Photo by Madeline Churm
Am I a fan of sunshine? Yes. Am I a fan of Mediterranean fare? Absolutely. Both of those things together? Yes, please.
On an unusually warm afternoon for this time of year, my friend and I ventured to Kebaba for a late lunch on the adorable patio. After ordering at the counter, we found a covered area on the patio right outside the door, and with libations in hand and the sun on our backs, we waited for our feast. After chatting and watching the cars on bustling Newport Avenue, our appetizer arrived: the famous Kebaba falafel. I would consider myself a falafel connoisseur (mainly based on the large amount of it I happen to consume in any given week), and this falafel is probably my favorite. Served warm with a delicious tahini sauce, these little patties of perfection were gone within five minutes of being delivered to our table. Yeah, it’s fair to say we liked them a lot.
As my friend sipped on a flavorful bottle of Crispin cider, and I enjoyed my Cucumber Gin Gimlet, we received the rest of our meal. Although it was hard to decide, we settled on three different mains: the Mediterranean Flatbread, the Falafel Pita Sandwich, and the Meat Mezze with Lamb. And despite the fact that I am not normally the type of person to require boxes after a meal (I’m an honorary member of the “Finish the Plate” club), this food was so rich and delicious that we couldn’t even finish it. The Mediterranean Flatbread was packed with spinach, sundried tomato, Greek green olives, pine nuts, and imported feta and mozzarella cheese. It was crispy, and oh so decadent, like the perfect Mediterranean translation of pizza. The Falafel Pita Sandwich was a wonderful combination of amazing falafel patties, fresh tomato, lettuce, cucumber, pickled onion, and tahini sauce wrapped in dreamy homemade pitas. And finally, the Meat Mezze with Lamb, which included a juicy lamb kebab, hummus, babaganouj, taboule, rice pilaf and a piece of homemade pita, was an awesome way to sample a ton of different dishes and flavors on one cohesive and utterly tantalizing plate of food.
With the afternoon sun shining down, and the food on the plate disappearing into our mouths by the minute, we couldn’t help but reminisce about the meal that we were still eating. Kebaba truly gave us an authentic Mediterranean meal in the middle of Oregon, and we certainly were not complaining.
1004 NW Newport Ave
Bend, Oregon
