Looking for new spots to try? During Dining Month, Lori Fredrich is dishing out must-tries in 20 different dining categories, from brunch to BBQ and everything in between. Here's what she's recommended so far!

Milwaukee has far to go when it comes to culinary representation from the diverse set of countries so often unfairly homogenized by terms like "Middle Eastern" or "Mediterranean." Fortunately, recent years have brought an increasing buffet of regional specialties from countries including Syria, Palestine, Lebanon and Iran; and I have high hopes that more will follow. 

In the meantime, here are five spots that offer a delicious peek at the regionally distinctive cuisines often disguised by the use of more generic nomenclature.

Damascus Gate

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807 W. Historic Mitchell St., (414) 509-5975
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There’s little more delightful than a trip to Damascus Gate, where Syrian fare is both showcased and celebrated. There’s vibrant, lemony hummus and hand-rolled stuffed grape leaves with tangy pomegranate molasses. And don’t miss the fatayer (handmade pies); the spinach is deliciously nuanced and the cheese pies are both tasty and beautiful, flecked with black sesame seeds. 

Foods are also presented as both individual dishes and platters, allowing you to sample your way through numerous dishes in a single trip. 

Lebnani House

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5051 S. 27th St., (414) 488-8033
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No matter how often I dine there, the fare at Lebnani house strikes me like a delicious journey just waiting to be taken. From a bright, modern fatoush salad doppled with pomegranite to a far-from-traditional hummus trio, every dish offered both a nod to tradition as well as something new.

I'd recommend making your first trip with friends and trying as many items as you can. Explore the housemade flatbreads, including the flavorful beef filet bil ajin topped with thin slices of beautifully seasoned beef filet and olive oil.

Indulge in their flavorful char-grilled beef kebabs and likely the best kafta I've eaten in the city. And if you love seafood, be sure to order the delectably fresh head-on prawns, which are char-grilled and served with a flavorful garlic lemon sauce that begs to be sopped up with fresh, housemade flatbread.

If you've already made your acquaintance, I'd encourage you to return and try something new. For me, a recent visit led me to try their qallayet bandoura bil lahmeh, a dish of tender beef sauteed in richly flavored tomato sauce with onion, garlic, chilies, pine nuts and parsley. It’s excellent alongside their warm flatbread and grilled halloumi cheese. And – for next time – I’m eyeing up newer additions like the beet and beef fatteh featuring fried flatbread layered with beets, yogurt and seasoned beef.

Pita Palace

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789 W. Layton Ave.. (414) 988-8100
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At pita palace you’ll find staples like falafel, kebabs and shawarma sandwiches. But you'll also find memorable starters like foul mudamas, a dish with origins in Egypt that features a tasty puree of mashed, boiled grassy-flavored fava beans enhanced by bright lemon, crushed garlic and cumin. There are also comforting options such as the sandwich-like arayes, warm flatbreads stuffed with seasoned meat or cheese which are common street food favorites in spots like Lebanon.

Don’t sleep on entrees like shish tawook, chicken marinated with yogurt, citrus and plenty of garlic. On Fridays, try their special Jordanian mansaf. It’s comprised of lamb cooked in a fermented dried yogurt sauce and served with rice or bulgur.  Desserts like harrisa (not to be mistaken for the North African chile paste of the same name) feature tender cake made with semolina flour and soaked with flavorful syrup.

Shahrazad

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3133 N. Oakland Ave., (414) 964-5475
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There are so many lovely dishes to enjoy at this East Side staple, which has served up a menu of excellent Iranian dishes and Palestinian staples, since 1993. And I’ve been a longtime customer, whether just stopping in for simple lunches of lentil soup and tabouli or lingering over dinner and Turkish coffee with friends.

The restaurant's new location, just down Oakland, has a different vibe from the original; it's far more casual and adaptable to carry-out. So the days of lingering over coffee may have passed.

But you'll still find a menu filled with beloved staples, including shareable appetizers like yalenjee (stuffed grape leaves) and slightly smoky baba ghanouj along with entrees like succulent lamb shank braised in fragrant tomato sauce and vegetarian shakshuka, a tomato-based vegetable stew which can be enjoyed at varying spice levels from tame to positively incendiary.

Taqwa’s Bakery & Restaurant

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4651 S. 27th St., Greenfield, (414) 539-6878
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There’s a feast of dishes to savor at Taqwa’s, which celebrates dishes from climes including Jordan and Palestine. Stand-outs include signature entrees like dawalee (grape leaves stuffed with seasoned meat and rice) are served alongside roasted chicken with yogurt cucumber salad; along with dishes like sawani kufta, featuring seasoned ground beef patties that are charbroiled and served in guests’ choice of tahini or tomato sauce.

Be sure to try the freshly baked manakish (Palestinian taboun bread topped with cheese and za'atar and tender house-baked fatayer (hand pies) stuffed with spinach, onions and sumac. And don’t leave without ordering something from the list of freshly baked sweets (both the maamoul and warbat are outstanding).