Where to Mahalab Bakery in North Cambridge, where the baked goods are savory rather than sweet.
Why The little slip of a storefront is easy to miss if you’re walking by. There isn’t a sidewalk presence and there are only two stools at a window counter. Mahalab began as a stand at local farmers’ markets and opened the brick-and-mortar shop in North Cambridge in April 2024. Business is brisk at the markets Mahalab sells at (in summer, several in Cambridge plus Winchester, Natick, and Roslindale), not as busy at the shop. “Breakfast baked goods are usually sweet,” says owner and baker Ayham Haddad. “Many bakeries want to try to do savory for breakfast, but worried that the market isn’t ready.”
The back story Haddad comes from Irbid, in the north of Jordan, where he began baking at age 14. His aunts baked 100 savory pastries at a time to give to family and friends. Haddad doesn’t adhere strictly to the baked goods he was raised on. “Our dough uses local grains, naturally fermented,” he says. He mixes and matches, adding ricotta to a pastry originally made with feta, for instance, or merging a taste from the Eastern Mediterranean or Lebanon. The name Mahalab comes from a cherry tree of the same name; a seed inside the pits, ground to a powder, is a common spice in the Levant.
What to eat A pastry called fatayer in triangular shapes (with spinach and cheese; kale and onions) or boat shaped (ricotta). Or sfiha, rounds of pastry (with ajvar, a red pepper-eggplant spread; beef and tomatoes). There are several other cheese-and-veggie-filled doughs; a dreamy, airy, spongy, crusty focaccia covered with black garlic, olives, or the Middle Eastern spice blend za’atar; thick sourdough pita rounds. Haddad also makes an oat milk-glazed blueberry focaccia.
What to drink Ethopian coffee, hot or iced, from Happy Beans Roaster, or iced tea made with juniper berries, cloves, and hibiscus.
The takeaway Pastries this unusual and this well made should not fly under the radar. Haddad is partnering with neighbor Black Ruby, for whom he makes brioche rolls, to use their outdoor tables till 4 p.m. so you can eat on the spot. But you can also just take them home. On the way, you might find yourself dipping your hand into the bag. 1786 Massachusetts Ave., Cambridge, 617-501-3416, www.mahalabbakery.com
Sheryl Julian can be reached at sheryl.julian@globe.com.