Nicholas (Lebanese)

• Nicholas website
• Area: OMSI/Industrial area
• Price to fill up two people minus booze: $40

Until tonight I don’t think I’d had a really good middle eastern meal in glassland. But Nicholas, on SE Grand, put an end to that. Excellent, well-flavored hummus served correctly, wheaty, chewy flatbreads, they know how to do yogurt drinks right and the tabbouleh was home-made exactly the way I like it. I had the lamb ghanam (marinated lamb on rice, good but not scintillating), Robyn had a house specialty, Stephan’s Chicken, which was delicious. $40 bought ‘way ‘way too much of all that for two people. so we left with a doggie carton.

This is a tiny place, about 10 tables, and on a Friday night THERE WILL BE A LINE outside because there’s no place to wait inside, so come early. By the time we finished our dinner, about 8:30, there were perhaps 35 people waiting outside in the cold.
Staring in at us.
Impatiently.
(we felt guilty and left)

Service was brisk–you get the impression these guys are in a hurry to get the table back–but still friendly. We had to wait a bit too long to get a menu, but once the food started coming it came in a rush and we were too busy eating to care. There’s also no place to hang your coat or stick parcels, so leave them in the car when you go. But do go–it’s definitely worth it.