Get next-level hummus at these 3 Twin Cities restaurants

Good hummus can start with canned, blitzed chickpeas and pantry ingredients. But great hummus carries ancient knowledge, practiced care and respect for the way ingredients are transformed to become a universally loved dish that‘s a testament to the way humble ingredients are elevated with care and skill.

Hummus is one of those dishes that has gone from cuisine to grocery store aisle in a generation. While there is an impressive selection of options found in most grocery stores, to understand what hummus can and should be, it’s best to seek out these dishes and appreciate what chickpeas, tahini and a little love can become.

When chef Sameh Wadi introduced his Turkish hummus at his fine-dining restaurant Saffron, it forever altered the expectations for the dish. The texture was ethereal, light, plush and rich with paprika-infused butter and za’atar. When the restaurant closed, it seemed like this dish might be lost to the ages. But in 2017 it joined the menu at World Street Kitchen, and we’ll never take it for granted again.

$12, 2743 Lyndale Av. S., Mpls., eatwsk.com

The hummus inside this bright and welcoming Wedge neighborhood restaurant is steeped in family legacy and memories. The name, Baba’s, honors the father of sibling owners Rana Kamal and Khalid Ansari — Jamal Ansari, who owns Cruise Mediterranean Cruise Cafe in Burnsville. The hummus has become readily available in grocery stores, at the Minnesota State Fair and at Baba’s Hummus House. Ordered in bowls with various toppings, it’s thick and creamy with an earthy base brightened with green shatta. Served alongside the irresistible little pita puffs, it’s easy to fall in love with Baba’s hummus at first bite.

$11, 2220 Lyndale Av. S., Mpls., lovebabas.com

This is an example of a modern journey of the dish — and the way a cuisine can impact a person. The inspiration for Mara came from Gavin Kaysen’s travels as a young chef, jotting down ideas and falling in love with regions of the world through plates of food. The hummus at his restaurant inside the Four Seasons is as luxuriously textured as one might imagine the sheets in the rooms must be. Served with a puffed, hot-from-the-oven pita sprinkled with sumac and garnished with crispy fried chickpeas and pools of olive oil, it’s a must-order on every visit, whether snacking in the bar or feasting in the full restaurant.