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[MEZZA AND BEYOND] TarBoush makes the best beef shawarma and mezza plates in town, but you should dig deeper into the menu at this Lebanese standout, which now has a second location in North Tabor. Just below the hummus, baba and grape leaves you'll find mhammara ($9), a bowl of meaty walnuts ground into a gritty dark-red paste and blended with smoky roasted red pepper and olive oil. Sure, there's falafel and zaatar, but also a bowl of odd little sausages called makanik, made in-house from gamey lamb sirloin, with natural casing and a secret spice blend, seared and served with a candy-sweet salsa of chopped tomatoes and lemon. In the entree section, look for bamyeh, a hearty okra-based chili, a thick tomato-based stew of fibrous green seedpods, onion, cilantro and garlic. It's warming, like something dads make on cold Big Beirut nights. Kibbeh laqteen ($15) are triangular slices of pumpkin kibbeh that look like a dessert but are made with bulgur and pumpkin puree, a thin layer of stewed spinach, onions and sumac, and served with a sprinkle of toasted almonds and parsley. You're meant to cut off a chunk and slather it with yogurt like a savory pumpkin pie. MARTIN CIZMAR.
The pita, hummus and beef shawarma plates really are the best in town, too.
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WWeek 2015