At the far end of Norris Street, below the rumbling El train, is a brand new ice cream shop.  Five Sisters Ice Cream and Sweets at 1949 N. Front St. isn’t your average cup and scoop joint. This family run Palestinian sweets shop offers a wide assortment of handmade Middle Eastern pastries and baked goods in addition to their solid arsenal of 20 different flavors of Basset ice cream. The owner, who asked to be only referred to as “Eddie,” also owns the very popular Liberty Choice Market right next door. He’s slowly turning around this once blighted corner in a part of the neighborhood that’s all too often forgotten.

Eddie and his family are Palestinians from the Middle East. He’s been living here since the 1970’s, and worked for many years at Cousin’s Supermarket. It was there that he learned the ins and outs of the grocery business. Three years ago Eddie opened Liberty Choice. His diverse menu of pizza, American and Middle Eastern foods like falafel, hummus and baba ghanouj has been well received throughout the area.

Eddie and his sisters make all the pastries by hand, and nothing sits on the shelf longer than three days. They even make their own waffle ice cream cones. Most of the pastries were new to me, so I was pleased to see ingredient labels and serving tips attached to many of the unique items inside Five Sisters.

One familiar item was Baklava. Their rolled take on this classic is excellent. It’s not too sweet. The outside has perfectly flakey layers that separate with each bite revealing the chopped walnut filling.  Then I sampled Mamoul. These are small soft oval shaped pastries with a date filling. Each one is lightly dusted with shaved coconut. It’s simple and delicious with a perfect textural contrast between the coconut flakes and the soft filling.

The brilliant orange shredded filo dough of the Rolled Kunafa caught my eye. This unique pastry has a creamy interior of unsalted butter, chopped nuts and an unsalted cheese similar to cream cheese. The filling is wrapped with shreds of filo dough then generously covered with even more shreds. Then it’s topped with chopped pistachios. The stringy texture is a little different, but the shredded dough has a familiar cake like taste.

Liberty Choice Market has a phenomenal sit down or take-out menu too. Everything I have eaten from here has been great. The first thing I tried was a buffalo chicken hoagie with a side of green pepper and onion home fries. Both were fantastic, and proved to be the booze mop I had hoped for. Next time, I ordered a pepperoni pizza. I was again highly satisfied, and even forgot that I wasn’t eating pepperoni from a pig. You won’t find any pork products in either of Eddie’s stores. “I dealt with pork for 30 years. I need to get it off my mind,” Eddie said

According to Eddie, Falafel is by far their biggest seller. He follows a traditional family recipe. “Over there they always like to show you how it’s made,” Eddie said. “They teach you how to grind it and season it.” It comes on pita, long roll or plain. Each falafel ball is fried until the outside is crispy. The interior keeps its soft texture and the Middle Eastern spices give it an authentic taste.

You can get your falafel regular or spicy, and topped with baba ghanouj or hummus. I got mine spicy on pita with baba ghanouj. I enjoyed every bite. The diced tomatoes, cilantro and cucumber give it a real freshness that’s accented by the noticeable taste of cumin in the falafel balls.  If you’re looking for meat-centric Middle Eastern dishes, try one of their kebab style chicken or beef dishes. There’s something for everyone here, and it’s a direct representation of the cultural diversity and coexistence that is the ethnic melting pot of North Philadelphia. “There are very good gentile people in this neighborhood,” Eddie said. “The community helps me and I will always help the community.”