Sometimes comfort food doesn’t come in a casserole dish or out of your mother’s kitchen. Particularly in the case of the delicacies whipped up at Knofi, where, unless you are from a Middle Eastern family, comfort food is reinvented.

Whether eating at their cafeteria-style restaurant or taking your goodies home, Knofi always hits the spot. When we’re feeling lazy we grab some spreads—their olive spread is our favorite—or pick from the appealingly laid out assortment of flatbread, olives and baklava…and voila, dinner is ready! Otherwise, a bowl of fresh lentil soup and a small salad or a gözleme cures deep hunger pangs.

Added bonus: Knofi is the perfect place to pick up a gift if you’re going to dinner and don’t know what to bring—their selection of dried fruits and nuts, beautifully wrapped, always impresses.