Tusk
Portland’s fresh, bright take on Middle Eastern flavors.
GO HERE: for executive chef Sam Smith’s takes on the best seasonal produce that the Pacific Northwest has to offer, served up in a chic, airy, succulent-filled space that feels more Palm Springs than Portland. If swipes of creamy labneh, tangy pickled vegetables, and generous sprinklings of crunchy nuts and seeds are menu catnip to you, then you’re in the right place.
ORDER THE: dreamy, elaborately-topped hummus du jour, plus as many of the ever-changing vegetable dishes as you can fit on the table, and plenty of nutty, pillow-light flatbreads to mop it all up with.
NO DECISIONS NECESSARY: The menu is big enough to inspire order-anxiety—but the $50-per-person chef’s-choice “Magic Carpet Ride” is the move if you’ve shown up with a crew of four or more hungry pals.
THE VIBE IS: fun and breezy, with lots of enthusiastic, hands-in sharing at every table. A gigantic photo of Speedo-clad Keith Richards—Tusk’s spirit animal—hangs over the bar, if that’s any indication of the aesthetic here.
GETTING IN: isn’t all that hard on weeknights, provided you don’t mind waiting a bit. Reserve a week to two out for primo weekend times.
