Sofra is one of those beautiful Boston/Cambridge g...

Sofra is one of those beautiful Boston/Cambridge gems that make me think New England can be as wonderful a food destination as New York City. Serving up lovely Turkish/Lebanese/Mediterranean fare to crowded yuppie brunch crowds in West Cambridge, come here ready to have your taste buds blown apart.

1 star- ambiance. Despite the crowded interior, it's decorated charmingly with lots of enticing cookbooks, spices and oils, and ready-made foods and desserts for you to gander at while you wait your turn in line.
1 star- service. Nothing to complain about; despite crowds, the line moves decently quickly and the food comes out as fast as to be expected.
0.5 star- value. Their entrees run $8-14 for brunch/lunch and aren't massive but a fair amount of food.
1 star- taste. I don't think I've ever had a bad bite at Sofra (or at Sarma or Oleana to be honest). Everything is fresh, exciting, with amazing texture and flavor combinations. This latest visit, the twice baked strawberry pistachio croissant tasted even better than it looked (and it looks incredible) -- with flaky, crusty croissant, slightly sweet strawberries, and incredibly green and crunchy pistachios.
1.5 stars- innovation. Sofra just kills it with the interesting menu items. The brown butter donut made me feel like I was going to both heaven and hell, at the same time -- so sinful, so delicious. The sausage pita was spicy and tangy and salty, with great flavor coming through from the olives and feta butter.

Protip: come here early and if you can, run or bike here so you can really earn that dessert!