(upbeat music)
- You guys know on Chicago's Best we like to check out
every angle of the restaurants we feature.
Well, thanks to the 360 surround view camera
with bird's eye perspective on the RAM 1500,
we get to do just the same when we're parking.
And now it's time to go check out
Norman's favorite Middle Eastern market.
Back in the '80s this was just a small little market.
- Yes. - Now, you guys have expanded.
- [Hisham] Yes.
- You've pushed through the walls, you've pushed open
the boundaries here in Andersonville.
- Yes, from Ashland to Clark.
- From Foster to-- - To the alley.
- One other alleyway plus Foster.
- I love coming to the market,
it's such a wonderful place to grab little odds and ends,
things that I didn't even know I needed.
- And there's tons of little amenities like candies
and all sorts of things.
- I've been in the neighborhood for 15 years,
I've been getting hummus from here for that long.
- If you're a foodie you can get lost over there.
- [Elliott] We got the market, what else do we have here?
- The market and the cafe.
We do the pita bread, we do the pies,
everything from scratch, daily you know.
- [Elliott] The hummus is made fresh daily?
- Daily.
- [Elliott] The falafels are made fresh daily?
- Daily.
- The pitas are made fresh daily?
- The falafel made when you order it.
(upbeat music)
- Their falafel is excellent, super fluffy,
really flavorful and well-spiced.
- Crispy on the outside, but light on the inside.
- A fresh taste to it
regardless of the fact that it's fried.
- It's got a little bit of spice, little kick to it.
- Just bit into this falafel and said wow,
this is good falafel.
- What makes you Chicago's Best?
- Well, Chicago's a great city
and you know when you come you have friends,
you have people you know, you stay,
you establish your business,
and just, we feel relaxed in Chicago.
- You know what I just realized?
This may be the first description as to why he thinks
Chicago is the best place to run a business.
- How we look? - How do we look guys?
How does Hisham look?
- I didn't do my makeup yet.
- You didn't do your makeup yet?
- How is it?
- Well clearly I didn't do my makeup either.
Love this guy. - Love this.
- We're gonna have fun! - Yeah, yeah.
- Let's go make some falafel. - Yeah!
- All right! - Yeah!
Make the falafel.
(upbeat music)
- You can't make falafel without some chickpeas.
- Put the chickpeas here. - Okay.
This is what gives us our great flavor inside that.
- Yes. - Inside that falafel.
- [Hisham] This contains parsley,
onions, garlic and jalapeno.
Beautiful.
- We are beautiful, right. - Yes, Chicago.
- Chicago is beautiful too.
- Yeah, I know that. - You guys are beautiful.
- Hisham wants you guys to all know
you're very beautiful too. - Yes, yes.
- How beautiful do they look today?
- Ah look at that.
This is coriander seeds.
You can put half, just half.
- My producer Emma is gonna press the button.
(all laughing)
Because we have the machine the wrong way round.
- Beautiful smell. - Oh yeah.
You smell great too. - Sure, thank you.
- [Elliott] These people smell great as well.
- [Hisham] Yeah, excellent, we love Chicago.
- [Elliott] We do!
- [Hisham] I will never move from Chicago!
- All right, Emma do you wanna hit that button?
- This we put falafel mix, you put some red crushed pepper.
- Chicago, let's get spicy! - Sesame seeds.
- [Elliott] How do we look, does this look good consistency?
- [Hisham] Yeah, no, it's excellent.
- That's excellent? - Ah, very good.
- [Elliott] If it's perfect, Hisham,
then my work here is done.
- Is done, beautiful, as you and the mezze
it's going to be done from this falafel.
- He's gonna do a mezze plate, I'm gonna shop.
- Yes. - It's that simple.
Tell them they're beautiful.
- You are beautiful.
- Quinoa, 'cause I need to feed the birds outside.
(upbeat music)
- I wanna bite right in. - Yeah, bite.
Good falafel! - Yeah, it's good.
- Beautiful falafel.
Look at how you are eating, you're smiling too!
You can't help but smile. - Yeah I'm smiling!
There is so much juiciness in that falafel.
Rather than talking about
why you think the city is beautiful,
why don't you tell me why you are Chicago's Best?
- My providing the very healthy, beautifully,
freshly-made food to my customers to show Chicago people.
- And this mezze plate is just the beginning of the amazing
things you will find inside here.
My work here is done, falafel for life.