It’s NoshUp time!
Ethnosh™ guides you to the most delicious ethnic food in your area, garnished with the stories that bring the flavor to life. Immigrant and locally owned monthly food series!
It’s NoshUp time! That’s right, Shop Local Raleigh and Kristen Baughman are bringing the flavor to Raleigh! First stop is on Thursday, February 6th from 6-8pm, at the Lebanese sensation Neomonde Cafe & Market. Come enjoy a traditional Lebanese Mezza (appetizers/small plates), hear authentic Lebanese music, and get better acquainted with the Saleh family who bring all of this goodness from Lebanon to the City of Oaks! Only $5 at the door gives you access to a tasty plate of signature samplers.
Stay for dinner (if you like), bring friends and family. This is a unique opportunity to get face-to-face with the people that make our town that much more interesting and delicious!
True to Ethnosh form, we’ve got a fantastic combo of photos and words to give you a little taste. Stay tuned on Facebook for the full serving, and check out this sampling, courtesy of the Raleigh duo known as Life with the Lushers:
- What: Ethnosh
- When: February 6, 6-8pm
- Where: Neomonde North, 9650 Strickland Road, Raleigh, NC 27615
- Cost: $5
Neomonde Cafe & Market
Blog written by Life with the Lushers
Coming to the United States, The Land of Opportunity, was a dream come true for 19-year-old Mounir Saleh. After the family packed up their lives in Lebanon in just 24 hours, Mounir arrived in North Carolina on a Wednesday and started work at Hector’s the following Monday, where he stood behind the counter and asked people, “What do you like to drink?” “It was the only English I knew!” says Mounir with a laugh.
The family craved a taste of home, but nothing like pita existed in the Triangle area at the time. So in 1977 the Saleh brothers opened Neomonde Baking Company. With oversight from their uncle, a pita recipe from their mother, Cecilia, a converted pizza oven, and a Ford Mustang for deliveries, the Saleh family began introducing the area to the bread of their homeland.
In 1989, the Salehs took the opportunity to expand, opening a take-out deli with even more of Cecilia’s delectable recipes. “We did it just to grow together as a family and to show people how to eat the food with the bread,” Mounir says. With the family’s foundation of fresh ingredients, focus on quality and authenticity, and Cecilia’s motto, “If you don’t eat it, you don’t feed it,” Neomonde’s business continued to grow.
In 2000, Neomonde had grown popular enough to relocate to a larger facility and additional cafe in Morrisville. Daughters and sons had grown into the business and by 2011, wanting a little elbow room, Mounir opened Neomonde North. Mounir’s daughter, Simone, says, “The cousins have big plans for the business,” but expect them all to have a Neomonde flair!
Tom and I have been visiting the restaurant since its opening two years ago, picking up authentic Mediterranean ingredients for our home cooking endeavors, but usually for takeout, since it’s convenient, delicious, and healthy. The expansive variety of freshly made salads, hot and cold sides, other menu items, and packed pastry case almost make ordering a daunting task. You want to try it all but still enjoy your favorites, which is exactly what Tom, Kristen, and I were able to do on our visit. We sampled plates brimming full of chicken seasoned with spices that will warm your soul, hearty kibbeh, parsley and garlic spiked falafel, mjadara with pungently sweet caramelized onions, spiced cabbage with cracked wheat, stuffed grape leaves with labneh, mountains of the freshest tabouli and fatoush, baba ghanouj with pita, hummus with pita, tzatziki with pita, and za’atar olive oil with, of course, the pita that started it all. With each bite you can taste the quality, authenticity, passion, and love behind each and every dish.
Tremendous thanks to the Loeschers aka Life with the Lushers and to Kristen Baughman for taking the Ethnosh recipe to Raleigh!
Ethnosh will be a traveling series with one event every month at a different locally owned, independent and ethnically owned restaurant! If you’re interested in being a food blogger for one of these events or recommending a location for this Ethnosh event, contact Kristin Baughman or Jennifer Martin today!
