Zaatar: Double Generous

"Ohhhh, ummmm."

"Here?"

"Yeah, there."

"Maybe?"

"Wait…"

We scrunch. Somehow, everything fits.

"In Lebanon, the tables are like five times this size," the waitress says.

Zaatar needs bigger tables. That's the most serious criticism of the new venture from Tony Karam, the restaurateur who's been winning friends in town for 30 years, first with Long Island Pizzeria, later with an eponymous downtown restaurant, then in your local grocery store under the Karam label, and now with Zaatar in the Pearl District.

Zaatar pulls from the normal Lebanese canon—hummus, tabbouleh, falafel, kabobs and the like—nailing the basics and providing a little extra pop with super-smoky baba ghanoush and herb-heavy versions of its titular dish, the Eastern Mediterranean's answer to pizza. If it's not the best Lebanese place in Portland—personally, I'm partial to TarBoush—certainly it's the best on the westside, and among the city's top three.

If you've been to any of Tony's restaurants, chances are you remember watching him work the floor like Ralph Fiennes helmed the lobby of the Grand Budapest Hotel. Tony is here now, working with his brother. Meanwhile, the original downtown Karam is now owned by a cousin. The Karam in Beaverton, opened in 2011, is run by Tony's wife and another brother. They do catering and produce grocery grub, including 10 flavors of hummus, tabbouleh, grape leaves, pita chips and more, which you can find at New Seasons, Market of Choice and others.

Zaatar's fare isn't anything inventive—for that, see John Gorham's Mediterranean Exploration Company around the corner—but it is fresh, scratch-made and well-executed. 

The tabbouleh tastes more salady than most, with a citrus punch that pops on crisp parsley and tomatoes that still have some crunch. The hummus isn't distinctive, but the baba ghanoush has as much smoke as many pork shanks. The pita is impressive: Each round is the size of a small pizza and tends to be baked just long enough to get little brown boils of character on the bottom. The falafel is dry of oil and thick with flavor. Four vegetarian grape leaves are a little too tart for my taste, but not problematically so.

The meats are rich and flavorful—and made with premium, hormone-free cuts, a new twist that grew from the experience of selling packaged products at Whole Foods and New Seasons. The lamb shawarma is just a little chewy, the chicken moist and well-seasoned, and the kafta patty has a winning blend of onion and parsley grilled into it.

Oh, and there's this: All of that describes one dish, the traditional Lebanese mezza for two ($34.99), which will stuff an average couple. The platter is served in two three-part trays, plus a plate of meat, with fresh pita that emerges from the kitchen as needed. It's all you want, really.

The other entrees are impressive, especially the mujadara ($14.95), which resembles a Lebanese version of dirty rice, but with peppery lentils and smoky-sweet caramelized onions served with thin slices of feta-topped eggplant. But, really, you want the mezza—as table space allows.

"Karam means generous," Tony says.

It's Tony's name and motto. And a challenge to his son.

“I named him Karam Karam,” he says. “I told him, ‘You’d better be double generous.’” 

1. Order this: Traditional Lebanese mezza for two ($34.99).
2. I’ll pass: The titular drink, made with Arak, an anise-flavored spirit.

EAT: Zaatar, 1037 NW Flanders St., 477-8237, zaatarnw.com. 11 am-9 pm Monday-Thursday, 11 am-10 pm Friday and Saturday, 11 am-9 pm Sunday.

WWeek 2015