicken straight from the spit, vegetables, rice and tahini sauce, the laffa was akin to an Israeli burrito. The cool tahini sauce and veggies paired nicely with the spice of the meat, and I found myself eating as though someone was going to take it away from me if I didn’t quickly stuff it down my face. The fluffy, chewy laffa is the perfect wrap for this; the whole thing would fall apart with any other wrap.
Although the lamb plate was disappointing, the laffa was a delight and truly saved the night; there was enough food for me to get full, share with J and have leftovers for the next day’s lunch.
Pita Pockets
9127 Reseda Blvd.
Northridge, CA 91324
(818) 709-4444
Noms Not Bombs 