In the Know: Sample Kareem’s Lebanese Kitchen in East Naples

Promoting itself as “inspired Mediterranean cuisine” may be an understatement for Kareem’s Lebanese Kitchen, which recently opened for dinner reservations in East Naples.

Executive Chef Rachid Eido passionately showcases his knowledge and appreciation for his native Lebanese cuisine. The new restaurant had its soft opening Feb. 12 in a beautifully designed space that partially was a former ice cream parlor combined with two previously undeveloped units in Sugden Park Plaza on U.S. 41 East.

Kareem’s is next door to 21 Spices by Chef Asif, a popular dining spot for modern Indian fare that proves to be a complementary international cuisine for Kareem’s.

Dinner at the new 85-seat restaurant will be served only by reservation until Kareem’s grand opening March 6, the date walk-ins also will be accepted. Lunch service will be added later.

Eido, 36, is the third generation of a family of chefs who have created authentic Beiruti Lebanese cuisine. He worked with his father, who was a personal chef to royalty and wealthy clients in the Middle East for many years, said Simon Ayouch, general manager and co-owner of Kareem’s.

The chef’s culinary roots, though, start with his grandfather, who owned a small shop in downtown Beirut that served traditional Lebanese cuisine.

In 2010, the young chef moved from Lebanon to the United States, where he has worked for the InterContinental Hotels Group in Texas, Four Seasons Hotel Baltimore, and Lebanese Taverna, a chain of restaurants in the Washington, D.C., area. In America, he learned restaurant management and time-saving techniques for meal preparation, which inspired him to want his own place.

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“Every chef has his dream to open a restaurant,” Eido said.

His restaurant is a sophisticated yet casual setting that makes good use of cedar with furniture custom-made on location. “Lebanon is a city of cedar, as you know, so there’s a lot of wood here,” Ayouch said.

Cedar, featured in the center of the Lebanese flag, is a symbol of eternity and peace. Kareem is the Arabic word for generous, which reflects Eido’s philosophy and cuisine, he said.

"Our food showcases generosity through the variety of delicious and intense flavors,” he said. “Furthermore, hospitality is one of our core values in the Lebanese culture."

The modern restaurant features an open kitchen. Vertical rotisseries with slowly rotating shawarma meats can be seen through the glass separating the kitchen from the dining area.

Eido is most proud of his juicy shawarma and flavorful hummus. It’s a three-day process to make the hummus because of the time to soak, cook and blend the chickpeas, garlic and fresh lemon juice, he said.

Spices and other ingredients, such as larger chickpeas, are imported from Lebanon. For instance, tahini must be made from cold-pressed sesame seeds to achieve the best quality, he said. Other key spices he imports include allspice, cinnamon, cumin, cardamom and dried lime.

“That’s a challenge in this country. Nobody can get these ingredients easily. For the chef, the quality is the key to be successful,” Eido said. “You can cook anything, but you have to get the quality of the hummus, the chickpeas, the tahini, the oil, the spices. The ingredients are the most important to cook the right food.”

Eido has assembled an extensive menu of authentic entrees, appetizers and more. Dishes feature proteins such as lamb, chicken, salmon and shrimp.

Entrees range from eggplant with yogurt, chickpeas, pine nuts, garlic, pomegranates and pita chips ($18) to grilled Mediterranean sea bass ($35). Sliced lamb loin and kabobs are among other options.

For those who want to sample a little of everything, Kareem’s offers two popular “Taste of Beirut” options for $14 each. The Chef Rachid Platter has a sampling of hummus, baba ghanoush, tabbouleh, grape leaves, falafel, fatayer spinach, kibbeh with labneh aioli, moussaka and Chef Rachid Eggplant Salad. The Beiruti Platter has a choice of beef shawarma, chicken shawarma or falafel with hummus, fattoush and Lebanese rice.

A hummus bar sampler ($12) gives diners a chance to taste spicy, garlic and traditional versions of hummus with vegetable dippers. Many other appetizers ($7-$13) and soups and salads ($7-$14) are available.

Specialty wraps ($12-$14) may be ordered with sharwarma, falafel or grilled ground lamb served on house-made bread, with a choice of fries or fattoush salad. Many of the menu items are gluten-free and made with certified halal meats, the menu notes.

Desserts ($7) such as baklava also are available. In addition to a selection of Lebanese wine and beers, beverages include a Moroccan tea ($3) made with gunpowder green tea, mint and sugar.

Eido plans to eventually host cooking classes at his new restaurant to give people a better appreciation of Lebanese cuisine.

“I don’t like to hide anything. I like to teach people,” he said. “I want people to know about this food, about how it’s healthy.”  

By the way, the new restaurant team still wants to hire some more experienced servers ahead of its March 6 grand opening. Prospective employees should contact Simon Ayouch at Kareem's.

Kareem’s Lebanese Kitchen, 4270 U.S. 41 E., is open 4:30 to 10 p.m. daily for dinner. Lunch service will be added eventually. For more information call 239-315-4167 or go to kareemskitchen.com.

For the latest in local restaurants coming and going, see Tim Aten’s “In the Know” columns archived at naplesnews.com/intheknow, and on Facebook at facebook.com/timaten.intheknow.