What I Found in My (Pita) Pocket

?You?ve got to try Pita Joe,? Pete told me, week after week. Pete Blumenthal and I have spent years after school on the P.S. 75 playground, sometimes talking about our kids, but mainly talking about food. And while I trust his instincts, I wondered what could be so special about yet another falafel joint. Well, Pita Joe is not your ?average Joe? of falafel joints. For one thing, it?s a strange mix of German, Middle Eastern, Mediterranean and Indian tastes stuffed in whole wheat or white pitas. What Pete loves so much is the ?Joe Schnitzel,? a cracker-thin, crisp, yet moist, chicken cutlet slathered with Joe?s ?secret breadcrumb blend? ($5/half), but I was more intrigued by the ?Purple Joe? ($4/half): grilled eggplant rounds nestled with hard-boiled egg, sliced fresh off the mandolin, hummus and a refreshing Israeli salad of tomato and cuke cubes. To make the experience even more weirdly wonderful, spritz ?Amba? into your Purple Joe. Amba is a tangy Indian mango pickle condiment, and it is actually a traditional element of the ?sabich,? the fried eggplant and egg sandwich Iraqi Jews traditionally ate on Shabbat mornings. Oh, if only countries could get along as well as the elements in a Pita Joe pocket. -- Pita Joe 2 W. 14th St. (at Fifth Avenue) 212-627-7877 Got a snack attack to share? Contact NBrand@aol.com