Kurdish spot Tenur is definitely somewhere to visit with a few friends, order a ton of food, and get comfortable at one of the longer tables inside. Start with the big meze plate before moving on to some stews or grilled meats like the Mardin Kebab Tenur Spezial, which is a minced lamb and veal skewer with grilled eggplant and butter sauce. You can’t really go wrong with anything on the menu, and even the small side salads burst with flavor. Try their unique take on kunafah for dessert that uses buffalo mozzarella, sugary syrup, and fine pastry strands made by a woman in the neighborhood.

photo credit: Zoe Spawton