PICK POCKETS,

Sometimes it takes out-of-town visitors to make you appreciate something that's in your own backyard. Such is the case with the cafe called Pick Pockets. A favorite of URI students, this Middle Eastern eatery makes such good falafel that friends from South Carolina and Alabama don't feel they've truly arrived at the Newport Folk Festival until they've chowed down on falafel sandwiches -- from one of two Pick Pockets booths -- at 10:30 in the morning. I, for one, could never get too many falafel, and this place has several other offerings for vegetarians. The falafel is made with ground, cooked chickpeas, then mixed with herbs and spices and deep-fried to a crispness that adds a great texture element to the wraps they inhabit. Long gone are the days when it-was hard to find someone in a supermarket who understood what I meant in asking for "pocket bread" or "pita." The pitas are now sliced across and used to roll sandwiches in, instead of just stuffing their natural pockets.

Full review.