City: Tulsa, OK

Category: Restaurants

Telephone: (918) 794-3322

Address: 6670 S. Lewis Ave.

Description: “What items are so popular that you don’t dare take them off the menu?” Owner Sam Senjlawi’s answer, “Everything! We can’t take anything off the menu and we keep adding more.” The most popular items—among all the popular items—are baba ganoush, hummus, and the lamb shanks, which cook for six to eight hours in the oven. And the pita is warm and soft and absolutely great—Sam tasted this pita in Chicago and determined he would serve nothing else.Helen of Troy is located in a small strip of shops just south of East 61st St. and South Lewis Avenue. Look carefully (on the west side of the street) or you’ll miss it. Inside, Middle Eastern, Greek, or Egyptian music plays in the background. The decor is minimal—dark carpet, black wrought iron, and padded, angular, contemporary chairs at plain tables. The walls are a pale sunflower yellow. The ambience is not the point. The food is and this is definitely tasty.Sam‘s mother was from Jordan and it’s her repertoire of recipes that provides the mainstays of the menu. No alcohol, not even beer, is sold here. Helen of Troy has lots of regulars—diners who crave the garlicky hummus, the gyros, or the cabbage rolls.The restaurant opened in 2007 and quickly built a reputation. In 2008 Urban Tulsa magazine named it the “Absolutely Best of Tulsa Mediterranean Restaurant,” and TulsaPeople magazine in its 2008 “Food Lover’s Guide” named Helen of Troy the “Best Place to Feel Like You’re on the Aegean.” The restaurant is open seven days a week. Lunch and dinner are served Mon through Sat. Lunch is served on Sun, but not dinner.