Hillsboro Community Advantage Magazine June 2024

Hearty Halal

New Middle Eastern restaurant serves traditional Iraqi cuisine

have learned to cook types of food from all over,” says Manar. “Some dishes are more Greek or Mediterranean, like our gyros, hummus, dolmas, kababs, and chicken and beef shawarma.”

The gigantic gyros and flavorful shawarma over rice are among the most popular menu items, but for a new experience, try their authentic Iraqi food! “My uncle makes Samoon by hand that we use for sandwiches; we love to put hummus inside it and lamb or chicken tikka,” she explains. “It’s delicious by itself, like a pita, but very soft.” Ahmed enjoys grilling meats, and the restaurant offers big family-style platters of kebabs and tikka served with grilled vegetables, hummus and bread. He is dedicated to excellence and works tirelessly to craft hummus with the perfect consistency and hot sauce with just the right kick.

By Angie Helvey, Contributing Writer

Photos by Malaina Kinne

Middle Eastern food varies depending on the country and region of origin but always emphasizes fresh ingredients, grilled halal meats and rich, aromatic spices. The harmonious flavors can send your taste buds straight to Baghdad’s busy streets or Dubai’s beautiful beaches. Family owned and open since 2023, Monte Gyro is the only restaurant in Hillsboro to enjoy authentic Middle Eastern food that includes halal food service and traditional Iraqi cuisine and baking.

Manar Hadi was born in Iraq. When she and her parents first came to America, they weren’t sure what to do for work, but her father, Ahmed, loved to cook, and her mother, Wedain, loved to bake. Other family members eventually joined them in the United States and opened an Arab grocery store and a food truck in the Cedar Hills neighborhood. When a space came next to the Cornelius Fred Meyer, they knew it was their time to open a restaurant.

Monte Gyro offers a mouth-watering selection of traditional dishes from different parts of the Middle East. “My parents

Wedain has an impressive talent for baking and desserts. “My mom prepares several traditional desserts and bakes all kinds of Iraqi pastries,” says Manar. The dessert menu includes options like Zarda, a sweet rice pudding with flavors of saffron and cardamom, baklava, and Knafeh, a crunchy, buttery dessert of phyllo dough stuffed with pastry cream and topped with simple syrup and chopped nuts.

Wedain also bakes savory pastries and crafts the dough into beautiful braids and designs. “People love the lahm bi ajeen, which is like a tiny pizza topped with beef,” Manar says. “My personal favorite is the pastry filled with Mexican, mozzarella and feta cheese.” The samosas are very popular among customers, and the Kleicha cookies with a delectable date filling.

The Hadi family is committed to being a trusted location for halal food service. “We have to watch what we eat when it comes to meat. In our religion, we can’t have pork, and can’t eat beef that isn’t halal,” Manar explains. “There aren’t many halal restaurants in the area, so we want people to know we’re here

for them.” All ingredients are fresh and locally sourced whenever possible.

Catering is a big part of the business at Monte Gyro. “We have a special menu so they can select food items, let us know how many people and their target budget so we can make everything perfect for them,” says Manar. They cater to all events in the community, from business meetings to weddings and any meal of the day. “We offer breakfast, lunch, dinner and late-night options. If they’d like breakfast, my mom will make pastries or a traditional Iraqi breakfast with grilled eggs and potatoes.” Depending on the details, orders can be ready for pickup in 24 hours or sooner.

The restaurant walls are adorned with a vintage Iraqi decor collection that serves as a cultural museum piece for customers. Service at Monte Gyro

is quick and friendly with a fast-casual counter service model. Families are always welcome; the little ones can watch kid-friendly movies on television during their meals. The Hadi family loves getting to know their guests. “They’re interested in where we’re from, and I like to ask them about their lives,”

says Manar. “One customer wants to learn to order in Arabic. I love making these kinds of friendships with people.”

Monte Gyro is located at 7343 NE Imbrie Dr. Hillsboro. Give them a call at 503-422-5130 or visit www.montegyro. com Delivery is available through Doordash, Ubereats and Grubhub.

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Feeling Is Believing.

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Serving Those Who Serve

Nonprofit holds care-package fundraiser

By Edward Novak, Contributing Writer

With a presidential election on the horizon, it’s easy to get caught up in the political drama of which we’re all constantly bombarded. The stakes feel higher than ever, as they have for every single election of the last couple of decades. Arguments will break out over family dinners and shocking news stories will be shared on social media. America will seem more divided than it ever has been. And yet, if there is any single subject on which everyone, left, right and center can agree, it’s that our military veterans and active service members deserve our respect and care.

Blue Star Mothers of America is dedicated to making that happen. Made up of mothers, grandmothers and legal guardians with children serving in the armed forces, Blue Star Mothers is a national organization with

more than 200 chapters and 6,000 members across the United States. Founded in 1946 during World War II, the group has worked for more than a century to provide support for our armed forces via various volunteer efforts aimed at serving active service members and veterans. They take their name from the flags that were originally displayed in the windows of soldiers’ families during World War I, with each blue star representing a member of the household currently serving.

Blue Star Mothers remains as active as ever, fundraising throughout the year to raise money and support the troops. In fact, their Oregon chapter is planning to hold an event in late June to raise funds for care packages to be sent to sixty local soldiers who will soon be sent out on their first deployments.

Blue Star Mothers’ Oregon chapter has worked frequently in the past with other groups like the Veterans of Foreign Wars, the Junior Reserve Officers’ Training Corps, and several local churches to raise money for these care packages, which they send twice a year: once during the summer and another around Christmas. They’ve previously held fundraising events at Columbia Presbyterian Church in Vancouver, Washington, and Pomeroy Living History Farm in Yacolt; they are still finalizing where this summer’s fundraising event will take place.

The fundraiser will be open to the public, and volunteers are welcome. If you have a loved one serving in the military, Blue Star Mothers would be happy to have you. Even if you don’t, the organization is happy to take on associate members. With three to four thousand soldiers from the tri-state area alone expected to be deployed during 2024, Blue Star Mothers is grateful for all the help it can get in making sure local troops are cared for and supported from home.

If you’d like to learn more about Blue Star Mothers, you can find their website at bluestarmothers.org. If you’re interested in learning more about the Oregon chapter or their upcoming fundraising events, you can contact Vice President Geri Stuart at one4maus@gmail.com.

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