ITHACA, N.Y.—Loumies celebrated its formal opening on a wet Wednesday afternoon in Collegetown.
The Levantine-inspired menu delivers Middle Japanese cuisine like lentil soup, hummus, zaatar, cheese, chicken and beef savory pies, okra stew, mushroom artichoke and stuffed zucchini dishes. The restaurant also will take treatment to annotate its menu with gluten-cost-free, vegan and vegetarian solutions.
Not long ago shifting to Ithaca from New York Metropolis, Rania and Raed Kaldi have been impressed to open up a restaurant and supply residence-model meals to school college students and Ithaca citizens alike.
In attendance for the ribbon-chopping had been City of Ithaca Alderperson Ducson Nguyen, Tompkins Chamber of Commerce Jennifer Tavarez and Tompkins County Legislator Rich John, amongst many others.
“Thank you so a great deal anyone for exhibiting up and supporting us, we sense the enjoy of Ithaca,” Rania claimed. “The purpose why we’re here is for the reason that we fell in love with Ithaca. We came during the pandemic and which is exactly where we came up with the idea for Loumies. It is especially for Ithaca. We’re wanting forward to producing a ton of friends, eating a good deal of meals and owning a lot of fun.”
Raed agreed with that sentiment. “We both of those have been all about Dubai, London, New York, and we eventually made a decision it was time to settle down. We seriously belong in this community and we experience totally welcome, we thank you for that and we want to give back again.”
While she hardly ever anticipated opening a restaurant, Rania has cherished cooking. She reported she employed to cater on the aspect, throwing significant situations with loads of foods. Following these experiences, opening the restaurant was the upcoming challenge for her.
Loumies at first opened at the pretty conclude of the tumble semester suitable as students were leaving for winter season crack. The restaurant shut down for a tiny bit of the winter season off-year in advance of reopening at the commencing of Spring 2022 and reducing the ribbon March 23.
“I know how to prepare dinner but taking care of a restaurant is entirely distinct. We’re the serious entrepreneurs, performing day and night time,” she said. Although they function on employing staff members members, Raed, she mentioned, holds the official self-bestowed title as the most effective dish-washer in Ithaca, at the very least for the time staying.
The food is from Rania’s expertise in Dubai, in which she lived for 18 many years. Describing it as a melting pot of flavors and society, “everybody arrives with foods. I’m fascinated with foodstuff, Raed and I are the fantastic foodies.”
Do-it-yourself Middle Jap food items is something Rania reported she hasn’t viewed substantially in Ithaca, in particular in Collegetown. The menu is a watchful assortment of all the dishes she loves to make and take in, which she says allows with the cooking method.
Raed stated that their future move aside from choosing a employees is to do the job on the catering side of matters. Even though Loumies is on delivery applications, they haven’t found a lot of orders and are relying on walk-in buyers, at minimum for now. “As far as our anticipations, we’re ideal on focus on and performing well. We’re happy,” he mentioned.
Loumies is located at 114 Dryden Road and is open seven days a week for walk-ins, pick-up or delivery.