Most of my eateries on this trip were chosen based on the menu or reviews, and then I found activities that placed us in the right part of the city to pop in for a meal. But there were a few cases where the activity was the top priority. We planned to spend a morning exploring the Metropolitan Museum of Art and then an afternoon in Central Park – those two locations are right next to each other, so we needed an eatery that wasn’t too far away.
So, we fuelled up at Tamam, a small and casual eatery close to both of those locations (about a 10 minute walk each way). It had limited seating inside but a few outdoor tables (under shelter, so you are not totally at the mercy of the elements). You order at the counter and it’s fast food, so it’s all very quick and easy.
Dr HH was the only one of us hungry enough for a full meal after a huge bagel breakfast, and he went for this sabich. Sabich is a bit of rarity for us, so this was definitely a tempting option. Look at that big aubergine slice! This was messy and a bit of a challenge to tackle, but he raved about the flavour.
Mother HH got some falafel, which is not pictured but it was very herby and crispy, and that’s exactly what you want. I got a side portion of shawarma cauliflower, which was perfectly tender and well seasoned – I wasn’t hungry, but I wish I’d had room for another pot.
Falafel fast-food places tend to be a bit of a classic backup option for vegans on the go, and you never know if you’re going to get a genuinely good spot or a more average one where the convenience is the only real benefit. This was definitely one of the better falafel spots I’ve visited on holiday, with genuinely tasty food.
As for the museum, it was incredible! We spent hours in the Asian sections and then looking at the Impressionist art, only to realise our whole morning was gone, our legs were getting tired, and we’d barely even covered one small section on the museum map. Missing out on the American art was a shame.
Planning half a day for the museum was definitely not enough. But a whole day in a museum feels like a lot too, so who knows? Ultimately, we made sure to see the things that most interested us first and we know we can see the rest if we’re lucky enough to visit again one day.
Have you ever managed a full day in a museum? What’s the best falafel spot you’ve visited on your travels?
Herbivores' Heaven 
My mother would get museum memberships for the Met. We would get there right when it opened then, eat at the museum, then stay till 1-2 before heading back home via train. It’s so big that we always had new things to see.
Good thing you did the research before hand because there isn’t any restaurants lining central park for the most part (especially near the met) I’ve had friends say they would “just walk around” till they find something, and I have to explain they need to go in a block or two first.
Your mum sounds well organised! We were thinking it would be nice to have a ticket that was valid for a few days, so tourists could pop in and out when the itinerary allowed it. In the last few years I’ve found most museums tend to really push the timed entrance tickets though, so I’m not sure that kind of idea would work any more in the post-pandemic world.