The shrewd menu here shows you how a proper Levantine meal comes together. The first course, hummus with your choice of toppings, is essential, as are the pitas, hot from the oven and inflated like beach balls. Next come the salatim, the little salads, to fill the table with clattery plates of oil-drenched labneh, crunchy pickles, tangy pepper salad, and seasonal vegetables. Mezze join the party before any plates are cleared. You begin to note chef and co-owner Zachary Engel’s culinary perspective as lamb kibbeh with a crispy saffron crust, beef tongue shishlik, and cumin-orange carrots with mild feta take up the last bit of space. (You may need more pita by this point.) The table is cleared for mains — perhaps lamb kebab with navy beans, grilled lobster, or stuffed cabbage roasted in a wood-fired oven. After a couple of bites of a shared dessert, maybe a chocolate tartlet with halvah ice cream, you’re ready for a nice tea or glass of arak. Few meals are so well shaped.

Price: $$$$
Address: 2429 N. Lincoln Ave.
Website: galitrestaurant.com