14 // COASTWEEKEND.COM
Coast Weekend’s local
restaurant review
Find Mediterranean, Lebanese fl avors at new Seaside restaurant
Review and photos by
MOUTH OF THE COLUMBIA
MOUTH@COASTWEEKEND.COM
I
I can’t tell you how many times
I passed the old Mediterranean
cafe in downtown Seaside only to
see a “closed” sign hanging in the
window. I would mope, because
these are elusive fl avors on the
North Coast, particularly in South
County. (Long Beach, Washington,
has the terrifi c Iranian-inspired
Kabob Cottage.)
Eventually another sign popped
up. It read: “For sale.” Early this
summer a couple from Portland
bought the bright, scrubbed cubby-
hole of a cafe. While rechristening
it McBani, the husband-and-wife
team — he’s originally from
Jordan; she’s from Lebanon — is
keeping with the Mediterranean/
Lebanese inspiration.
But they have come up with
their own menu. It’s based on
regional specialties, constructed
with nods toward simplicity, purity
and health. As the co-owner told
me, “We make everything from
scratch except the pita bread.” The
menu goes into detail, explaining
that the dishes are “prepared with
100 percent natural, kosher, fresh
ingredients, no preservatives,
no artifi cial fl avors, no GMO.”
And while Lebanese and Middle
Eastern cuisine lends itself well to
vegetarian, vegan and gluten-free
purviews, I was none-the-less
impressed with McBani’s highlight
and care for alternatives. I fi gured:
Next time my vegan sister visits
I’m bringing her here.
My fi rst trip came on a warm
Friday evening, and Broadway
— ever the tourist mecca — was
packed, the sidewalks nearly
shoulder-to-shoulder. McBani,
with white walls, halogen lighting
and sparse decor, is not particu-
larly refl ective of any aesthetic
beyond “the coast.” It was busy
too, but not to the point where my
companion and I couldn’t choose
between tables — there are only
about fi ve or six. Which is just as
well; the husband-and-wife owners
are McBani’s lone employees, han-
dling front and back of the house
in totality. Perusing the menu, I
couldn’t help but stare at the plates
of nearby diners, lovingly present-
ed on large, segmented dishes and
platters.
We began with the Falafel
appetizer ($5.95), the fi rst of many
colorful, aesthetically pleasing
dishes. The three garbanzo and
fava bean balls, mixed with onions,
cilantro and garlic were both well
spiced and fried — a crisp, thin
crust cupping the steamy, crum-
bling, soft green
innards. The falafel
were accompanied by
light green lettuce,
chopped red tomatoes,
sweet pickles and a
vibrant, pink pickled
radish, as well as cup
of beige tahini sauce.
Soon after came plates
of hummus and baba ghanoush
(which came as part of our platter
orders). The hummus was dust-
ed with smoked paprika, a few
chopped tomatoes and whole gar-
banzo beans. The baba ghanoush
spared the parsley and chickpeas,
adding green bell peppers. The
hummus was robust, the baba gha-
noush silky smooth, and both were
complemented with quality olive
oil. With another pair of plates
containing pitas fi lling the table,
there was hardly room for the main
course platters. And even before
they arrived, the veritable smorgas-
bord was absolutely delightful.
But, my, when the meats came,
my companion and I melted. She
had the Lamb Shawarma Platter
($21.95). Upon her fi rst bite of
the sinuous sirloin she emitted,
in ecstasy: “Oh wow. Oh wow.”
Gathering her senses, she added,
“Perfect marinade on the lamb, and
the cinnamon, clove and cumin.”
The rich, lean cubes were served
upon un-sticky basmati rice and
with a refreshing, cleansing Medi-
terranean salad.
My lustful reaction to the beef
MCBANI
Rating:
ADDRESS: 490 Broadway,
Seaside
PHONE: 503-757-9919
HOURS: 1 to 9 p.m. Thursday
through Monday.
PRICE: $ – Entrees range
from $10-$20
SERVICE: Gracious, thought-
ful, but can be stretched
VEGETARIAN / VEGAN
OPTIONS: A top choice for
vegetarians and vegans
DRINKS: Bottled drinks, coff ee
Above: McBani’s Stuff ed Cabbage Leaves Platter
featured hummus, salad and cabbage leaves suff ed
with rice and spiced beef.
Left: The beef and chicken kabob combo platter fea-
tured well-spiced meat off erings.
kabob was similar to my compan-
ion’s. The meat was supple and
ground with onions and herbs; the
spices — particularly saffron —
gave whispers of ancient, exquisite
elegance. Tantalizing seasoning
elevated the chicken too (I had
a combo platter featuring both,
$19.95). It included saffron, hints
of turmeric, and became something
deep, almost mysterious.
As business mellowed I
chatted for a moment with
the co-owner. He talked about
enhancing whole foods while
staying healthy and ethical. He
talked about maturing palates, of
the adult need for “real food.” As
we left, leftovers in hand, I was
equally happy about the check —
quite reasonable.
I returned with my parents.
They’re not adventurous eaters,
but I was confi dent that McBani’s
elemental, mostly familiar, though
punched-up ingredients would
make them fans. And hey, if things
went sideways, they could just
have chicken.
But things didn’t go side-
ways — they went swimmingly.
My mom was sensible and had a
light lunch — the Baba Ghanoush
platter ($9.95, vegan). My dad and
I went for it. He had the Stuffed
Cabbage Leaves Platter ($18.95),
which featured rice and cinnamon-
and-cloves-spiced ground beef
wrapped in cabbage leaves that
were topped with a light tomato
sauce. I was glad he was eating
more nutrients than fl our or corn.
After a Spinach Pie appetizer
that was soft, easy and forgetta-
ble, I had the “Kafta” Beef Kabob
Sandwich ($11.95). I chose it in
order to check out the sandwich-
es and because I was longing for
more saffron beef. I’m pleased to
report it was enormous — akin to
nearly two burritos, stuck end-to-
end. Inside, the kabob monopo-
lized some 80 percent of prime
real estate. The remaining alleys
were stuffed with hummus, bursts
of pickle, tomato, crisp lettuce and
other goodies.
Finishing up, my folks, coffee
addicts that they are, wondered
if McBani’s had any. There was
none brewed, but if we could wait
the co-owner would brew up “one
KEY TO STAR RATING SYSTEM
Below average
Average
Good
Excellent
Best in region
hell of a cup of coffee.” He said
he was once a coffee roaster and
“very particular” about it. My folks
obliged and ordered a baklava,
which was layered, fl aky, nutty and
not too sweet or mushy. The coffee
took its time, as can service at
McBani — two people can only do
so much. While they’re gracious,
competent and well-meaning, the
co-owners are also stretched. In
the meantime, we were offered
the cafe’s second pastry choice: a
crusty traditional fl our pastry with
a center of minced, seasoned dates.
Its spicing was another singular
sensation, darkly twinkling. The
pastry paired exceedingly well
with the coffee — which lived up
to its high billing.
Much as I was, my dad was
buoyed by the co-owner’s sense
of pride in his work and product.
“You’ve got to have that,” my dad
said. Indeed — every bit as much
as you’ve got to have these fl avors,
this ethic, and this diversity on the
North Coast.