Nunu’s celebrates 10 years with special menu
Ten years ago last month, Janet “Nunu” Farhood ignored son Clayton’s advice and fans of local Lebanese cuisine couldn’t be happier. To celebrate, Nunu’s
Mediterranean Cafe, 3131 W Memorial Rd., begins the first month of its next decade with some special menu items and offers.
Nunu herself retired three years ago, leaving the restaurant in the hands of the man who tried to tell her not to spend her retirement from hospital administration as a first-time restaurateur.
“I told her the restaurant business is hard work,” Clayton Farhood recalled. “Not that hospital administration was easy, she worked very long hours during her career, but restaurants require a lot of physical labor.”
Clayton Farhood moved back home from Indianapolis three years after his mom opened Nunu’s and now owns and operates it with partner Stephen Bradley.
For the first time ever, Nunu’s will offer fries during the month of April but no ordinary version.
“They’re Za’ater Fries,” Bradley said.
“Mom never wanted us to have fries,” Farhood said. “So, if we were going to do it we had to do something special.”
The fries are drizzled with olive oil and seasoned with Za’atar, which is a Middle Eastern spice blend that typically consists of dried hyssop leaves, sesame seeds, dried sumac, and salt. Fries come with garlic yogurt sauce. Nunu’s also will offer a spin on their Greek salad that includes cedar plank smoked salmon. Fans of the annual St. Elijah Food Festival will recognize this month’s special dessert, the baklava sundaes.
“That might have to stay on the menu beyond April,” Farhood hinted. “But not during the (St. Elijah Food) festival.”
A few celebratory dishes and discounts aren’t all Farhood and Bradley have in mind right now. Having signed another long-term lease, the guys are steering their own evolution. Delivery has gradually become a substantial part of the restaurant’s business through internet delivery services, and Nunu’s is leaning into it.
“We always did a lot of takeout business,” Farhood said. “But delivery has increased our to-go business dramatically.”
It’s no surprise, as the counter-service concept is set up to serve quickly and the kinds of food Nunu’s specializes in are ideal for travel.
But the biggest change the anniversary will trigger have to do with the sign.
“Well, when we opened we were called Nunu’s Mediterranean Cafe and Market,” Bradley said. “We’re going to be losing the market part very soon.”
Fans of the eatery know almost half the dining room is occupied by a marketplace. Bradley said the counter from which they sell prepackaged sides and sweets will soon vanish and the market area will be converted into more dining space.
“We’ve got about 40 percent of our dining space devoted to the market,” Bradley said. “And we’ve come to realize we can still offer all the same things we had in our display from the front counter, so we’re going to expand our dining room.”
Farhood and Bradley said the renovation will include private dining when its completed. Not just a quiet place for an intimate occasion, but a dining table to accommodate large families seeking a traditional experience.
“We’ve spent 10 years introducing people to Lebanese food. We thought it was time to share the way we dine together,” Bradley said.
Nunu’s also begins serving Lebanese wine this week, an exclusive deal Farhood recently closed. The restaurant is open 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. Monday through Saturday. For more information call 751-7000 or go online to nunuscafe.com.
Sunnyside Diner expands again
Back in December, Sunnyside Diner co-owner Aly Cunningham confided that she and partner Shannon Roper were negotiating on a new property for a third location, but couldn’t say where because the space was still occupied.
Now I can report a third Sunnyside Diner will open at 9148 N MacArthur Blvd. in a couple weeks.
The space was formerly home to Lola’s Cafe, which some of you will no doubt remember from a story we ran in December of 2016. Longtime Lola’s owner
Khadija Jarrad last year sold the restaurant to out-oftown owners, but they were unable to keep the cafe running.
The first Sunnyside location opened downtown in June of 2016 with the location on SW 89 Street opening last year.
Target date for the new place is April 23. For menu and location information, go online to eatatsunnyside.com
Open Flame returns
Yes, we were all wearing jackets over the weekend, but spring did arrive, meaning I’ll be teaming once again with the folks at American Propane, 7401 NW Broadway Ext., to present “Open Flame” on April 19.
Our first event of the year will be a Cinco de Mayo primer. Since I retired from throwing taco parties in May a few years ago, I still get the itch to gather a crowd for carnitas, cochinita pibil and chorizo tacos.
When I heard the Pork Council would be sponsoring our first event and that it would fall a few weeks
before Mexico’s most overcelebrated minor holiday, I reached out to some experts.
Joining me will be chefs Miguel Barrera from Revolucion and Gerry Reardon and Klaudya Barcenas from El Toro Chino. The festivities begin at 6 p.m.
The series will continue through the spring and finish in the fall. Tickets for the first class and tasting are $60, call 843-6868.
Fast food
Cowboy Chicken, the fast casual concept known for its woodfired rotisserie chicken, will open a second metro location in Edmond later this month at 410 Bryant Ave . ...
One chain specializing in breakfast will replace another when Black Bear Diner opens in a few weeks in the space where Mimi’s Cafe previously resided, 3015 W Memorial Rd. Mimi’s closed last year just before having to run one more Thanksgiving Day service. No word yet on whether the new place will be open for Turkey Day. This is the second Black Bear location in town, the other is in Midwest City.