Aleppo’s Kitchen

There are dozens of Middle Eastern restaurants in the Anaheim area, including many ‘hole in the wall’ places with passable to good food and minimal decor. Aleppo’s Kitchen in Anaheim is different: a tastefully decorated, modern space specializing in Syrian and Mediterranean classics, the type of restaurant where you can enjoy a lunch of musabbaha (hummus), mutabbal (baba ghanoush-like eggplant), and red pepper muhammara dips with fresh pitas, or order common plates such as gyros, falafel, and shawarma. Quality is above average given the generally reasonable prices.

At night, the menu expands considerably with fish and seafood, including an herb-stuffed branzino with lemon-garlic sauce, multiple flatbreads (including the delicious sujuk shown here with sausage, cheese, onions, sumac, and pepper), grilled halloumi cheese and watermelon, and a wider array of braised or grilled meats.