La Shish-Greek and Lebanese Cafe

Past a verdant forest of shrubbery, a welcoming umbrella-tabled patio, and homey bright red drapery, diners at La Shish tuck into sumptuous fare from Greece and Lebanon. Gyros crammed with beef and lamb lurk on the lunch and dinner menus, attended by tangy tzatziki sauce and a pronunciation coach. Entrees often arrive with house-whipped hummus and a Greek or Lebanese salad as well. News and Observer food critic Greg Cox is a big fan of La Shish, placing it on his “Hot List: Middle Eastern” not once but twice, and citing the baklava’s “shatter-crisp texture and golden brown color” as just two reasons why it is “without peer” in the region.