Taboon may be the first restaurant to coin the phrase "Middleterranean"¿a hybrid cuisine that is inspired by the vibrant spices and bold flavors of the Middle East and the Mediterranean. And the name? It's the Arabic word for the ancient domed oven that serves up its original wood-fired specialties, including the puffy house flatbread, which arrives just after you sit down, on a little butcher board. It¿s piping hot and golden brown and pooled on top with extra-virgin olive oil and a sprinkling of sage, rosemary, and sea salt. You can gobble it whole, or dip it in a bowl of tzatziki, or enjoy it in tandem with any one of twelve inventive varieties of meze.

Taboon is located in New York City on Tenth Avenue at 52nd Street.