Lamalo

Lamalo is a Middle Eastern spot in the Arlo Hotel from the same people behind Breads Bakery and Nur, and just like at those places, the bread here is fantastic. The chewy laffa is baked over lava stones in the open kitchen, and served with about 10 of the 25 different mezes on the menu, like some really good tahini or scordalia, which is like garlicky potato salad. It’s $25, but the servers keep bringing you refills until you tap out, and you could make it your whole meal. And that’s what you should do if you come here for dinner, because the rest of the menu is less enjoyable, like grilled chicken that tastes overwhelmingly like its mint yogurt base, and short rib that’s $37 for a small portion of fatty meat. The windowless dining room off the hotel’s lobby also isn’t a place we’d recommend for a date or festive dinner, so it’s best for bread and spreads at the chef’s counter or a sit-down lunch when you need a spot near Penn Station.