Boston, MAMiddle Eastern

Diners have raved about this Brookline glatt kosher spot since 1990, when it began showcasing Israeli cooking with crispy falafel, turkey shawarma, and garlicky hummus sold by the pound. The bourekas, puff pastries stuffed with spinach, potato, or mushroom, come by the piece or as part of a combo plate with salad.

A South End spot built around flaky m'anoush flatbread paired with a wide range of mezze. Smoky baba ganoush, parsley-heavy tabbouleh, and tangy labne topped with walnut harissa or tomato and mint are all in rotation, alongside a s'mores flatbread that pushes the format into dessert territory.

A Cambridge landmark named for Afghanistan's longest river, sitting at the crossroads of Central Asian and Middle Eastern cooking. Warm wood-oven flatbread accompanies racks of marinated lamb and palaw rice spiced with cardamom, cinnamon, and nutmeg, with a standout pan-fried trout and eggplant special.

A sprawling downtown menu for breakfast, lunch, and dinner built around shareable modern Middle Eastern plates. The silky moussaka layers beef, lamb, and pork ragout under bechamel, while the pitza, an ancient-grain hybrid of pita and pizza, gets a spicy version topped with merguez lamb and kashar cheese.

A rare Boston-area spot dedicated to Egyptian cooking at Bow Market in Somerville. The vegan koshari bowls layer chickpeas and deep-fried onions over lentils, rice, and pasta, sized from eight to 32 ounces and finished with the garlicky, vinegar-forward Spicy Mama sauce.