Rachel's Guide to Portland: Levant

How do you feel about Middle Eastern food? I'm kinda sorta crazy about it. In part, it's because it's so vegetarian-friendly, but also because it just tastes so freaking delicious. I am all about the foods of the Mediterranean- olives, pita, hummus, falafel, honey, feta. What is not to love?

So, when I found out about a fancy Middle Eastern fusion restaurant in Portland, I had to check it out. Levant is located on E. Burnside, not far from the new Pix Patisserie. The dining room is fairly small, and it filled up while we were there (we arrived before opening).

We started the evening off with drinks. I chose the Tripoli, a sparkling wine with gin and rose jam. My dad had the Middle Eastern Standard, which is a bourbon drink. Both were delicious, but I think next time I would go for my dad's drink. Sometimes you just gotta go for bourbon.

For food, we started with olives, which are served warm and are marinated in spices. I'm a huge olive fan, and these were incredibly tasty. 

Next up, we ordered the fried haloumi, which is a cheese, and it was served with honey and walnuts. This dish straight up took me to Heaven because it was out of this world delectable. We also ordered some of the fresh, warm pita which was served with aleppo pepper honey butter, which is another word for awesome.

We also enjoyed the fava bean falafel, served with tahini and pickles. This falafel was so fresh and hearty, without being heavy. Spicy, too. I love me some falafel, and this one did not disappoint. Sadly, I did forget to photograph the falafel and the fava bean salad that we enjoyed- it was light and citrusy, perfect for the hot day that we had.

Finally, dessert. You should know by now about my relationship with dessert (i.e. my undying passion). Levant had a really creative dessert menu that had me a little giddy. I love pistachios (which I discovered after I returned from Greece with a small bag of pistachios from Aegina), and there were two pistachio desserts on the menu. Two! Finally, pistachio beats almond (which I loathe)! I went for the pistachio and white chocolate phyllo cigars with apricots poached in sparkling wine and candied ginger. My tongue was very happy. So was my belly. I left Levant feeling very satisfied, and happy to have found a new favorite place for Middle Eastern cuisine.

Have you ever had Middle Eastern food? How do you feel about pistachios vs. almonds? I'd love to hear from you in the comments below!

7 comments dinner, Portland

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