Bend’s burgeoning restaurant scene has equal room for traditional-minded enterprises and unique takes on classic dining. Joolz Restaurant, readers’ pick for Where to GO! in Central Oregon for Mediterranean food, offers a balance of both.

The restaurant’s tagline is “Where mezze meets the mesa.” Chef, owner and Lebanese-American Ramsey Hamdan spent 21 years cooking in Lebanon, so the tradition part of the equation is more than intact; it’s tempered with Central Oregon-fresh ingredients and a community spirit that seems to be a common thread with successful businesses here. That blend of experience and experimentation comes through in customer favorites (according to online and Facebook reviews) such as the hummus, steak kabobs, rice bowls and the much-raved-about date cake.

Contact: 916 NW Wall St., Bend; joolzbend.com or 541-388-5094

No. 2: Kebaba

No. 3: Ariana Restaurant

Honorable mentions: Barrio and Spork