I had a delicious dinner in Hell’s Kitchen last night at Taboon, a restaurant I had never been to.  Taboon is the Arabic word for the domed oven in which they make their delectable flatbread served on butcher board with puddles of olive oil and a dusting of sea salt, sage and rosemary on top.  A mix of Mediterranean and Middle Eastern ingredients define the menu flavors; chic rustic defines the interiors.  White painted wooden chairs and tables, and walls of long, paned windows give the rooms an airy feel.  All of which goes beautifully with the healthy, delicious, food.

But it is the bread – the house focaccia described above and the  Sambusak, stuffed with melted feta cheese, jalapeno and onions – that draws you back.

And, if you worry about your waistline, just remember that bread is the staff of life.