"Cafe Tanja is named after Tangier, but the menu stretches far beyond the Moroccan port city. Sanah Djebli and her husband, Nadim El-Zein, run this North African eatery with help from Djebli’s mother, Linda. Menu highlights include fried Algerian eggs jolted with cumin seeds and sizzling plates of tchouktchouka: a Tunisian equivalent of shakshuka that’s rich with tomatoes and a 21-spice ras el hanout blend. The sandwiches are named after family members, just one of many ways Cafe Tanja feels welcoming and personal. Vibe check: You can thank Linda for the restaurant’s striking soup bowls, terracotta tea cups, and other hand-crafted wares, which she delicately transported in her carry-on baggage from Morocco." - Lee Tran Lam