Hummus Place, New York

Hummus Place has built its menu around its titular dish—so it’s no surprise that the staffers have hunted far and wide for the smallest, most circular chickpeas, which they claim make the best hummus blend. The New York Times agrees, calling the dish "eerily smooth" with sesame and garlic "in a state of equilibrium." Water, tahini, olive oil, and lemon round out the recipe—served with fresh pitas from the bakery.

"When we first opened, we had only hummus on the menu," Hummus Place owner Ori Apple told CBS's Tony Tantillo’s Dining Deal. "Three different kinds of topping: tahini, chickpeas, and fava beans." Today, the kosher menu showcases five blends alongside dishes such as veggie-loaded couscous, falafel, and shakshuka—a stew with tomatoes, peppers, onion, and eggplant, finished off with two over-easy eggs. Dessert selections bring out dulcet notes of dry kadaif buried beneath vanilla-infused ricotta and the faint notes of "Happy Birthday" hummed by a date tahini cake dished up with apple confit.