Dining out: al-Falaha Restaurant in Ein Areek

Another special place to eat outside of the “big city” of Ramallah is al-Falaha Restaurant. It is a traditional place specializing in one meal — musakhan. Musakhan is a Palestinian dish featuring roast chicken.

It is placed on hearty flatbread with caramelized onions and lots of red sumac, a lemon-flavored grated spice.

Part of what makes al-Falaha worth the trip is the landscape it is situated in. Located in the village of Ein Areek, the restaurant is nestled between the road and terraces of olive trees and wildflowers.

Though it does get blazingly hot in the peak of summer, ceiling fans and Palestinian-made Taybeh beers served in frosted mugs help moderate the heat.

Bunless veggie burgers

Chickpeas, aka garbanzos, are a special thing around here. They are called hummus, which encompasses all chickpeas, whether dried, green or cooked. This same word also can mean hummus the way we know it in the US, as the thick paste that you spread on pita bread.

Chickpeas get transformed into a multitude of forms. You can find them presented in boiled yellow as a snack at bars or coffee shops, served green in the pod with salt, or further cooked in musabaha, falafel, stews or the omnipresent hummus.

Crispy, fried falafel is by no means in short supply around here either. It’s a popular choice for breakfast, lunch and dinner, in various incarnations. But sometimes you want something that is hearty, but