Short Orders (Yaffa)

When we reviewed Yaffa (106 W. Wells St.) in January, the Mediterranean restaurant was only open for dinner. Now that summer has arrived, weekday lunches have returned. Yaffa’s outdoor deck, located directly on the RiverWalk, provides a pleasant lunchtime setting in the heart of downtown Milwaukee. The lunch menu offers a wide variety of sandwiches. But the best news is for vegetarians: The veggie platter, a heaping assortment of Middle Eastern and Moroccan treats, has returned to the lunch and dinner menus. This serving is more than ample for an entree. On a meatier note is the schwarma, a pita bread sandwich that is a cousin of the Greek gyro. But instead of over-processed meat, the pita is filled with slices of seasoned leg of lamb. Onion, cucumber, tomato and tahini add delightful flavors of the Middle East. Yaffa is not a cheap place for lunch, but it is one of the best.