A TREAT FOR YOUR TASTE BUDS Maroosh Offers The Finest Middle Eastern Cuisine By Maria Tettamanti Let's face it, Middle Eastern fare is the new IT cuisine. Best-selling books such as The South Beach Diet and The Mediterranean Diet sing to the praises of how Middle Eastern cuisine is just as healthy as it is scrumptious. And dining at Coral Gables' Maroosh is just that; wholesome and delectable. A faithful feast for the senses, Maroosh transports its patrons to the exoticness of Lebanon. Scents of garlic, cumin, curry and cilantro swagger through the air. Middle Eastern music pipes through the dining area, and belly dancers can be found shimmying the night away. While Maroosh transcends one to the set of Arabian Nights, it's a true treat for your taste buds and their track record proves this. "We've been in business for over 20 years,"¯ says owner Samir Al-Barq. The 44-year-old Lebanese-born, Jordan-bred entrepreneur confesses he was cut out for the hospitality industry since his youth. "My father owned restaurants in Jordan, Saudi Arabia and Lebanon. He even taught me how to cook,"¯ Al-Barq says. Tack on the fact Al-Barq majored in hospitality at Florida International University, and you've got a real comestible connoisseur. Maroosh first made Kendall, South Miami it's home from '85 to '99, but moved it's digs to Coral Gables in 2000. "Coral Gables is a dining destination and it was simply starving for some Middle Eastern cuisine,"¯ Al-Barq says of the transition. And starving it was - any Maroosh patron will tell you to stave your hunger with advice such as, "Try the baba ghannouj, hummus, falafel and tabbouleh - it's divine!"¯ Al-Barq, on the other hand, will recommend any of the lamb entrees. As for the carte du jour, Maroosh's menu is anything but mundane. Customers can choose from kebabs, grape leaves, stuffed cabbage, labneh and steaks. Each and every dish is satiated with what Mediterranean food is best known for - fresh ingredients. Maroosh's Mediterranean cooking depends on the freshest of components; it is honest, simple and prepared with respect. If you are ever in Miami, Florida you only need to travel as far as Coral Gables' Valencia Avenue to explore the true taste of the Mediterranean. You can also visit Maroosh online at www.Maroosh.com . SIDEBAR: Snippets with Samir Book currently on his nightstand: The Arab American by Randa A. Kayyali Musician: Cat Stevens Movie: Crash Personal hero: My father Pets: Cockatiels, parakeets, finches and canaries "Maroosh" means: "To fan charcoal"¯ in Lebanese Can't live without: My restaurant! |
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