CAMBRIDGE — For years, Beauty's Pizza in Inman Square has been known as an "Italian Kitchen" serving pizza, subs and pasta, along with shawarma and gyros. Since January, under a new owner, it has been leaning further toward the eastern Mediterranean.

Palestinian-born Ibrahim Abuhasan took over Beauty's in January, Cambridge Day reported on Aug. 26. Under his stewardship, the outlet reported, much of the food now meets halal requirements, and the restaurant no longer serves beer and wine.

Abuhasan has also changed how the shawarma and gyros are made to follow Levantine traditions, according to Cambridge Day, and the falafel is now handmade in-house.

A patio café called Jafra

Abuhasan's biggest addition is Jafra Cafe & Lounge, a Middle Eastern patio extension of Beauty's at 187 Hampshire St. Cambridge Day reported that Jafra opened in June and that launching it was Abuhasan's mission. The outlet also reported that hookahs are available on the patio.

Cambridge Day's Tom Meek, who reviewed the patio, described the space as "festive yet intimate," with plenty of trellising in case of rain, starry lights, and big-screen TVs showing Middle Eastern destinations. He called the patio "a rare, alfresco urban oasis," even though it sits just feet from a gas station.

Beauty's has limited indoor seating, so Jafra won't move inside for the winter, according to the outlet. Heat lamps will keep the patio going instead.

Musakhan rolls lead the menu

Jafra's menu focuses on meze-style finger foods, along with larger plates covering Levantine basics like shawarma, shish kebabs, and beef and lamb kufta, Cambridge Day reported.

Meek called the Palestinian musakhan rolls "the menu winner." They are lightly fried, cigar-shaped rolls of saj bread filled with sumac-spiced pulled chicken and onions, served with tzatziki for dipping. "Those musakhan rolls are well worth the trip," he wrote.

He also praised the thick, creamy house-made hummus, which is served with olive oil, lemon zest and sumac. Other dishes he listed include vegetarian stuffed grape leaves; manakeesh flatbreads with za'atar or a Middle Eastern cheese blend; lahm ajeen topped with seasoned beef; lentil soup; and fried cheese sambosak. The griddle-pressed chicken shawarma wrap, which comes with fries, was "juicy and well-seasoned," he wrote.

For drinks, Jafra offers coffee and teas, led by an iced lavender latte, plus Moroccan tea, according to the review. Desserts include baklava, Dubai chocolate cake, mango cake, and namora, a semolina coconut cake topped with a Levantine syrup. Meek wrote that the golden coconut namora "demands its own special sojourn."

Staying fresh in a tough market

Cambridge Day placed Abuhasan's changes against a broader struggle for independent restaurants. It noted that Boston Globe food critic Devra First recently flagged a trend of local restaurants closing because of the cost and effort of keeping them open.

"To stay afloat, it seems local eateries need to innovate," Meek wrote. "That's what Abuhasan has done at Beauty's."

Beauty's moved to Inman Square from Broadway after a 2014 kitchen fire, according to Cambridge Day. The outlet rated Jafra "$$" out of "$$$$."

Sources

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