Cheap Eats: Sofra Bakery

In a quiet spot just off the main road, with a menu that deviates from the typical fare, Sofra Bakery in Cambridge offers a wide variety of tantalizing eastern Mediterranean flavors. With so many choices, you're sure to find something you like.

The shining glory of the bakery is the mezze bar, which takes up a good portion of the area next to the register. Mezze (or often meze) is a spread of appetizers - and this is definitely a spread. Choose one (with crackers) for $3 or five (with bread) for $9. The whipped feta with sweet and hot pepper (a mainstay at Oleana and something you can make at home) is creamy and sweet, with not too much kick. The spicy Moroccan carrot salad is addictive, packed with flavor from harissa, ginger, olive oil and vinegar. Be adventurous - with so many options, you have plenty of room to try something you might normally order. But make sure to order an extra piece of bread - you don't get nearly enough.

If sandwiches are more your deal, try the stuffed flatbreads. Think of them as a Mediterranean burrito - a griddled flatbread wrapped around inventive and creative fillings, such as eggplant, leeks, and goat cheese, or chick pea, potato, labne, and za'atar. The sausage flatbread, with cumin, orange, olives, and feta is this Bostonist's favorite, packed with ground sausage and more flavor than you'd think the wrapper could handle.

And of course, don't forget that Sofra is a bakery above everything else. A variety of delicious treats are perched next to the register, and it's hard not to order one (or twelve) as you order your meal.

Sofra Bakery is located at 1 Belmont Street in Cambridge. They are open Monday-Friday, 8am-8pm, Saturday 8am-6pm, and Sunday 8am-3pm. It can get really crowded inside, so be prepared to visit at off hours or get your food to go.

Originally published on Bostonist.