Brunch at Tusk and Upcoming Summer Party

Tusk in Portland took over the old Levant space on SE 24th and Burnside, transforming it into a light filled bright space with a sweet touch but continuing to offer Middle Eastern food and making use of the inherited open wood-burning hearth. Brunch at Tusk is only 10 AM – 2PM on Saturday and Sunday, otherwise they are open for dinner daily.

It’s quite a contrast seeing almost kitty corner across the street the line of people waiting for the heavier Southern brunch and fried chicken and biscuits versus here, the lighter Middle Eastern brunch plates, many which are vegetarian, can be made vegan, and feel healthier. Extensive studies have shown that Mediterranean eating patterns – of which Middle Eastern food share some commonality with its use of chickpeas, lentils, vegetables, olive oil, etc. –  are directly correlated with good health including the reduction of that LDL (Low Density Lipoprotein) bad cholesterol,  risk of Alzheimer’s by approximately 40 percent, and the development of Parkinson’s Disease. So let’s bring on the hummus and pita, shall we!

Bright interior full of light welcomes you and keeps you feeling cheerful during your meal.

Brunch

Non alcoholic beverage of Masala Chai Tree Nitro or of Sparkling Iced Matcha (choice of mint or anise) are a great option to give us a little caffeine hint but staying with our intent for a healthy brunch.

They have a few brunch cocktails a “Generous Pour” cocktail which every month varies, and a $1 from the cocktail goes to a special cause. I went with my standby brunch beverage, the Tusk Bloody Mary with Monopolowa vodka, house bloody mix, lime, fermented jalapeno, and salt.

The two of us love hummus, and we easily finished this large order of Hummus with paprika, parsley, served with Tusk flatbread. The hummus is not too garlicky and heavy, in fact is feels whipped and light and may be the best hummus I’ve ever had. The flatbread is warm and thicker/doughier then regular pita bread, which makes this a more filling dish then you might initially expect – but perfect for scooping huge amounts of hummus onto the torn pita bread with each scoop.

Vegetarian wise, enjoy the From the Vegetables and Grains section, the Grain Bowl with green wheat, vegetables, avocado, dukka, egg, argan oil (ask for it without egg to make it vegan)

If you order the Baked Eggs and Halloumi with spicy tomato, greens, yogurt, and sesame seeds, make sure you have some pita bread and a refreshing beverage to help you cool off!

For a more filling dish, consider The Young Turk plate with a pita sandwich with hummus and herb tehina, pickled onions, cabbage, radishes, and halloumi (or chicken, or both) and served with fries

On the table you will find 3 condiments – I was quite a fan of the Aleppo chili oil which I was pretty liberal with adding on the faltbread, flatbread with hummus, on my fries… there is nothing this doesn’t go with.

We also tried the both sweet and savory flavors together in one Chocolate Sesame Polenta with tehina, honey, cardamom

Take home leftovers! That’s why you should order the large hummus – at worst, you will take it home. Or maybe you’ll order a second large plate for the excuse to take that home after you’ve finished the first…

Have you ever enjoyed a Middle Eastern brunch before? Have you been to or heard of Tusk, what would you enjoy?

 

Upcoming Summer Party!

On August 10th, from 4-11 PM, Bonnie Morales from Kachka is going to team up with Tusk’s Sam Smith at Tusk to throw a Summer Party! They will be offering a special collaboration menu they’ve collaborated on for a festive summer party that is a mashup of their two cuisines from the Middle East and Russia.

This Kachka and Tusk collaboration is inspired from the Caucuses, a region at the border of Europe and Asia, situated between the Black Sea and the Caspian Sea. This area has been both part of the Persian Empire and the Russian Empire in its history, and not surprisingly here spices and flavors meld between those of the Middle East and Eastern Europe. Taking this as inspiration, Bonnie and Sam have created an original menu for this Summer Party.

Sam of Tusk (photo credit: Benji Wagner) and Bonnie of Kachka (photocredit: Olga Mazurenko)

The Summer Party will include, for $35 per person, a food buffet set up on the patio outside all evening. Then, there will be drinks, dessert and other promised surprises inside with additional items for purchase!

Buffet Menu (included with ticket):

• Bread
• Pickles
  • Uzbek-style pickled watermelon (Kachka)
  • Sumac pickled fennel (Tusk)
• Salads
  • Lobio: kidney beans, feta, walnut and marigold salad (Kachka)
  • Cucumber, tomatoes, green tehina, seeds (Tusk)
• Grilled
  • Chicken thighs marinated in kefir and green coriander (Kachka)
  • Eggplant (Tusk)
• Sauces
  • Smoked Tkemali BBQ sauce (Kachka)
  • Adjika (Kachka)
  • Coriander-Sumac kefir sauce (Kachka)
  • Aleppo Chili Oil (Tusk)

Additional Items Available for Purchase:

• Caviar with Tusk crispy bread, egg, and chives (Tusk)
• Summer crudités with Muhammara and Sunflower Tahini (Kachka)
• Honey tehina ice cream sandwich (Tusk)
• Cocktails, beer and wine (with some special Russian additions for the night) from the bar

Tickets for the event are $35 per person, and tickets are available now at: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/tusk-x-kachka-summer-party-tickets-36112557632

The event is all ages until 10 PM.