on the side streets of new york

Gyro 96 — 141 East 96th StreetAs Waled Haredy, owner of Gyro 96, asserted, “good food doesn’t need to be expensive. Good food doesn’t need a reservation. Good food just needs love.” When Waled was growing up in Egypt, his mother once gave him money to go out and buy himself a meal. Deciding on the local falafel stand, Waled gave his money to the seller and asked him to put in whatever ingredients he had. And so, at nine years old, when Waled tasted a wrap filled with deep fried chickpea balls, hummus, eggplant, fries, tomato, pickles, cilantro, hard boiled eggs and tahini sauce, his childlike imagination could only dream up one name for the dish: The Rocket. Today, that is one of the many inventive foods served at this tiny space on 96th Street.

To read more, visit Manhattan Sideways (sideways.nyc), created by Betsy Bober Polivy.