LOCAL
THURSDAY, DECEMBER 23, 2021
THE OBSERVER — A7
Pop-up business off ering Mideast cuisine in Joseph
By BILL BRADSHAW
Wallowa County Chieftain
JOSEPH —Wallowa
County has an “Euzumeh”
to dine on authentic
Middle Eastern fare for the
next month and a half at
the Gold Room in Joseph.
An Euzumeh is Arabic
for an invitation, partic-
ularly to a dinner party,
according to chef Tamara
Hattar, who is doing the
“pop-up” with the cuisine
she learned from her Jor-
danian-born parents and
brought to Joseph begin-
ning Dec. 1. The pop-up
is what she does to off er
her service on a temporary
basis.
“I don’t have my own
‘brick-and-mortar’ restau-
rant, so I go into another
restaurant — like the Gold
Room,” Hattar said. “I
was also doing it in Port-
land and I run a service or
a dinner for the evening or,
in this case, I’m doing it
for two months.”
Hattar is babysitting
the Gold Room while the
owners take care of their
new daughter, who was
born in October.
“They’re my good
friends, Jo Marie Pitino
and Ross Effi nger,” Hattar
said. “That’s why I’m
doing this for December
and January to give them
some more time with the
baby, and this is a great
opportunity, as well.”
Born and bred to cook
Hattar, who was born
in California, grew up in
a restaurant run by her
father and cooking along-
side him. Although she
doesn’t consider herself
fully fl uent in Arabic, she
can understand it when her
parents speak it to her and
speak back — to a degree.
“My family is from
Jordan and I was raised in
the kitchen with my mom,
aunts and grandma just
cooking all the time,” she
said. “I’m fi rst-generation
Talia Galvin/Talia Jean Photography
Tamara Hattar prepares a dish at the Gold Room in Joseph where
she’s off ering Middle Eastern cuisine through January as part of a
“pop-up” called Euzumeh.
(American). I was raised
around cooking. I did go
to culinary school in San
Francisco.”
But despite her creden-
tials from a culinary school
that she attended after
college — when she also
worked in restaurants as a
server — it’s the on-the-
ground — better yet, over-
the-stove — experience as
tutored by her parents.
“I grew up in the restau-
rant business. Profession-
ally, I’ve been working in
restaurants since 2010,”
she said. “I think a lot
of the skills and expe-
rience just comes from
working in restaurants, just
cooking and getting good
experience.”
Arab cuisine
A quick look at the
menu will baffl e most
who are not familiar with
Arab cuisine. While there
are familiar items like
kale, hummus and roasted
pepper and feta dip,
less familiar items have
names like Labneh with
Za’atar, Sfeeha and Ful
Mudammas.
But don’t be intim-
idated. Not only does
Hattar know what she’s
doing, she’s schooled her
staff in the intricacies of
the menu.
“That’s also the exciting
part of bringing this to
the county is I know it’s
all pretty unfamiliar to
the majority of people
here,” she said. “But with
the servers, we did have a
meeting and I printed out
a glossary of terms and
they’re well versed with
the menu and can explain it
to the guests.”
Also, there’s a brief
description under each
item on the menu.
There also are items
many will fi nd familiar.
“We have kebabs and all
2021 Soroptimist
Festival of Trees
the dips and pita bread and
falafel,” she said. “I also
make some pickles, which
seem to be very popular.”
Local produce, meat
Hattar said she doesn’t
import her food all the way
from Jordan.
“I try to do seasonal
(dishes) and see what we
can get from the farms.
One of the major farms is
Hayshaker in Walla Walla
(Washington),” she said.
“They’re incredible, and
we’re so lucky to get pro-
duce from them.”
But she also obtains
food from Wallowa County
farms, as well as Ever-
green Family Farm in La
Grande.
“We work with Prairie
Creek Farm in Joseph and
Little Hill near Lostine
and we work with local
ranches, so 6 Ranch and
Carman Ranch,” she said.
“We try to source from
local farms and ranches as
much as we can.”
F E S T I VA L
OF TREES
Soroptimists say thanks to our Festival donors and buyers and the
La Grande Community for helping make our Festival a huge success!
Abby Stonebreaker Photography
Ace Hardware
Alaina Carson-Wright
Alpine Archery
Alpine Meadows Golf Course
Andrea Lofton
Anna Cavinato
Anthony Lakes Ski Resort
Antlers Espresso
Aquilera’s Amazing Aromas
Barney Kuensting
Barretto Manufacturing
Bar Trucking
Big 5
B & K Auto Salvage
BiMart
Blue Summit Realty
Boise Cascade
Boylan Studios
Brittany Pryce
Brother Bear Coffee
Bud Jackson’s
Buffalo Peak Golf Course
Cam Credits
Carpet One Floor & Home
CASA
Cassidy Loman
Cassie and Jeremy Smith
Coca Cola Bottling Company
Columbia Distributing
Community Connections
Connected Professional
Accountants
Copy Club
Copies Plus
Corbyn Sexton
Damsels in Defense - Sue
Archuleta
D & B Supply
Dona Duncan
Dan Landa Veterans Back 40
Adventures
Eastern Oregon Fire Museum
Elkhorn Media Group
EOU Chemistry Club
EOU Writers Workshop
Eastern Oregon University
Football Players
Eberhard Logging
Emily Andrews
Fairway Mortgage - Teri
Champlin
Fenn’s Towing & Repair
Find Your Why Travel
Girl Scout Service Unit 23
Globe Furniture
Granada Theatre
Grande Ronde Academy
Grande Ronde Hospital
Grande Ronde Med Spa
Grande Ronde Symphony
Orchestra
Granite View Foot & Ankle
Hagedorn Logging
Heart & Home Hospice
Hobby Habit
Horizon Credit Union
Island City Deli & Catering
Island Express Lube & Car
Wash
Jake Seavert
Janet Pryce
Jahmi Fiscus
Jefferson Street Supply True
Value
Joni Minica
Joyful Sounds Piano Studio
Kevin Loveland
Kierstin Lofton
Koza Family Dental Care
La Grande Armory
La Grande Country Club
La Grande Family Eye Care
La Grande Gold & Silver
La Grande Grocery Outlet
La Grande Paint and Glass
La Grande Parks and Recreation
La Grande Soroptimists
La Grande Swim Club
Les Schwab
Linda Whittemore - Rhoden &
Fields
Local Harvest Eatery & Pub
Lynn Halliday
Magnificent Looks - Laurie
Sweet
Main Street Barbers
Mama Lank’s Bake Shoppe
Maurice’s
Miller’s Hardware
Marketplace Grocery
MJ Goss Company
Mountain Valley Fitness &
Health
Mountain Valley Honey - Ray
Westenskow
NAPA Auto Parts
Nells-n-Out
Northwest Furniture
On Stage- Dashia Jones
On Stage - Jan Bennett
On Stage - Lani Streitzel
Oregon Trail Electric
Cooperative
Pampered Chef - Sharon
Cheney
Papa Murphy’s
Pat Wood
Powder Valley Correctional
Facility
Praise Photography -- Eric
Valentine
Raiden Smith
R.D. Mac Inc.
Rhonda Basso
Riverside Greens
Roaring Springs Waterpark
Ryan Houston
Seattle Mariners
Seattle Seahawks
Shelter From The Storm
Shirley Roberts Business
Services
Silverwood Theme Park
Sorbenots Coffee
Soulfire Jewelry
State Farm Insurance
Sweeter By The Dozen
Swire Coca Cola
T Gandy
The Ad Dad
The Board Mamas
The Landing Hotel & Dining
The Local
The Window Store
Tom & Emily Insko
Tony Moyer
Tri County Equipment
Veterans’ Memorial Pool
Wallowa Lake Tramway
WalMart - Staci, Tasha, Lovina,
Kathy and Lyz
Waste Pro
Wildhorse Resort & Casino
To all who made our Festival of Trees a great success
LARGE TREES
1. “THE GREAT OUTDOORS”
Donated by: State Farm Insurance
Purchased by: Eastern Oregon Rental & Sales
2. “MISTLETOE AT MIDNIGHT”
Donated by: M.J. Goss Motor Company
Decorated by: Tayde McAndie
Purchased by: Wesley Campbell
3. “THE YEARMAS TREE”
Donated by: Haley Hines, Blue Summit Realty Group
Decorated by: Ronetta Prince with La Joli Event Planner
Purchased by: Micah Anderson
4. “FIRESIDE CHRISTMAS”
Donated by: Hagedorn Logging
Decorated by: Oregon Women in Timber
Purchased by: Wesley Campbell
5. “WINTER FROST”
Donated by: Grande Ronde Hospital
Decorated by: Friends of Grande Ronde Hospital
Purchased by: The Other Guys Auto
Resold to: Northwest Furniture
6. “HE GNOMES IF YOU ARE NAUGHTY OR NICE”
Donated by: Elkhorn Media Group
Decorated by: Edna Henderson, Meghan Fairchild, Nyla
Rhoton and Amanda Bojorquez
Purchased by: Valerie Smith
7. “BRILLIANT, BAD & A LITTLE BIT MAD”
Donated by: Mountain Valley Therapy
Decorated by: Rachael Dillavov
Purchased by: Kellie Hildebrandt
8. “TIS THE SKI-SON”
Donated by: RD Mac Inc & Challis Concrete
Decorated by: Kylin Collman, Sherree Alley, Azuiena
Miramontes, Ashley Challis and Morgan Mata
Purchased by: Legacy Dodge
9. “HOT WHEELS HOLIDAY”
Donated by: Horizon Credit Union
Decorated by: Diana Burry, Katie Crampton, Sydney Peal,
Jenny Schiller and Sam Shown
Purchased by: The Other Guys Auto
Resold to: Jake Hanson - B & K Auto Salvage
10. “KEEPING IT WOODY”
Donated by: Boise Cascade Wood Products LLC
Decorated by: Jessica, Connie, Rhonda, Fran, Darla and
Hannah
Purchased by: Manulife Investment & Forest Manage-
ment
19. “CHRISTMAS IN PARIS”
Donated by: The Landing/The Local
Decorated by: La Grande Soroptimists, Kristi Puckett,
Brenda Bell, Pat Wood, Sharon Cheney
Purchased by: State Farm Insurance
11. “I’LL BE GNOME FOR CHRISTMAS”
Donated by: Rosewood Cottage
Decorated by: Sarah Barker, Bethany Barker and Paige
Barker
Purchased by: Jamie Challis - Challis Concrete
Resold to: Rudd Farms
Mini Trees
12. “SANTA LOVES CHRISTMAS COOKIES”
Donated by: Connected Professional Accountants, LLC
Decorated by: Pat Brooks, Jasmine Brookshire and Judy
Jensen
Purchased by: Fred Wallender
2. “THE ENCHANTED FOREST”
Donated by: Girls Scouts of America Oregon and SW
Washington
Decorated by: Girl Scouts of Service Unit 23
Purchased by: Hailey Hines
13. “HOME FOR THE HOLIDAYS”
Donated by: La Grande Family Eye Care
Decorated by: Amber Schlegel and Amanda Schlegel
Purchased by: Banner Bank
3. “SOUTHWEST CHRISTMAS”
Donated by: Les Schwab
Decorated by: Jaclyn Stebar, Brocklee Stebar, Sadie Stebar
and Hanlee Stebar
Purchased by: Oregon Trail Transport
14. “INTO THE WOODS”
Donated by: Vicki Kunkle
Decorated by: Vicki Kunkle and Lela Kunkle
Purchased by: Northwest Furniture
15. “BREAST CANCER AWARENESS”
Donated by: Heart ‘N Home Hospice of La Grande
Decorated by: Kristina Maughmer
Purchased by: Legacy Ford
16. “A BOOT SCOOTIN’ CHRISTMAS”
Donated by: B&K Auto, Bar Trucking, MeDaza Salon and
Oregon Trail Transport
Decorated by: Bree Fregulia, Katie Hanson, Kristy Nelson
and Michelle McCarthy
Purchased by: Granite View Foot & Ankle
17. “FARM FRESH CHRISTMAS”
Donated by: Fenn’s Towing and Repair
Decorated by: Sara Fenn, Codi Eby and Pam Konschu
Purchased by: R.D. Mac Company
18. “THE BUCKING BRONCO”
Donated by: Legacy Ford
Decorated by: Rocky Colozzi and Lisa Baker
Purchased by: Fred Wallender
1. “WINTER HOLIDAY CHEER”
Donated by: Nells-N-Out
Decorated by: Sandra Larison
Purchased by: Karen Campbell
4. “ANGELS WE HAVE HEARD ON HIGH”
Donated by: Lane Farms & Grande Ronde Academy
-Christian Education
Decorated by: Carrie Lane, Natasha Lane and Anika
Jacobson
Purchased by: Country Insurance
5. “WINTER’S GRACE”
Donated by: Dirty Girls Detailing
Decorated by: Keri Eberhard
Purchased by: Fred Wallender
RAFFLE WINNERS:
Kellie Hildebrandt - 1/2 beef donated by Granite View Foot
and Ankle - Dr. Travis Hampton
Joni Minica - 1 year of free car washes donated by Island
Express Lube & Car Wash
Jessica McMillen - $500 Utility Gift Certificate donated by
Oregon Trail Electric Co-Op
FAVORITE TREES
Children - “HOT WHEELS HOLIDAY”
Adults - “HE GNOMES IF YOU ARE NAUGHTY OR NICE”