Helmand This Afghan restaurant, the darling of the Harvard and MIT international set, is owned by a brother of Afghanistan's president Hamid Karzai, but manager Osman Rasuli sets the welcoming tone. Try the specialty of Afghan-trained chef Carlos Diaz: lamb lawand, sautéed with onion, tomatoes and garlic, and drenched in spices from the rugged mountains of Afghanistan. Helmand's open-fire bread oven is the origin of the tantalizing odours permeating the dining room. 143 1st St.; 617-492-4646; helmandrestaurantcambridge.com
Rialto Chef Jody Adams is anything but haughty, despite having her restaurant named by Esquire as one of America's best new eateries and her cookbook praised by The New York Times. Every evening she chats with guests about her monthly regional Italian menus - such as Tuscany month, which features braised beef short ribs in red wine and gorgonzola-potato fritter, or the secondi of faro stew with black truffle and salt cod. 1 Bennett St., Harvard Square; 617-661-5050; www.rialto-restaurant.com
Oleana Chef Ana Sortun creates dishes bursting with eastern Mediterranean spices and herbs - including lemony sumac from Turkey, Jordanian za'atar, and oregano harvested on Mount Olympus. Her lamb steak with Turkish spices and fava bean moussaka is a local favourite, but most popular is a dish considered "street vendor food" in Turkey: fried mussels with hot peppers and a tangy sauce. Rumour has it one visitor, a native of Turkey, was so moved by the authentic taste of home, she cried. 134 Hampshire St.; 617-661-0505; www.oleanarestaurant.com