On the Street Pitas does wholesome and delicious food really well, and they manage to do so really simply. What began for the owners as vending at music festivals to cover the expenses of touring eventually turned into their permanent location in Ithaca on South Fulton Street, adjacent to West State Street. They also have food trucks that travel to both the Ithaca and Trumansburg Farmers Markets, and a vendor in the Ithaca Commons. The atmosphere at the permanent location is fun and no frills. There’s room to sit down inside and outside, but most of the space is dedicated to food preparation that happens in clear view of the customers. When you’re not watching your food being made, you can gaze up and admire the map-covered ceiling, read featured articles hung on the wall, and look to see if they have any of their homemade baklava available. My experience is that you won’t have to wait long – food preparation at both their farmers market stand and their permanent location has always happened for me quickly and efficiently.
The author enjoys a dolmade from On the Street Pitas at a park in Ithaca.
Gyros, pitas, falafel, salads, dolmades (stuffed grape leaves) and curly fries make up the bulk of the menu. I love the falafel pita, which consists of hot falafel, onions, tomato, cucumbers, greens, tahini and/or tzatziki sauce, feta cheese, olives, and peppers. So good and fresh! Once you’ve chosen all your ingredients, you have a warm pita piled high with crisp veggies. I eat the meal as a salad at first until the consistency is right for me to fold the pita in half and eat it as such, my hands dripping with homemade tzatziki. For me, the falafel and dolmades made the trip more than worthwhile. And, the prices are fair and affordable. If I feel like taking the meal to go, it’s a great one to pack up to eat in a park. “On the Street” is good “On-the-Go.” Above is a picture of me enjoying a dolmade at a park in Ithaca.
by Kathleen Malnati
