Azar’s gyro is one of the local favorites on hand at Pig Out.

Local Foods Do Good Don’t forget the Spokane-area standbys when you’re cruising Pig Out in the Park

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here’s a lot of food at Pig Out in the Park. That, of course, is a severe understatement, considering the more than 200 items available over the course of the Labor Day weekend event that’s become an institution in Spokane’s Riverfront Park. If you’re the sort of person who likes just about anything deep-fried, this is the place for you. Indulgent items are easy to find, many from traveling food purveyors who work the fair circuits this time of year. Pig Out can also serve as a chance to try out some beloved Spokane dining institutions that you might not otherwise venture out to on a given night. Here are a few

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menu items from local establishments that you shouldn’t overlook as you’re adding a couple of inches to your waistline this weekend.

AZAR’S CAFE EXPRESS

Gyro (chicken or lamb) This compact version of Azar’s Restaurant is a Pig Out mainstay; you really shouldn’t get a gyro from anywhere else. The family-owned Spokane business has been serving up tasty, authentic Greek and Middle Eastern cuisine since 1980, evidence that they’re doing it right. With just one location on North Monroe, if you haven’t

been to Azar’s in a while, make sure to swing by their stand at Pig Out. While the menu offerings are more limited than at the restaurant, they’re all classics. Aside from gyros, Azar’s Pig Out menu includes some of the least-greasy options you’ll find at the event: Greek salad, veggie falafel and hummus. For dessert, baklava is going to be one of the lighter options as well. Truly, where it’s all at is Azar’s classic chicken and lamb gyros. Packed full of juicy meat and your choice of tahini or tsatziki sauce, you might get too full for dessert, but that’s OK. (CHEY SCOTT)

WHITE HOUSE GRILL

Baklava It’s one of the few things on the White House Grill menu not flavored with a heaping pile of delicious, yet — let’s be honest — smelly garlic. Baklava is a flaky Greek treat with sticky-sweet honey, nuts and spices oozing between dozens of layers of delicate phyllo dough, and the White House Grill’s version is just the right amount of sweet — a feat considering the dessert can easily taste overly sugary. When you dine out at the Post Falls-based restaurant, there may not be much room for dessert. At Pig Out in the Park, there are smaller bites from a variety of food stands to consider. White House Grill’s food truck will