Can you conceive and open a restaurant in Center City Philadelphia under the radar?

Michael Solomonov and Steve Cook have pulled it off.

About two months after they and their Federal Donuts partners opened Rooster Soup Co. downstairs at 1526 Sansom St., they are opening Goldie, a vegan, Israeli-style falafel shop serving three core menu items made to order: falafel, french fries, and tehina shakes. Its opening will be 11 a.m. Saturday, April 1.

Fittingly April Foolingly, an associate of the fun-loving partners sent me a cryptic video (below) hinting obliquely at the impending opening.

The 20-seat Goldie as a diminutive of gold (the translation of Zahav, their Israeli restaurant) has cafe tables and a stand-up counter. It will offer dine-in and takeout daily from 11 a.m. till the final pita is sold.

Cook said he and Solomonov, who also have the hummus-centric Dizengoff a block away, have been toying around with a falafel restaurant since Zahavs 2008 opening. As at Diz, the idea is to focus on one dish to make it the best.

They were inspired by the falafel shop Falafel Devorah in Karkur, just outside of Hadera. Goldies falafel combines ground chickpeas, aromatics, herbs, and a spice blend (cumin, onion, parsley, and cilantro) created by Lior Sercarz of La Boite spice shop in New York City.

Veteran CookNSolo chef Caitlin McMillans menu includes the falafel sandwich on a Dizengoff-baked pita ($7) with tehina, chopped salad, and cabbage and topped to order with amba, harissa, or schug condiments; a falafel salad ($9); fries ($3) with spices including shawarma spice, Shabazi spice from La Boite, and zaatar; and tehina shakes ($4) - vegan milkshakes that combine a base of tehina (ground sesame seeds) with flavorings like turkish coffee with halva, chocolate with Israeli Kedem tea biscuit, and coconut with rose. Sour cherry iced tea and jarritos are among the drinks.

Besides Goldie, Zahav, Dizengoffs here and in New York, and stakes in Rooster Soup Co. and Federal Donuts, Solomonov and Cook own Abe Fisher.

Photo: Michael Persico.

Published: March 31, 2017 5:33 PM EDT | Updated: March 31, 2017 6:40 PM EDT

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Original post:

Goldie: A vegan falafel shop in Center City from CookNSolo - Philly.com (blog)