The thing to have at Koshari Mama is the Mushroom Shawerma Sandwich, a glorious, overflowing medley of sautéed mushrooms, sweet peppers and onions seasoned with garlic and a housemade spice blend.

Harvard Square has lost two makers of creative and healthy grain bowls but still has Dig Inn, Henrietta’s Table and Bluestone Lane, where – along with the Russell House Tavern – good, savory bowls can be found alongside other brunchy menu items.

The must-have at Gustazo is the Guacamole Cubano, a creamy, zesty guac that puts most others to shame and comes with perfectly crisp plantain dipping chips.

If you want a lunch that’s relatively healthy and light, fast and easy to eat (no fork or plate, and low mess), to me that’s a falafel wrap with hummus and a lot of veggies, pickles and banana peppers. But not all falafels are the same.

Part of the Main Street eatery portfolio that includes high-end Italian spots Sulmona and Amelia’s Trattoria, Mex can be different things depending when you arrive and what you’re looking for: Come late for a club ambiance, come early for the casual taco cafe or chill tequila bar aura.

The family-run Turkish eatery Lavash Bar & Grille is in a soft opening on New Street with dishes from a classic shish kebabs, islak burger and iskender to mezes such as manti dumplings, sigara borek cheese snacks and kibbeh of ground lamb so perfect and neat it feels like a crime to bite into one.

New life has been breathed into some establishments that looked like they might become part of the Covid R.I.P. list: The People’s Republik became New Republik and The Thirsty Scholar has reopened.

In the North Massachusetts Avenue locale known as Trolley Square, named for its proximity to an MBTA bus depot, seven diverse eateries serve the community with fare ranging from Chinese, sushi, Ethiopian, Greek and Mediterranean to basic bar food, American fine dining and pizza slices.

Central Square is always a busy place, even more so during weekend brunch hours with midday winners such as the old-school classic Brookline Lunch; the retro-hip newcomer Donut Villa Diner; and the classy sit-down experience of Vialé.

The new La Royal has an ever-changing, pan-Peruvian menu filled with seafood and inventive drinks in a spare, cosmopolitan setting that enlivens Huron Village.