A few weeks ago my older daughter, Sarah, and I took a quick road trip to Portland — just a one-night stayover — but it made for a quick getaway and a chance to have a mom-and-daughters visit, as we stayed with younger daughter, Jenny. The (grand)kids stayed with their dads, so it gave Jenny and Sarah a chance to have some grownup time, too.

Sarah and I arrived late in the afternoon in Portland, and after a quick freshen up and a change out of our traveling clothes, we, along with Jenny, headed to dinner in nearby Multnomah Village, a cozy little neighborhood in Southwest Portland bursting with unique shops and great eateries. Our visit to Yalla was a first for Sarah and me, but Jenny and her husband had visited several times and highly endorsed the food there. Yalla is part of the Sesame Collective group of restaurants, and I realized my husband and I had dined at another of their restaurants, Mediterranean Exploration Company (also at Jenny’s recommendation) last summer. I knew for sure, then, that we were in for some wonderful food. Yalla bills itself as a Mediterranean smokehouse, and we could smell the scents of grilled meat wafting in whenever the door to the back patio area opened.

Our server, Victor, explained that menu items are intended to be shared, family-style, and each would provide three or four people with a generous sampling. We took a little time selecting our choices from a menu divided into categories of salads, mezze, mains and sides, with suggestions from Jenny. Victor assured us that the kitchen would pace our selections so that we would receive just a few items at a time. We started with a lighter, refreshing fennel and apple salad, complemented with sheep’s cheese and crunchy spiced hazelnuts. There then followed a succession of delicious courses: hummus with burnt beef ends, savory and delicious on warm pita; cacio e pepe, fettuccine with peppercorn and nutty grana padano cheese; perfectly fried chicken served with harissa honey; Bulgarian lamb and beef kebab with a medley of peppers, eggplant and stewed tomatoes; and the signature Schmaltz cornbread, coated in a decadent bourbon glaze and a dollop of honeycomb butter. Ooof! We didn’t have room for dessert right then, but Jenny (I’ll blame her) insisted we get a serving each of the spiced carrot cake and the Basque burnt cheesecake with raspberry compote. I’m glad we did!

The next morning found us down in Portland’s South Waterfront, developed over the last 20 years or so on what had been industrial land and a shipyard. It now bustles with a mix of Oregon Health Sciences University clinics and research facilities, high-end condominium towers    and affordable housing units, retail and restaurants, and green spaces. You can stroll across the Willamette River on the cyclist-, pedestrian- and transit-only Tilikum Crossing bridge or hop on the Portland Aerial Tram up to the West Hills. Oh, and there is that ICE facility that has been much in the news lately. We drove by it on the way to our appointment, and on that misty, chilly morning it was completely quiet, with nary a reporter, federal agent or protester (or frog) in sight. I would like to assure you that Portland is neither a hellscape nor aflame, and it pains me to hear the beautiful city of my birth so maligned. Come and visit; it has so much to offer!

We decided to get lunch nearby before Sarah and I headed back south on I-5, and the Pakistani and Indian fare at Zaiqa Indian Cuisine sounded good. The menu is quite extensive and can meet the needs of vegetarians, vegans and gluten-averse diners with many options. We were ready for some warm, spicy food to take the early chill off, and we each ordered a main dish to go with our naan and basmati rice.   Butter masala is Jenny’s perennial favorite, and Sarah decided to try the mango tikka masala,  while I chose the creamy khorma. I appreciated the subtle and complex mix of spices in each dish, and we decided a return visit at a future date was definitely in order to sample more of the menu.

Yes, although it was very short trip to Portland, it nevertheless satisfied on every count!

— Patty Vanikiotis, associate editor/copy editor