Mediterranean Food in Boston – Pt. 1

Whether you are looking for a high-end date night, or something to fill your craving at 3 A.M., we can’t think of more a more versatile cuisine than Mediterranean. Today, we are going to share three of our favorite Boston spots– each great for different occasions.

Oleana (Cambridge)

At Oleana, it’s more than just a meal. When you visit, prepare for a true culinary experience.

This tapas-style menu is perfect for sharing– and as someone who wants to try as much of a menu as possible, this is ideal. Everything we had here was out-of-this-world, so you can go wrong. We’ll share a few dishes that were a cut above the rest.

First for us, is the Sultan’s Delight. This is tamarind beef with an eggplant purée. The beef was extremely tender and the eggplant purée was light and fluffy. The purée was a nice balance for the flavor explosion that is the beef. The next dish we highly recommend is the Vermont quail kebab. The presentation and flavor profile is extremely unique and something we would not have expected to go together. Lastly, the topik really blew us away. It’s called a potato hummus, but it really feels like a fusion between Middle Eastern and bao buns.

Although this won’t be the cheapest meal you’ve have ever had, it’s worth every penny.

Sufra (Fenway)

On the complete opposite end of the spectrum is Sufra. With no seats inside and only a small patio, Sufra focuses on only a few menu items– but they crush each and every one of them.

The falafel here is some of the best we’ve had in our life. It has a nice crunch on the outside (and we had it on a moist 90% humidity day in Boston). The portions here are huge. The chicken shawarma wrap is longer than our forearm and is loaded with fresh meat slices off the rotisserie. We also love how they grilled the wrap after rolling. We were also impressed with Sufra’s variety of fresh fruit juices.

For late night take out or a casual shawarma on the patio, Sufra is a budget-friendly spot that does not cut any corners in quality.

Anoush’Ella (Timeout Market & South End)

The wraps at Anoush’Ella are a different level– and there’s no one that even comes close to competing.

It all starts with their homemade m’anoush, which is a thin bread made on a specific Middle Eastern-style flat top grill. This results in a wrap that is thicker than average, allowing it to handle its wide array of ingredients.

If you are wondering what to get on the menu, we’ll make it easy for you– get the overnight braised beef. The slow-cooking process creates what we can only describe as a Middle Eastern version of pulled pork. The braised beef is the star of the show, but like any good show, the supporting cast is what makes it next-level. The pickled veggies, eggplant spread, and other exotic sauces is what makes the wrap. Plus, the hummus here is super creamy, which goes perfectly with their homemade bread.