Portland, ORMediterranean

An Israeli inflected Mediterranean kitchen built around freshly ground kebabs and a smooth Usul hummus. The Nazareth kebab, beef and lamb served over parsley tahina and puffed freekeh, is the dish most singled out. It is the flagship of the Sesame Collective group of restaurants around town.

A passion project of the Tzakis brothers, whose family has multigenerational ties to Portland's Greek community, Tréla serves home style taverna cooking. The dips, taramasalata, melitzanosalata, and scordalia, could make a meal on their own, but the grilled lamb chops are the dish to order.

Chef Eleni Touhouliotis, from Chania, Crete, runs a Cretan leaning kitchen carried over from her original Sellwood restaurant. The feta me filo, a house made filo packet doused in ouzo, baked, and drizzled with honey, is the standout starter on a menu two decades in the making.

An Israeli street food kitchen known for indulgent bowls of hummus topped with braised lamb or chickpeas, alongside oregano perfumed lamb chops and muhamara. The Central Eastside patio is as much a draw as the food. It is another Sesame Collective spot, built for easy weekday lunches.

A Mediterranean smokehouse from the Sesame Collective group in Multnomah Village, built around smoked meats and comfort dishes rather than traditional mezze. The schmaltz cornbread, served in a cast iron skillet with honeycomb butter and bourbon glaze, is the calling card.