USA Day 19: Florida From Tampa Down to Miami, A Roadtrip. Lebanese Eateries and Success Stories
![USA Day 19: Florida From Tampa Down to Miami, A Roadtrip. Lebanese Eateries and Success Stories USA Day 19: Florida From Tampa Down to Miami, A Roadtrip. Lebanese Eateries and Success Stories](/pic/usa_day_19_florida_from_tampa_down_to_miami_a_roadtrip_lebanese_eateries_and_success_stories/dkcwUEZnTkM0bU0_.jpeg)
and now in America. This is the second time in America. From the first month until now, we've been doing Chicago, Washington, New York, and going down all the way to Detroit, Dearborn, Michigan, and then going down to Florida, Miami, Tampa, Orlando. We'll continue to LA and go back to Chicago. There are very nice generations who are working together and brought our culture from the Arab world to here.
There are very nice things being done and each one gets a bit of the culture and pride of Lebanon or any Arab country and shows it to the Americans. There are very nice things. You get proud of them when you see them, when you meet them, when you eat with them, and I hope they can continue to bring our culture to the world more and more. And one should take into consideration that according to the country, each one, what is the adaptation that happened, who are the customers and who are the people around them. So the criticism should always be female. We are not here to openly say that this is good or that is not good.
We believe in each other. We support each other and listen to each other. If someone has something to say to another person, he should say it to him without posting it on social media. There is something for everyone.
There is the Lebanese that is done in the American way and we respect it. There is the traditional Lebanese. There is something for everyone. So each one should go where he finds himself and where he likes to taste, without criticism.
Let the criticism always be female. I am not here to say to everyone to do this or not to do that. There are a lot of givers. It is important to go outside the basics and there is an adaptation in the American way that happens to the Canadian and the Israeli, but we don't touch the basics or accept our culture.
We say that the work is becoming more and more and this is very nice. Our standing together strengthens us. Unity is strength and this is more than that. Food is a small means of many other things.
The more we stand together, the more we can create in this world. Work right, work with conscience, work with passion. If you don't know, learn.
Let us keep showing who we are. We are one of the most important people in the world. It is important for people to love us and respect us and see our generosity and how we have art and pleasure in the food we make. My name is Imad Nasnaz.
I am from Jal El Dib, Lebanon. I have been in America for 39 years. We started the business 10 years ago.
We are in the transition of changing names. From Cedars to Mediterranean, we are going to a bigger location. We heard that you are coming next year.
You will come to our new location which is 10 times bigger than this. God willing. Thank you.
God willing, we will come 10 times. I am Esam Suleiman, I go by David Suleiman. I have been in America for 34 years. I am from Sour, Lebanon. We started the process Cedars Bakery 10 years ago. We reached a point where we couldn't go outside the state of Florida because Cedars Bakery is very limited. There are many Cedars Bakery in America.
So we had to switch to Mediterranean to make it a trademark to enter all of America because we found a big demand for the bread and the quality. We penetrated the state of Florida. There is no other location bigger than the state of Florida. We had no choice but to switch the name to Mediterranean. We are trying to cover more of the Mediterranean countries.
We are involved in lavash, Greek bread, besides Lebanese bread. This is an opportunity for us to expand. First of all, we are distributed in the state of Florida. We cover from Orlando all the way to Miami. You will see our products in different places.
What is special about our bread is that we don't use preservatives. There are no preservatives. It is all natural ingredients. Now we will taste the bread.
It is soft and not chewy. You will like it. I liked the idea.
I liked the idea a lot and I understood it. They changed the name so that they can enter all of America because Cedars is registered a thousand times. Great idea. When I entered, I had the first impression that someone has the name of Cedars and they change it.
It is a great idea. I thank them for opening the factory on the previous day. It is a great idea. I thank them for opening the factory on the previous day especially to show you the production from the beginning to the end because they are closed. The smell of yeast, the smell of dough, cleanliness. I am very excited.
Lebanese bread how it is made from the beginning to the end. Bread Cheese Ham Cheddar Cheddar Cheddar Ham Cheese Ham Cheese Ham Cheese Ham Cheese I touched you. Super hot.
Labneh with olive oil. Emotional attachment to the land. When you come back to Lebanon, a bite. The more it gets colder, the more it gets tastier and tastier. You feel it, its taste, its softness. Good job. Very good job. I hope it happens in all of
America. He is like a son to me. Let's start with you. Who are you? Where are you from? Where are you from in Lebanon? My mother is from Akkar. My father is from Tripoli.
All my life, my father has been in the restaurant business. My mother was a dentist. We came from Canada 4 years ago.
Now we are here in Florida. The weather in Canada is too cold. We came here. It was too hot.
We wanted to find a place in the middle. We opened the first location. It's an old self standing place. This was the third location. We are here in Millennia Mall.
We have another one in Florida Mall. I don't know if you will go there. We have a bunch of places. Yesterday, we opened our fifth location in another place called Windermere. What do you do? What is the concept? The concept is Shawarma.
Basic Shawarma, rice, hot potato, chicken, meat, and lamb. We have cauliflower, eggplant, white rice, Mujadara. All flavors of Mediterranean.
Can I put them in a bowl? Yes. Or in a bread? In a bread, whatever you want. Enjoy. Enjoy. We also have, especially for Arabs, we have tzatziki sauce. For people who don't know Lebanese food, they have something to eat. Do you know what I mean? How can I become like you? A lot of food, rice with chicken, tabbouleh, and bread.
Beautiful. Really. You know that I talked a lot about casual concepts. The Lebanese concepts, fast casuals, they call them. They made a long fashion for a long time.
All nationalities in the world have one of them. There is the Mexican concept, the Turkish concept, the Syrian concept, and so on and so forth. We are the best way and the fastest way to show the world about our culture in this way. They are growing more and more. There are probably a couple dozens in New York. I didn't know that some of them kill the world's fashion.
At least in Florida, they are in fashion now. In Florida and in the whole area, in Tampa, and now in Orlando. The concept of fast casuals started and I reached today to one of the most delicious that I tasted. What you saw a while ago is that I am eating and my eyes are shining. I am very happy. But the battery of the microphone is gone.
I am just telling you that I really enjoyed the food. I really enjoyed the meat, its tenderness, and its spices. This is the first time I am eating rice. I felt that I am eating rice at home. It is not rice in the big cooker which is not cooked, it is crunchy, and full of water.
I really enjoyed the rice with lentils. I enjoyed the meat, its tenderness, its juiciness, its flavors are great. The grape leaves are soft. They are not commercial. Really well done. Then it continues with all the sauces. The fried vegetables, either eggplants or cauliflower, are not soaked in oil at all.
Its crunch is nice without breaking. Everything is done right. We knew that inside the kitchen, there are Palestinians, Syrians, Lebanese, all of them are doing a great job. It is clear that it is great. I ate the first plate, the second plate, and I really really really enjoyed it. They started with 7 branches, and God willing, they will have 7 more.
And growing, ongoing, I hope they will have 50 or 60. You know, we are creating without knowing or without noticing, or our intention, the direct competitors of the big brands, whether it is Chipotle, McDonald's, or all of them together. I hope this concept from us, from Lebanon, from our country, will make them this much crowded, this much noisy, and this much famous, everywhere, with pictures of Lebanon as you saw behind me. We are using Mediterranean so that it unites everyone but exposes our culture to the world. My name is Frank Shraki.
I am originally from Lebanon, Tripoli. We left Lebanon a long time ago and came to Canada. 3 years ago, my son, Milad, thought of coming to the university, UCF, because he is with us, so we thought of selling everything there and move with him here. Before COVID, 3 or 4 days ago, we opened the first shop here in Orlando. It was a small shop, a prototype to test the market and the concept.
Thank God, it was very successful. Then, after that, we opened Florida Mall, one of the other biggest malls here in Orlando. Then, we opened Millennia Mall.
We opened the outlet. Now, in total, we have 6 units opening. We already launched the franchise program. Now, we have 3 units already franchised.
Yesterday night, before I came to see you, we opened one of our brands in an area called Orlando Windermere. It is a very nice area, middle class to high end community. Full house. The reception was very nice.
People are accepting the food. Ideally, we did all of our own research in term. The Mediterranean Lebanese food, the hottest growing segment right now in the Western society. The extra virgin olive oil, the healthy food, the fresh approach to eating. Really, the reception from people has been amazing.
People are loving our food and our product. 100%, 200% Lebanese. We put our heart and soul in this food because what is left from our culture and our life in Lebanon is this food and this culture that we deliver to people.
How hospitable we are and how much we love generosity, hospitality, and hospitality. The only way we could do that to our food. Now, we are the ambassadors of Cedar here in the Western countries. All of us as Lebanese, not just me and others, all Lebanese who work and run.
We are ambassadors, not the ambassadors sitting in the embassy of Lebanon. We represent Lebanon as a people, traditions, and traditions. If you think about it, we haven't eaten Qasaiyeh yet. I told them that they have a concept of Qasaiyeh next to it. It is fresh. It is fresh.
It has fresh Qasaiyeh, frozen, peanut powder, loaded, with bananas. That's a good one. I haven't eaten Qasaiyeh yet. Very good. Very very good.
Qasaiyeh Qasaiyeh Qasaiyeh Qasaiyeh Qasaiyeh Qasaiyeh Qasaiyeh Amazing Florida! Florida is a small heaven. Colors, freshness, vibes, people in the water on the road, all people on the beach, strong sun, humidity, each house has a color, beautiful roads, the sun gives you a blue sky. How can I explain it to you? I think the picture is showing how beautiful the weather is. I think the whole country in this area is a country of the sea. You go to Qobrus, you feel that only Ayia Napa has the fresh vibes. You go to Lebanon, Batroun or Sour.
Here, the whole state. Our tour continues, we went down and down, the first hour, then the second, half an hour, and we still went down. There is still 2.5 or 3 hours to Miami. We took the state of Florida and went down in the sea, in the islands, all the way. At the stop, in the middle of the road, lunch time, Ayia Mediterranean Cuisine, a Lebanese restaurant definitely, for a bite of Samosa.
Hummus and Kebbeh, this is something I haven't tried yet. Ready? Ready? Let's go. My name is Omar Elie. I am 25 years old.
When we opened this shop, we started working. We stopped working because of the pandemic. We traveled to the Gulf. We worked for a while.
We worked in catering, in a spinach company. What more can I say? We traveled a lot. We went to Nigeria. We worked for a year in Nigeria. We worked in catering for famous people.
We worked for Amir in Saudi Arabia for 10-12 years. Homemade food. We didn't do this for business. No. Homemade food. They love homemade food.
My name is Ziad Ziad Saeed. I am from Baaline Chouf. We came to Amir for tourism. First, I came to New York for 5 months. We worked for people in a restaurant.
To get our money back. We were poor. So, step by step. We worked as a chef in a very important restaurant.
I moved and worked in a restaurant. Me and one of my partners. We worked according to the budget.
When we worked according to the wife's budget, I worked on my own. We worked as a business family. The girls came with me. They helped me.
The administration. The original Lebanese food. This is the original. We work by hand.
He works and I work. I work by hand. I am still doing this. People love this food. They compare it. They tell me that I am different.
I have been here for 30-40 years. You are great. They are happy with the food.
I made a tagine section. They like the sauce. Stew. Clam tagine. Vegetables.
Seafood. I have a special dish. Stuffed with mushrooms and spinach. With a heavy sauce.
It is perfect. What is your name? I am the favorite daughter. My sister's name is Sarah. We have twin sisters who are 8 years old. You cannot choose between twins. It ended up being an option.
It is Lebanese and Arabic based. It has a deep meaning in Arabic. That is why we named it Aya.
I was not the one behind it. It was Sarah's idea. My sister's idea and my father's. It was an honor. We came to America 2 years ago.
After things started to deteriorate in Lebanon. We decided to open our own business. Baba has been working with other people his whole life. He wanted something for himself. Our own business. I have a degree in biology.
Nothing related to the service industry. To the restaurant. My dad has sacrificed a lot for us.
For us to grow and have a good life in Lebanon. It is time for us to give back to him. And to ourselves as well. We ended up here. In Melbourne, Florida.
We opened this restaurant. Named Aya Mediterranean. After my sister. Because Aya is an Arabic name.
We wanted something to symbolize the food we have. We went with Aya instead of Sarah. We have been here for a year and a half now. It is going great. People are loving the food.
They are loving the culture. The food stands out for sure. But also the service. We manage the floor. We always are here to have them feel that they are welcome. They are at home.
They are our guests. They are not just regular customers. That is what makes us stand out as well. I have a lot of grills. I make grills.
I make shish-souk. Beef kabab. Tenderloin. The meat melts in my mouth. I also have kofta. I make all the mixtures.
Thank God. This place is famous. I have a special visit. Usually, there is a lot of food. A lot of food.
I tell them that if it is not good, I don't put it on the menu. If it is good, I put it on the menu. I am proud of it. How nice! How nice! A family working together. A father and his son. Everyone is putting something.
They are welcoming them. Where else is there like this in America? The food is rare. They sit together. They talk and laugh together. They throw positive energy together.
Where else is there like this? Most of the businesses we see are big. Mexican, Cuban, etc. Then, I entered a place where I felt Lebanon. The table started to get full.
I let them work a bit. We will sit here on the table and taste the food. The passion is obvious. Let's start. Whether it is good or not, the family standing together opens the heart. How the girls are standing with their father and how they are working together.
You can't help but come and sit and smile on your face and feel the energy in this place. Let's start one by one. I told you that it is seasoned with kebbeh. Its crunch is mind-blowing.
The hummus is soft and very creamy. First stop. Top. The hummus is great. The kebbeh is great.
The potato is hot. Hummus. The hummus is amazing.
Look how creamy it is. It is sour. The ingredients are perfect.
There is nothing stronger than the taste. Let's continue. I will show you the falafel which looks like the Lebanese falafel and is not adapted. It is crunchy on the outside.
Look at the beautiful color. It is not as green as we see it. Great color. Let's continue with the grape leaves.
Amazing. The grape leaves are like the village's grape leaves. I will cut it to show you the inside.
First, I will cut it with a spoon. It is properly cooked. The leaves are thin. The food is delicious. It has a lot of passion. It has a crazy feeling.
Butter. Look how beautiful it smells. Beautiful smell. Beautiful smell. Homemade stew.
It is like homemade yakhnateh. The rice is properly cooked. Look how they are separating it. Amazing. Amazing.
Before I leave, I want to thank you. Thank you for your passion and love for your great upbringing. Thank you. Thank you for the food which has passion. Thank you. Thank you and stay together.
Next time, you will have bigger and bigger places. I am happy. I am also happy that you came and honored us. Thank you very much. Thank you very much. Bye Anthony. Thank you for coming.
Do you want to eat more? Rabih, it's your honor. Do you want to eat more? Can you still eat? What did I eat? What did I eat? You felt with me that I am eating. It's your turn. I want to feel the hunger. We stopped at Flames Mediterranean Bar & Grill on the way to Miami. We are trying to stop at as many successful Lebanese stops as we can.
Flames is a huge diner. Looks wow. What? What is this table? Flames, since we got here, looks like an American diner. Like a steakhouse. Very nice design.
As soon as you enter, you say wow. Nicely done. It's not like the Lebanese diner you are used to or waiting to see.
But in the end, the food is amazing. We were surprised. They surprised us with a special table that has everything you want. Lebanese. From the sandwiches, shawarma, hot potatoes, kebbeh, and so on and so forth.
I even found Shanklish here. A Lebanese diner in an area called Melbourne. Not Australia, but in Florida. It looks very famous. Many Lebanese people came here, passed by here, or heard about it.
They make Lebanese food. Fusion, modern, with American vibes, but with Lebanese music. Ziad Nasnas. I've been in America for 39 years. I am originally from Jaledib.
We came to America. Of course, I married Carla. Her name is Nasnas. Our idea in our restaurant is Flames.
Carla and I put them together. The ideas. The decor. The decor was from Bryan Allison.
He is very famous in the restaurants. We wanted to make the decor more modern. Like Lebanese, but our food is all Lebanese.
We are proud of our food. Because the recipe is all from my mother and Carla's mother. The good thing is that everything is fresh. Our restaurant only closes 3 hours a day. The kitchen is open from 4.30 a.m.
We cut our meat. Everything is freshly made. All our sweets are made in our restaurant.
I am originally from Mashghara. I came to America when I was 9 and a half years old. Actually, I was raised here.
I was raised in a restaurant that my parents built. It's called Skewers. We opened Flames about 20 years ago. It was just my passion. The flame that was burning in my heart.
To open up Flames. The food that I love. The way I eat.
Everything is homemade and fresh. Flames is a trademark. In the state of Florida.
Now we are starting to expand to Vero Beach, Orlando. Then we started a commissary. To start a franchise in the United States. We hope to open Vero Beach from now until the end of the year.
Then next year we will open Orlando. The expansion will be to smaller restaurants. But all the food will be made in one place. Vero Beach Vero Beach Vero Beach Vero Beach Vero Beach I've been driving for 4 hours and I'm very tired. I'm very very very tired Rabih.
Now I want to come and stand on my feet for 2 hours to meet all these people and lovers who are coming. Actually, they are the ones who are watching the video and they know who is driving and who is getting up early every day to pamper you and pamper you so that you are spreading happiness all the time. We agree.
Everyone gets what he deserves. Let's change. You edit for 2 hours at night. No. Or in the car during the day. We tell everyone that you edit, you have fun, you film, you taste.
I drive for you because I know you are tired. So I will stand with you. So we reached Miami. The trip wouldn't have happened if it wasn't for Qatar Airways and Rabih Azzan.
We reached Miami, at Omar's meet and greet. Great vibes. What are these vibes? What are these vibes? The colors are unbelievable. The sea is full. Clouds. Trees, yellow, colors, full of happiness and vibes.
And we are loving it. It's Omar time. I've been here for a while. I've been in America for a long time. I don't know if you know the restaurant that was opened by my father. So I come from a very big background of restaurants.
I came and I started the restaurant business here in the U.S. Then I went back to Lebanon. We opened a few restaurants.
Olivier in Ashrafieh. I opened a kebab house. Then in 1999, we came back here. And then from there, I started from scratch. We worked a lot in Las Vegas.
I worked with Thomas Keller, Malcolm Park. I worked with Four Seasons. Before I opened the restaurant, I had 20 years of executive management with a big operation. From Casino Yates in Atlantic City, in Las Vegas. Four Seasons was a corporate vice president of food and beverage. Four Seasons in Asia Pacific.
In Singapore, we had a lot of restaurants and hotels all over from China to Thailand. So my background is really more into the executive management of hotels and restaurants. Three years ago, COVID happened. I live here. We loved it. I saw this location. I always wanted to introduce Lebanese food to the area.
We jumped on it and we opened. It was tough to open because we opened during COVID. But this restaurant has been a gem. It has been a hit from day one. You'll see it.
It's very small, but it's very special. Kitchim Naam was from scratch here. Typical Lebanese authentic food. And the rest is history. We are actually looking to expand the concept. Hopefully, starting next year.
And that's it. I've been doing this for all my life, pretty much. I've been very fortunate to work with an amazing team, amazing brands.
We wanted a name that's easy to remember, easy to write. Ammar, obviously, is the moon. My wife, my late wife, was Venezuelan.
Ammar is to love in Spanish. and we just chose it. We felt that it's easy to remember, easy to write. We didn't want something very ethnic. If you enter the restaurant now, you will not even tell it's a Lebanese restaurant in many ways. You know, I'm always big on the design of a restaurant that doesn't have very ethnicity. The name also, you know, I was
a bit, wanted a little bit more something that has a common between Arabic and Spanish, and even Ammar in Indian is eternal life. Lebanese food is very popular now. A lot of people, 90% comes, and they've already had Lebanese food somewhere. Yeah, I'm in New York, I'm in Toronto, I'm in Montreal.
We got a lot of also Latin Lebanese, Latin Lebanese, Venezuelan, Lebanese Brazilian, Lebanese Mexican. And the people who haven't had it, they come because they've heard. We are definitely the highest rated restaurant in the Ray Beach. We're at 4.5, 4.8 reviews.
So people look at it, they come back. I'm usually here most of the time. I approach the table, we're very generous. We send stuff to the food. We do some Lebanese wine.
We have an amazing Lebanese list of wines, and we pretty much feature all the Lebanese wines. So Lebanese wine is very up front in our menu. Lebanese beer is up front.
And people are trying it, and they love it. I don't think, nowadays, maybe 10 years ago, you had to really do an extra step to introduce a Lebanese cuisine. Not anymore. Lebanese cuisine is up front.
As you know, you came from New York, Lili, Soraya in Philadelphia, you'll see Miami. So I think the cuisine is very happening if you do it right. And people just keep on coming back.
♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ We got a lot of... That's the beauty of this restaurant. We have a mix of culture and it makes it very special.
♪♪ I have about 10 kinds of Lebanese wines. Ksar, Ramzar, Kefraya, Chateau Balveul, Masaya, Ksir, Heritage, Dementorel, you know, whatever. I love to promote Lebanese wines and we do very well with it actually. It's easy to read from the title.
When I entered, I liked it. I liked the place that looks like Bistro du Quartier, like a French bistro. A light and clean restaurant.
The wood is very nice. The leather on the edges is very nice. The low ceiling, the beautiful lights, the yellow, the reflections, the white brick on the left and right, and an open kitchen. I really liked this very beautiful design, very modern, yet light. The beautiful tiles, the fabric, the color gray, the beautiful plates.
And then, following you on the table, the presentation is clearly organized. This presentation that makes you feel and know that you are in a Lebanese restaurant, original, traditional, organized, not philosophical. I want to tell you something. How do you know that the chef is from Saghbein? He makes potato kebbeh. Potato kebbeh, which I love a lot.
Sweet potatoes kebbeh, which I love a lot and which is from Saghbein. And then, we start. One after another. Kebbeh. Look at how it cracked. I will leave it to cool down a bit.
And then, grape leaves. Super amazingly done. Beautifully right, beautifully. Look at the taste. Fresh bread. It has been 10 minutes outside.
It is not yet grilled. It is roasted. I am feeling the crunch of the walnut under the fork. Wow.
Spot on. The potatoes are hot. It is not Lebanese. It is very soft.
It tastes good. Oh, it is raw. Okay. It is roasted raw spring. The meat has an amazing color.
Amazing. Its smell is amazing. A village. I am missing a cup of Arak, but you can drink it with wine. We go back to the kebbeh. I will add a small drop.
The chef told me that it has a small piece of garlic. I will add a drop. Wow. The kebbeh has a lot of bulgur. You feel its crunch like chips from outside.
The meat inside is very soft and delicious. The kebbeh is great. It is time for Jouda. I am very excited.
I am excited for two things. First, I am excited because there are plates other than the table. I want to eat a hot dish. I am excited for another thing. Today, I am on the channel. I am on the new video.
I made Sheikh Al Mahchi at home. I love this food a lot. I think I will start with it. Sheikh Al Mahchi, for those who don't know, is the eggplant that is half peeled. It has minced meat, tomatoes, and rice on the side. Can you imagine? An American came here to eat it for the first time.
We are showing it. There is a vegan version if you want. I prefer the rice. It has pepper. I will cut it into pieces.
The minced meat is exceptional. Look at the eggplant. Tomatoes on top.
Oh my God! Oh my God! What a beautiful taste! What a delicious sourness! What a great flavors! My life is thinking about you. Sheikh Al Mahchi, today. If you want to watch the video on YouTube, we make it at home with cheese. It is unbelievable how delicious it is.
I will finish it. Wait. Let's move to the second stage, which is the fish. I will put some rice on the side. Look at the rice. Look at the rice.
Wow! This is a premiere. I wasn't expecting to eat hot food. I wasn't expecting to finish after the Mezza which we always eat, or the meat, or the grill, to reach a place to eat this.
This is even phenomenal. The pepper, the pine nuts, the crushed almonds, the juiciness of the fish. I am impressed. Ammar is a favorite. Definitely one of the highlights of the trip. Definitely.
I sat for dinner, ready? I think my mouth is watering. I will add a bit of Knafeh syrup, with a slight crunch. You can see how the cheese is melting and boiling.
Wow, this place is really amazing, the food is amazing, the work is amazing, the work is right. The cheese syrup. The Knafeh is crispy, done right.
I enjoyed it, the way it was made, like a rye bread. And then comes, vegan, tahini, chocolate cake. Vegan, tahini, chocolate cake. Hi Anthony and welcome to Shishka, welcome to Miami, actually to our Sunshine Estate. As you see, Shishka is a small family business, it's a restaurant, small family, very authentic. Everything we have is made from scratch, very healthy food, authentic food.
My husband, Rassan Zbib, originally from Beirut, he moved to here like 20 years ago. He decided to go for this business because he loved to cook at home. He had a very good taste. We started Shishka like 12 years ago and he put everything tasty on the menu. We do have all the stews, Mloukhiyeh, Kebbeh Bel Laban, Kebbeh Bessamiyeh.
Everything very authentic that our mom used to cook in Lebanon, he was able to put it on the menu here. Hi Anthony, Rassan Zbib with you. We started Shishka like 13 years ago. When we put the name Shishka Lebanese Grill, many people told us, don't put Lebanese, put Mediterranean. But we are very proud to be Lebanese. We said we are going to have Lebanese Grill.
Those who liked it liked it. Lebanese cuisine is different from all cuisines. It's not like Mediterranean or Middle Eastern. It's a different cuisine. That's why we have Lebanese Grill and you are going to have the best authentic Lebanese food over here.
You will not find it anywhere in Florida. Let's start the presentation. I liked it a lot.
We reached a place called Shishka. I will start with the Hummus. They are prepared without garlic. Maybe with meat or here.
They look very nice and I am excited. In the Lebanese way. Super creamy. With meat. With meat. And its oil.
The Hummus is perfect. I liked the plates, the presentation is nice. The colors are nice. Oh Labneh. Nicely done.
It's square and firm. It doesn't have water. You can have cheese rolls. Without garlic. I will go back to the Hummus. I liked it.
Look. Nicely done Hummus. Very creamy.
The meat they have in Florida is amazing. You won't find a place that doesn't eat good meat. And this is how we roll. It's unbelievable how soft it is.
Very good Lebanese sausages. That's how they call them here. But they are firm. All the way, very proud. Their spices are light. Spot on.
I liked it. Good? I will come here more often. A sandwich and Hummus. For the road. Rabih.
From my hand. We end this long day in Mhellabia. Even Mhellabia reached here. Mhellabia. With sugar syrup. With flowers, wine, and almonds.
Their food is delicious. I can tell you. They've been here for 12 years. Great Mhellabia. Light, with pomegranate.
Enjoyable. A long day. Amazing. We walked from Tampa.
All the way on the road. It's been 200 miles in these 2 days. Thank you for the support. We still haven't reached Miami.
We will sleep in Miami and spend the next episode with you. 2 very long days. In the area, I will call it down. Thank you for watching. I will enjoy Mhellabia.
I have a question. What? I want to thank you too. What are you going to have for dinner? He looks like he is going to sleep. Cheers to an amazing day. Mhellabia.
Music. Music. Music. Music.
2023-08-26 09:30