"“This summer, when it finally felt kind of okay for me to leave my flat, I became a semi-regular at Balady. Week after week, I drove to Temple Fortune and sat outside this busy takeaway with a book. While I always ordered the cauliflower (because anyone who goes here must always order the cauliflower) my other choices varied. Sometimes I’d get the sabich, and sometimes I’d get a merguez in lafa from Balady Alaesh, their sister restaurant next door. But it’s their falafel pita that became my go-to. It’s stuffed with hummus, salad, pickles, beets, carrots, cauliflower, fiery zhug, tahina and amba, and served as a glorious weekly reminder that there might well be a time, one day soon, when we get to share food like this with all the people we love once again.” - OF" - oliver feldman, heidi lauth beasley, jake missing, rianne shlebak