This family-run restaurant is just a stone’s throw from Logan Airport and proves just as transportive. Tawakal Halal Cafe specializes in spice-driven Somali cuisine, including comfort foods like Beef “Hilib” Sambusas stuffed with meat, onions, peppers, and garlic; Lamb “Ido” Biryani; Grits “Soor iyo Maraq” cooked with coconut milk; and the Tawakal Plate, which features strips of chapati (a crispy, unleavened bread) soaked in a spicy tomato sauce alongside spinach stew and a choice of beef, chicken, or chickpeas.

Angela’s Cafe now has locations in the East Boston neighborhoods of Eagle Hill and Orient Heights, but you could say its hometown is Puebla, Mexico. The late Angela Atenco Lopez had been cooking there for almost 50 years before she moved to Boston and teamed up with her sons to run Angela’s Cafe. The flavors of the south-central Mexican state are infused into unique dishes like the signature Mole Poblano de Angela, a sauce of chocolate, almonds, peanuts, raisins, sesame seeds, crackers and banana, served with a side of house-made tortillas, rice, and beans (we like to add pork loin). We also love Angela’s for more familiar Mexican cuisine like Enchiladas, Tacos, and chicken Sopa de Pozole.

For many eaters, Santarpio’s Pizza is the reason to visit East Boston. This legendary establishment, which began as a bakery in 1903, doesn’t disappoint its many pizza pilgrims. The no-frills dining room offers huge, moderately priced pies with dozens of possible topping combos. (If it’s your first time, try the Italian Cheese and Garlic.) On the non-pizza front, you’ll find steak tips, lamb skewers, and homemade sausage served up with hot cherry peppers and fresh-baked Italian bread—a true taste of Eastie.

Red tablecloths, gigantic servings of Pollo Parmigiana, murals depicting the old country—Rino’s Place is the platonic ideal of the Italian-American restaurant. It may check all the boxes, but it’s anything but mediocre: The family-owned establishment has been courting locals for decades with Nonna-approved classics like oversized Lobster Ravioli, expertly cooked Calamari Fritti, and—naturally—plenty of fresh pasta. Just don’t let its sleepy residential location lull you into a false sense of table security: The word is out (thanks, Guy Fieri), and wait times can be downright epic. Luckily Rino’s does takeout, too.

If you’ve been on a quest to find authentic tacos in the Boston area, you can stop right now. The answer to your cravings is Taqueria Jalisco, an unassuming storefront located near Logan Airport. Taco fillings like beef tongue, spicy chorizo, and tender carne asada are just as authentic as the tableside salsas that accompany them. Other Mexican specialties—such as pozole, horchata, and huevos rancheros—can also be scarfed down with abandon; nothing here will leave much of a dent in your wallet.