"DarSalam owner Ghaith Sahib lived through a war to get where he is now. The chef and business owner grew up in Baghdad, living through wartime until he narrowly survived a car-bombing as a sophomore in college. He and his family members lived as refugees in countries throughout Europe, eventually landing in Portland in 2010. Sahib went on to open one of Alberta Street’s most beloved spots, a colorful Iraqi restaurant often filled with devotees and his own family members; in 2015, he opened a second location, a DarSalam lunch buffet popular with downtown workers." - Brooke Jackson-Glidden