by LINDEN GROSS, One Stop Writing Shop
“I’ll get a falafel for lunch,” I thought, suddenly craving some Middle Eastern food. Then I realized that I was slated to review Mazza Bistro—the modest family-owned restaurant on Brooks which replaced the Pita Pit—that very evening. By the time I got to the restaurant, I was consumed by thoughts of falafel and hummus. So the first dish my friends and I ordered was the large Mazza Platter.
Mazza means a repast of many small dishes. The platter lived up to its name and hit a lot of highlights. I was a happy camper as I scooped up positively delicious, creamy hummus and wonderfully smoky Baba Gahnouj (roasted eggplant mixed with tahini sauce, lemon juice and garlic) along with bites of authentic, crispy falafel in pieces of warm pita complemented by Majadara, a lentil dish.
The dolmas (a deceptively simple dish of grape leaves stuffed with rice than often goes terribly wrong when the grape leaf is tough) were as tender as they were tasty.
Having appeased my hankering and definitely dented my hunger, I asked owner Michel Shehadeh what I should have next. “Definitely order the Kefta,” he said without hesitation. I’m not a huge meatball fan, so the ground lamb and beef was the one dish I had decided against. I took his word and ordered it anyway, and boy am I glad I did. Both my friends and I agreed that it was one of the best things we ate that night. The meat was juicy and wonderfully accented by onion and jalapeño. “I’ll be back for that,” one of my dining companions told Michel. “When you see me, just start making one of those.”
“The recipes in the restaurant come from my grandmother and my mother,” says Michel. “I brought them with me and made my own additions [like the jalapeño]. Tradition doesn’t mean you don’t evolve. My additions will hopefully become traditions of future generations.” I wouldn’t mind passing down that Kefta tradition myself.
Both the beef and chicken shawerma, marinated in turmeric and yogurt (which the restaurant makes from scratch) and then grilled on a vertical spit before being thinly sliced off, delivered good flavor, especially when it came to the chicken. Although the shawerma entrées (like the kebobs) can be served over a bed of Basmati saffron rice with hummus and a green salad or tabboule, we opted to have them on a bed of hummus. For a hummus fan like me with a serious carnivorous streak, the Hummus and Meat Platter is my definition of yum. I liked it just as much the next day when I had the leftovers for breakfast and then again for lunch.
We ended the copious meal with a delicious piece of Bakalwa which was flaky, crispy and packed with honey and nuts. That would have also made a terrific breakfast, but my ultra buff chum devoured the remaining pastry without an ounce of guilt. Good for her!
As much as my friends and I enjoyed the food, talking with Michel—who has a BA in journalism, a masters in public policy and who ran an art-related non-profit before opening Mazza Bistro—was the high point of the evening. Conversation is important to Michel and his family, which explains why they decided against having a TV in the restaurant. They want to encourage discourse. So when you stop by Mazza for lunch, dinner or a snack, introduce yourself to Michel and settle in for a chat. For as good as the food is, conversing with him is the true treat.
Mazza Bistro
806 Brooks Street; Bend
541-639-8444
mazzabistro@gmail.com
Hours: Monday-Thursday 11am-8pm; Friday-Saturday 11am-9pm;
Sunday 11am-7pm
Owner: Michel & Maxine Shehadeh