It’s rare for a restaurant opening to sneak up on me, but last week, Levant quietly soft-opened in Petaluma’s Theater District, offering an extensive menu that showcases the flavors of Syria, Lebanon, Jordan and Palestine.

Co-owner Arafat “Art” Herzallah of San Francisco’s popular Freekah restaurant has teamed up with longtime Petaluma residents Saheer Kassis and Issa Musalla to create a Middle Eastern culinary oasis at the site of the former Trattoria Roma.

Many dishes on Levant’s menu are tried-and-true favorites from Freekah, including cold mezze samplers with creamy hummus, yogurt-based labneh, smoky baba ghanoush and muhamarra, a sweet red pepper dip with walnuts ($21-$28). All are served with warm bites of pita bread.

Hot mezze, such as fried halloumi (Jibneh Halloumi, $12), grilled Palestinian cheese (Jibneh Nabulsi, $12), fried cauliflower with tahini sauce (Zahara Bil Tahini, $16) and falafel ($10), also appear on the Freekah menu, along with skewers, wraps and salads.

Unlike the tapas-style dishes at Freekah, Levant dives deeper into the traditional, family-style meals of the Middle East, like Kufta ($24), a ground beef and lamb dish with sliced potatoes, onions and spices, topped with tahini or tomato sauce; and Lahme ($26), lamb simmered with potatoes. Mansaf ($32), a classic Jordanian dish made with lamb, spiced saffron rice and jameed (fermented yogurt), is an intensely flavored option that, while not my cup of tea, offers an earthy tangy richness inspired by Herzallah’s grandmother’s recipe.

The menu features a handful of Lebanese and Jordanian wines alongside pungent Turkish coffee and delicious mint tea.

First impressions

Levant is warm and inviting, and Herzallah’s wife, Monyca Currier-Herzallah, is an excellent guide, offering detailed explanations (sometimes with family stories) of each dish. As a longtime vegetarian, she has added plant-based meat options to an already vegetarian-friendly menu (which also features many gluten-free options).

The restaurant’s interior remains largely unchanged, with warm wood tones and earthy hues in the compact, 1,700-square-foot space. While the open kitchen can get a bit noisy at times, it also provides a fascinating peek at ingredients and preparations.

Several dishes were a little heavy-handed on the salt, but spiced saffron rice had an intoxicating scent. Plates are meant to be shared, so be sure to go with friends and dip your pita bread with abandon.

There’s no shortage of Middle Eastern cuisine in Sonoma County (thankfully), with more than a dozen options for great hummus, tabbouleh, shawarma and falafel. But Levant stands apart with its traditional family recipes and many personal touches — something far harder to find.

Levant is at 140 Second St., Suite 100, Petaluma, 707-658-8017. Website coming soon. Open 4-9 p.m. Tuesday through Sunday. instagram.com/Levant_Petaluma

You can reach Dining Editor Heather Irwin at heather.irwin@pressdemocrat.com. Follow Heather on Instagram @biteclubeats.

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Oh hummus, we have done you so wrong. The staple of Middle Eastern cuisine, made with humble chickpeas, olive oil and tahini, never deserved to be made into “brownie batter” flavor. But the many, many ways hummus has entered into our everyday lives also has brought us closer to other flavors of countries like Greece, Turkey, Syria, Palestine, Israel, Iraq, Iran and many others.

Once all but impossible to find in Sonoma County — or really even outside large cities or pockets of immigrant communities — spices like saffron, sumac, cinnamon, cumin and turmeric are becoming more common in local fare. Tzatziki sits next to onion dip at Trader Joe’s. Pitas are just as popular filled with peanut butter and jelly as they are with falafel.

With the appearance of several Middle Eastern restaurant newcomers on the local dining scene, it seemed time to honor some of our favorite haunts for hummus and the many other dishes of this vast culinary landscape. And while lumping together the rich cuisines of each region and country under a single banner is as silly as saying American food consists only of hamburgers, hot dogs and apple pie, it all has to start with a common thread that’s universally understood.

So we’ll plant a flag with hummus and go from there, because everyone loves a good hummus. In addition to some best bets, each restaurant will get a hummus score from 1 (not great) to 5 (awesome). And we promise, no brownie batter hummus will be included.

Success stories

Kalimera Bar & Grill: Earlier this year, Grill Santa Rosa was notified to leave Santa Rosa Plaza where it had been serving well-crafted Mediterranean fare since 2021. But with family and community support, chef and owner Ilyas Kara revived his restaurant at the Brickyard Center with the same menu and new name: Kalimera Bar & Grill. Go for the cold mezze plate, a sampling of hummus, baba ganoush (roasted eggplant dip), tabbouleh, tzatziki, dolmas, grilled pita and crisp falafel. It’s plenty big for sharing. Hummus: 4. 458 B St., Santa Rosa, 707-308-4928, kalimerabarandgrill.com

Spread Kitchen: Opened in 2022 in the former Sonoma Eats location in Boyes Hot Springs, this Lebanese-inspired restaurant from chef-owner Cristina Topham has garnered a devoted following. The San Francisco Chronicle recently called Spread “one of the best Middle Eastern restaurants in the Bay Area.” There are plenty of vegan and gluten-free options in addition to traditional staples like lamb kofta and turmeric chicken in a lavash wrap. Go for an array of mezzes, such as the quinoa tabbouleh, falafel with green tahini sauce and za’atar fries with toum, an irresistible creamy whipped garlic sauce. Hummus: 5. 18375 Highway 12, Sonoma, 707-721-1256, spreadkitchensonoma.com

Falafel Hut: This longtime San Rafael favorite opened in downtown Santa Rosa (in the former Gerard’s Paella location) in 2021. The falafel is off-the-charts tasty, and we loved the kibbie (ground lamb and bulgur wheat with a gentle cinnamon spice). The chicken shawarma was only pretty good with minimal seasoning when the restaurant first started off, but now it’s excellent and bursting with flavor. Hummus: 4. 701 Fourth St., Santa Rosa, 707-237-7010, falafelhut2.com

Gold standards

King Falafel: This hidden gem is probably the best falafel spot in Sonoma County. It’s exactly the kind of no-frills eatery that focuses on what it does best — falafel. Go for the King falafel where you can choose toppings including pickles, eggplant, tahini, red shatta, tzatziki or tabbouleh. Hummus: 4. 100 Brown St., Suite 150, Sebastopol, 707-824-4800

Sam’s Mediterranean: You won’t stumble on this out-of-the-way deli unless you spend a lot of time cruising quiet office parks looking for hole-in-the-wall lunch spots. Thankfully, I do, and this charming little place is a Middle Eastern treasure. Their panini-style chicken shawarma wraps are a delicious entry point, with gently spiced meat and melted cheese. It comes with garlic and hot sauces and a Greek salad. Hummus: 4. 613 Martin Ave., Suite 111, Rohnert Park, 707-584-0220, samsmeddeli.com

Real Doner: Here’s another stunner that has stood the test of time. We’re especially fond of the doner wraps — long rolls of lavash bread with sliced meat or kebab snuggled inside. We also love the Pink Sultan, a roasted beet and yogurt dip. Hummus: 5. 307 F St., Petaluma, 707-765-9555, realdoner.net

More than Middle Eastern

Fourth Street Market and Deli: This local sandwich shop makes a mean tabbouleh, and it’s the only spot I’ve found for mujadara, an addictive lentil and caramelized onion dish. Hummus: 4. 300 Mendocino Ave., Santa Rosa, 707-573-9832, fourthstreetdeli.com

East West Cafe: I’ve often given this local charmer short shrift after a couple of long-ago disappointments. Since then, however, I’ve been really impressed with the chicken shawarma and vegetarian mezze plate. Hummus: 4. 557 Summerfield Road, Santa Rosa, 707-546-6142, eastwestcafesantarosa.com

Elevated

Stockhome: The Swedish cuisine here also includes influences of Turkish street food that’s common in Sweden, but part of the menu sets aside meatballs and lingonberries for kebabs, pita-wrapped falafel, fattoush salad and saffron rice. The eggplant dip is out of this world, and the grilled halloumi pita is equally amazing. Hummus: 5. 220 Western Ave., Petaluma, 707-981-8511, stockhomepetaluma.com

Pearl: This chef-run restaurant takes inspiration from the flavors of the Middle East and turns them into memorable meals. Dishes change up, but the picnic plate with tabbouleh, hummus, labneh and fresh pita is required. We also love the Persian meatball tagine with herbed yogurt, lamb burger and shakshuka, a brunchy dish with spiced tomato stew and eggs. Moroccan rice pudding is a perfect, perfumed ending. Hummus: 5. 500 First St., Petaluma, 707-559-5187, pearlpetaluma.com

Grossman’s: This Jewish-style deli focuses on a wide variety of dishes, from latkes to zhug. We love the nuanced falafel that don’t hit your stomach like a bomb, baby artichokes with labneh and sumac, quinoa tabbouleh and, yes, I’m going to say it again because I eat it so much, the Sabich platter with fried eggplant, falafel, tahina and amba, a sauce made with pickled mangoes. Hummus: 5. 308 Wilson St., Santa Rosa, 707-595-7707, grossmanssr.com

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My family was recently rocked by a scandalous and shocking test result that will forever change our lives — our DNA turns out to be 52 percent Scandinavian. We are not blonde, we have no particular affinity toward meatballs and only occasionally shop at Ikea. The signs were always there, though — my mother’s dallying with pickled herring in the 1970s, the fact that as children, my brother and I could do a spot-on imitation of the Swedish Chef from the Muppets and a suspicion that lingonberry runs in our blood.

Turns out more of us with English heritage (up to 12 percent, according to Ancestry.com) can trace our lineage to the glacial lakes, forest and fjords than we expected. Blame the marauding Vikings — or don’t — but at least now you can experience a bit of Motherland cuisine right here in Sonoma County, no matter where your DNA says you’re from.

Stockhome Restaurant is a collaboration between husband and wife team Roberth and Andrea Sundell, who own the upscale Swedish restaurant Plaj in San Francisco. After living in Petaluma for years with their kids, the couple decided to open a walk-up cafe featuring unfussy family favorites closer to home. Open just two weeks, the restaurant has become a neighborhood hub, mixing Turkish and Mediterranean street food found in the larger cities of Sweden with homey classics like Swedish meatballs, pickled herring and Swedish pancakes on the menu — all of it with a few nods to California as well. Consider it the United Nations of local dining.

Fun fact: Though kabobs, schwarma and kofta seem a world away from the smoked salmon and rye bread usually associated with Scandinavian cuisine, Sweden actually has a long history of assimilation of Middle Eastern foods. Less than a month ago, the world was shocked to find out that the recipe for Swedish meatballs was actually brought from Turkey to Sweden by the exiled King Charles XII in the early 18th century, according to the country’s national Twitter account. But who’s cornered the market on the Swedish meatball? Ikea, the Swedish furniture company that sells more than 2 million per day, according to its website? Take that, Turkey.

The interior is the bright, classic Swedish minimalist look you’d expect, with cornflower blue paint outside welcoming you into a large open room with clean lines, long group tables and vintage Josef Frank floral wallpaper — something most Swedes immediately recognize from their childhoods, according to my co-worker and dining partner, Sofia, who, with my other co-worker, Annika, are both Stockholm natives.

Wherever you’re from and wherever you’re going, there’s one thing we can all agree on, and that’s tasty food. Combining the flavors and presentation of a fine dining experience in a casual environment, the Sundells have nailed a need that’s long existed in Sonoma County — where grownups and kids can both enjoy a solid meal with flavors both familiar and exotic. The bonus: The Swedish tradition of lördagsgodis, wherein kids are allowed candy only on Saturday, but can then indulge in as much as they want, is alive and well here, with tempting jars filled with Plopp! chocolates, gummy fish and (be warned) spicy salted licorice candy that only a Swede could love.

Best Bets

How did the food stack up with the Swedes? Both Annika and Sofia said the food was pretty spot on. I think I noticed a few little tears in their stoic Nordic eyes when we ate the pickled herring, but they’d never admit it. I’ve noted their favorites.

Street Food

Korv Kiosk (hot dog stand) Tunnbrod Rulle ($9): This is serious post-drinking food, because no sober person would put a smoked German sausage, mashed potatoes, ketchup, mustard, iceberg lettuce and tomatoes inside a rolled Swedish flatbread. But somehow it’s delicious no matter what your inebriation status. Swedes approve.

Lamb and Beef Kebab Plate ($14): Thin slices of juicy lamb and beef are topped with a light tomato sauce and a side of garlic yogurt. “A lot of our Swedish friends tasted this to make sure it was right,” said Roberth. Served with fries or saffron rice, it’s a hearty portion of tender meat far better than your usual gyro fare. Swedes approved.

Small Plates

Celery Root Gratin with Wrangeback Cheese ($8): This dish is all about the sharp, herby raw cow’s milk cheese that’s melty in some spots and nicely crisped and caramelized in others. Thin slices of celery root are merely a transmission system for the cheese, butter and milk that make this so intensely addictive.

Grilled Stone Fruits ($9): Impossibly simple, perfectly seasonal nectarines get the lightest of grills, tossed with chewy barley and tart pomegranate molasses.

Shrimp Skagen ($12): The traditional Swedish shrimp salad on toast gets a California twist, made with bits of brioche toast, avocado, olive oil and chili. A refreshing small plate you won’t really want to share. Swedes approve.

Larger Dishes

Plank Steak ($24): Literally a steak on a wooden plank. It arrives with an aggressive-looking upright knife stabbed into the center of the steak. Swedes are impressed and say this is very Old School childhood memory kind of food. Served with piped “Duchess” potatoes, asparagus, grilled tomato and Bearnaise sauce — a classic French tarragon cream sauce that’s a bit of a rarity anymore, but such a perfect pairing with steak.

Wienerschnitzel ($24): Most Americans make this with pounded pork — and its nothing like the velvety texture of veal, used in this version. If you’re looking for the most authentic version of this luxury dish, you’ve found it. Tiny roasted potatoes with English peas, capers and loads of butter may be one of the best sides I’ve had in recent memory.

Mashed Potato Bowl ($18): Every Swede has a secret meatball recipe, and Roberth is no exception. His grandmother’s recipe is rich with clove and spices, with tender meat atop fluffy mashed potatoes and a delicate brown gravy. Of course there are lingonberries and pickled cucumbers. A pork cheek and mushroom or salmon version is also available, but really, come on, meatballs! Swedes were split on this one.

Swedish Pancakes ($7): I know my Swedish pancakes, because I’ve been making them on Sunday mornings for the past 15 years. Mine are sweeter, these are eggier, both are way better than French crepes by a long shot. With a scoop of vanilla whipped cream and berries, they’re indulgent, though I love mine with just lemon, butter and powdered sugar — a suggested variance? Swede approved.

Overall: A great family-friendly cafe with something for everyone. The kids’ menu will satisfy the young ones, while a nice beer and wine list (and excellent food) make the grown-ups happy. No matter where you’re from, you’re an honorary Swede at Stockhome.

Details: 220 Western Ave., Petaluma, 707-981-8511, stockhomerestaurant.com. Open Wednesday through Sunday from 11a.m. to 9p.m.

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Here’s a fun way to liven up a dull party — ask the snooty guy critiquing the bacon-wrapped dates if he knows the three Grand Cuisines of the world. Chances are good he’ll come up short.

Though no one really knows who made the distinction between Grand and not-so-grand cuisines, it’s generally recognized in the food world that Chinese and French are two of the three. So what’s the third? Hint: It’s not Italian, Japanese or Indian either.

It’s Turkish.

We’re not talking kabobs and doner, but the sultan-approved dishes of the Ottoman Empire, which spanned from Eastern Europe, through Syria, Persia and through North Africa. From rosewater and pomegranate syrup sorbets to hummus, pita, lamb tagine and rich fish stews, the thread that tied all the dishes together were the exotic spices from the Silk Road and herbs including cumin, saffron, turmeric, cinnamon, pepper, ginger, cloves, fenugreek and sumac.

It also happens to be what makes Petaluma’s new Pearl restaurant such an exciting find. Inspired by the flavors of the Eastern Mediterranean and North Africa (with a little Southern French and Spanish thrown in for good measure), chef/owners Brian Leitner and Annette Yang have transformed the former Luma into a sunny breakfast and lunch spot featuring their own interpretations of shakshuka, fresh pita, fattoush salad and braised meats like rabbit, brisket and lamb.

Brian, a Chez Panisse alum who owned a popular seafood restaurant in San Francisco and most recently an eclectic southern European restaurant in Portland, Oregon, returned to the Bay Area, and specifically Petaluma to escape some of the hubbub of city life. But Annette says they weren’t specifically trying to fill a niche by serving up food inspired by Israel, Syria, Turkey and Morocco.

“This is what we eat at home,” said Yang, who manages the front of the house — from bartending to seating and serving. “We like big, distinct and clean flavors with a light touch. It’s food that isn’t weighed down by butter and fats,” she added, saying Pearl is both ancient and modern in its approach to eating.

They aren’t obsessed, however, with recreating exact recipes. Dishes like their Moroccan Hangtown ($17), a pan-fried oyster with Merguez sausage, scrambled eggs and roasted peppers are more about a sense of place rather than being perfectly authentic. But hearty bowls from chickpea, fava and tomato stew are transportive, with warm spices and deep flavors reminiscent of faraway places.

“We are rooted in inspiration from an Old World culture and inspired by local ingredients,” said Yang.

Best Bets at Pearl:

We noticed that dishes do change slightly from week to week, depending on what’s in season, though you should be able to find favorites like shakshuka pretty regularly. The menu is divided into “smaller” and “bigger” plates, so depending on your hunger level, order accordingly. There is a brief but fascinating by-the-glass wine list, along with beer, sangria and a handful of coffee and low-booze tipples along with non-alcoholic avocado date shakes, fresh lemonade, warm ginger cider and not-your-usual iced teas.

Pearl is open for breakfast and lunch, so expect lighter daytime dishes rather than excessively heavy dinners.

Buckwheat Polenta ($7): This is polenta’s heartier, chewier, more rib-sticking cousin. Earthy, nutty and chewy, this version doesn’t contain corn, making a little closer to oatmeal than grits. Topped with a bloomy, soft cow’s milk cheese, this dish is hard to put down.

Israeli Breakfast ($12): This dish of hummus, labneh (a sort of cream cheese), fresh pita and fruit is so ancient that King David would probably recognize it. There’s a reason its lasted millennia — its light and delish, and the green hummus — made with parsley — is a vibrant change.

Braised Rabbit ($14): This lean, sustainable meat isn’t on everyone’s approval list, but cooked with fresh spring vegetables (asparagus, fava) and topped with apple allioli (a sweet, eggless garlic mayo-like spread) it’s the essence of the season.

Smoked Trout and House Ricotta ($9): Don’t leave without this one. Served in a jar, the combo of smoky, rich McFarland Spring trout (which has a salmon color) and creamy ricotta scream for Brian’s fresh semolina flatbread.

Shakshuka ($18): Another can’t miss. Chickpeas and favas swim in a ruby stew of tart tomatoes, topped with grilled Halloumi cheese. Tiny eggs are cooked into the dish, cooked in a wood-fired oven. You will need fresh pita topped with za’atar (a blend of herbs like sumac, oregano, hyssop and sesame seeds) to mop up the delicious mess.

Persian Fish Stew ($20): I loved this a lot more than I thought I would, mainly because of the tamarind-fenugreek broth. Mussels, rockfish and shrimp are steamed in a brilliantly-flavored stock, muddling the briny seafood flavors and the aromatic broth. Served with a slab of Della Fattoria bread, it’s heavenly.

Moroccan Rice Pudding ($8): It’s almost too pretty to eat, though ours was a little soupier than the rice pudding we’re used to eating, the tart, spiced dish is worth trying.

Overall: Bright and exotic layers of flavor that pay homage to a world cuisine that’s often overlooked by Americans.

If you go: No tipping! All menu prices consider the cost of living wages for staff, along with the restaurant’s operating costs. There’s not even a line on the receipt to leave a tip! We love the idea of actually knowing what we’re paying for up front.

500 First St., Petaluma, 707-559-5187, pearlpetaluma.com. Open 9 a.m. to 3p.m. Wednesday through Monday. Closed Tuesday.

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Hold onto your za’atar, Sonoma County is finally getting some Israeli and North African cuisine worthy of Wine Country.

Chez Panisse alum Brian Leitner has opened a Mediterranean-inspired restaurant with partner Annette Yang at the former Luma space in Petaluma. But where “Mediterranean” often means Italian or Greek, menu-wise, the newly opened Pearl takes inspiration from the exotic, warm-weather cuisines of Spain, Morocco, Southern France and the Middle East.

Open for breakfast and lunch only, the menu includes “Israeli breakfast” of green hummus, labneh (it’s somewhere between yogurt and cream cheese) and fresh pita with olive oil and za’atar (a spice blend of cumin, sumac, thyme, coriander and sesame seeds); smoked trout with house ricotta and semolina flatbread, cassoulet of duck confit and beans; chicken tagine, with yogurt and couscous; lamb tongue fattoush (a salad with toasted pita) and shakshuka, a vivid tomato stew with chickpeas, fresh fava, baked eggs and grilled sheeps milk cheese I can’t get enough of.

We’ll have plenty more to say about this spot in the coming weeks, but one of the biggest surprises was the no tipping policy. Menu prices include all service, rather than having the restaurant automatically tack on a “service charge” or depend on customers to tip staff. Love that.

Prices range from $8 to $20 with both small and larger plates. 500 First St., Petaluma, 707-559-5187, pearlpetaluma.com.

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Once you’ve had a perfect falafel, it becomes a lifelong quest to find another.

We’ve found a pretty solid contender in the Deluxe Falafel Sandwich ($6.99) at Sebastopol’s King Falafel. Balls of ground chickpeas and spices get a swim in the fryer, then stuffed into a roll of lavash with pickles, hummus, tomato, lettuce, eggplant, pickles (yes!), tahini and shatta (a kind of Middle Eastern hot sauce).

Recently opened near the busy intersection of Sebastopol and Petaluma Avenues, it channels the ubiquitous mom-and-pop falafel shops that dot cities like New York and Philadelphia. Greek music blasts away on the boom box, the ambiance is dollar store chic and piles of pita bread sit for sale by the counter. Nothin’ fancy, just a simple mash-up of Greek and Middle Eastern street foods including Falafel, Kabob, Lebni, Gyro, Lahmeh and Tabouili.

If the menu’s all Greek to you, the ingredients won’t be — garlic, beef, lamb, lemon, parsley, mint, garbanzo beans, tomatoes, onions and plenty of oregano.

More familiar may be the Gyro ($7.99), with slices of pressed lamb, tomatoes and tzatziki (cucumber yogurt sauce). This is comfort food with ancient roots — even if the “meat cone” it comes from isn’t. You can also get a Kefta Kabob (seasoned ground beef pressed into balls) Sandwich ($6.99) or vegetarian-friendly eats like the  Lebni Sandwich ($5.99), a soft-cheese with cucumber, mint and spices.

Fried cheese in any language is music to the ears. But when its made with bits of chewy, salty Greek Halloumi wrapped in lavash with tomato and Zattar spices, a Big Fat Greek Disco Party of a meal. ($6.99)

Combination plates are heartier ($7.99, $8.99), with sticks of chicken and beef kabobs served with hummus, tabouli (a salad of bulgur wheat, mint, tomato, cucumber, lemon and parsley) and pita.

The true test of a Greek’s cooking prowess: Baklava. Not to sweet, not too soggy. Here’s its buttery, flaky and just sweet enough to be dangerous.

Grab some fresh pita to take home, sold at the front counter. And don’t forget a mint or two, because even though you may love a falafel or two, your office mates may not be so appreciative.

King Falafel: 100 Brown St., Ste 150, Sebastopol, 824-4800. Also in Cotati 548 E Cotati Ave/. Cotati, 664-8200.

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CLOSED
Come for the dolmas, stay for the belly dancing at Papas Taverna.

The North Bay can be a bit of a wasteland when it comes to authentic Greek and Middle Eastern restaurants. Finding hummus and tabbouleh seems to be easier at Trader Joe’s than in a Zagat Guide. There are exceptions, of course…

Greek to its very core, however, is Petaluma’s Papas Taverna. A wooden boat stands sentinel to a jumble of interconnected buildings that comprise this iconic Petaluma River eatery. An olive pit’s throw from Gillardi’s Landing (a small boat ramp), nearly every surface is trimmed in patriotic Greek colors — azure blue and white — leaving little question as to the heritage of owner Theodoros Papageorgacopoulos, brother to the much-loved original Papa, Leo.

Relatively sober during the week, it’s a family lunch retreat for pita, moussaka and burger spot with a view to the lazy river as it meanders toward the Bay. On the weekends, ouzo and good old Greek joie de vivre fuel an evening of live music, belly dancing and audience participation in arm-to-shoulder dance circles and general Zorba-worthy merriment. Theo’s wife, Glynnis serves as mistress of ceremonies, singing, dancing and often encouraging cringe-worthy middle age patrons to shake it on the dance floor.

On the menu, expect unfussy Greek standards like Dolmas, Moussaka, gyro, Mezze platters, Saganaki (fried cheese in Ouzo) along with Mixed Grills of lamb, chicken, sausage and beef. Burgers and fries are also on the menu for less adventurous eaters. Waits can be long on busy nights, but you weren’t really in any kind of hurry, were you?

Drinks are stiff and the company fun, but be mindful that the restaurant is located on Lakeville Highway — you’ll need your wits about you so have a few coffees and some baklava before you head out.

5688 Lakeville Highway, Petaluma, (707) 769-8545. Open Wed/Thurs from 11:30 to 2:30pm; Friday – Sunday 11:30am to 10pm; closed Monday and Tuesday. Live Music Every Friday with Local Artist starts at 7:00PM; Live Greek music and Dancing on Saturday at 7:00 PM; Live Greek Music and Dancing on Sunday  starts at 3:30 PM.

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