Portland’s Best Special Occasion Restaurants for Vegans and Vegetarians | Eater Portland

"In the Clinton neighborhood, diners gather over spreads of rustic meze, glasses of “lion’s milk” raki, and cardamom-fig-infused Old Fashioneds with traditional Turkish folk music in the background. Wrapped in blue floral accents, the Turkish tavern even has a shelf displaying the chef’s picks of olive oils and spices. Although some know Turkish cuisine for its meat kebabs, Umut Matkap centers much of Lokanta’s menu on vegetable dishes that he enjoys from his home country, such as borulce salatasi black-eyed pea salad, tekmilli fava bean spread topped with dill and lemony red onions, and patlican ezme smoked eggplant with pomegranate dressing. To dine in true meyhane fashion, nibble through dips and salads and sip anise-flavored raki, while enjoying conversation with friends." - Waz Wu