I had “Middleterranean” the other night and I didn’t even know it.

On the edge of Hell’s Kitchen, Taboon, Arabic for “oven,” is famous for its stone oven-baked bread, which arrived at our table hot and fragrant with rosemary, sage, and olive oil. Available for dipping were bowls of hummus and tzatziki, a yogurty/goat cheesy/cucumbery concoction, which I’d never had before and decided I could eat all day with that bread.

If you want to hear more about mouth-watering Middle Eastern/Mediterranean treats, just hit the jump.

Our very nice waitress was extremely knowledgeable about both food and drinks. Since I’ve got that pesky Asian disease, I had just a sip of my dining companion’s ouzo cooler, which apparently is like a hairy armpit - anise-flavored liqueur and grapefruit juice - with mint thrown in. I despise the taste of black licorice, but even I could appreciate the quality of the drink.

Our waitress also had the best recitation of specials I’d ever heard. Usually all I hear is something like the grown-ups talking on Charlie Brown, but at Taboon I actually understood and absorbed the dishes des jour. I had the salad special, which came with medallions of goat cheese on polenta, another tidbit I knew I could snack on from morning to night.

Unfortunately, since I was such a pig about the bread and salad, I was full by the time my entree, the lamb kebabs, arrived. Still, the few bites I had were delish, with none of the gamey aftertaste that baby sheep sometimes have. The side vegetables were flavorful and perfectly cooked.

For dessert I had the silan, vanilla ice cream with tahini, pistachios, and date honey. The tahini was quite unexpected with its rope-like texture. “What’s that?” my dining companions kept asking. It was definitely unique but too sweet for my taste. Better was the lava cake, super-rich to-die-for bittersweet chocolate.

At $8 an appetizer and $20-30 an entree, Taboon is a bit pricier than I’m accustomed to, but not outrageous considering the location and the quality of the food.

Taboon is located at 773 Tenth Ave. at 52nd St., 212-713-0271. Reservations are recommended.

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