Skip to main contentPortland boasts its share of Middle Eastern joints, but few match this downtown emporium's authoritative take on traditional Lebanese cuisine. The restaurant occupies the ground floor of the historic Bishop's House, though one wonders what its original occupant, Archbishop Blanchet, would make of the classical Islamic arch added to the dining room. The menu is particularly strong on small plates (many of them vegetarian), from a tahini-rich and deeply satisfying ful mudammas to zingy tabbouleh and kibbi sineeye, a gloriously spice-perfumed lamb-and-bulgar casserole. Few dishes veer from the tried-and-true—you'll find hummus, baba ghanouj and shish kebab—but the sure-handed treatments may just be good enough to redeem a lifetime spent eating lackluster falafel; even giveaways like the garlic-spiked house salad are stellar. Service is unusually solicitous, and a thoughtful wine-and-beer list only sweetens the deal. Wallflowers, beware: Weekend nights bring Aziza, touted as "the Northwest's Best Belly Dancer." (SL)
WWeek 2015