Best Middle Eastern restaurant
For many, the Middle East Restaurant is Central Square - or, at least, what Central Square once aspired to
be. With an edgy but non-threatening feel by night, and classic Middle Eastern staples by day, it's the
kind of place that the trendifying of the neighborhood (luxury condos!) will never touch. The list of
musicians that have performed in its various rooms is legendarily diverse - Veruca Salt, Tony Bennett,
the Mighty Mighty Bosstones, the Reverend Horton Heat - and thousands upon thousands of students and
locals have passed through its doors in search of cool music and cheap food. The menu combines the expected
couscous, kebabs, and grape leaves with unexpected items like lamb tongue and grilled tofu. That last
pair perfectly epitomizes the place: progressive, but not beholden to political correctness; multi-ethnic
without enforcing mindless fusion; and happily iconoclastic. It's a true original, and one of the few
remnants of the Central Square that was.
Middle East, 472 Mass Ave, Cambridge, (617) 492-9181.
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