Oklahoma Gazette
free every wednesday Metro OKC’s Independent Weekly Vol. XXXIii No. 2 january 12, 2008
Oftentimes when
a new metro eatery
opens, the food runs
the gamut from
burgers to pizza,
Asian, Mexican or down-home cooking.
On the other hand, there are those
few restaurants that offer neighborly
food with a focus on authenticity
to deliver a distinctive gastronomic
experience. Case in point: Nunu’s
Mediterranean Cafe and Market,
3131-B W. Memorial, presents the sun-
kissed fare of the Mediterranean and
surrounding regions.
In this instance, Nunu’s is no hushed
temple of cuisine, but rather a relaxed
café with colorful tablecloths and even
some slip-covered armchairs.
“It’s more than I’ve ever hoped for,”
owner Janet “Nunu” Farhood said. “I
learned to cook from my mother. My
mom, Abla Musallam, was known
nationally (in the Lebanese community)
for being one of the best Lebanese cooks
in the country.”
Farhood left the corporate world
after serving as chief operating officer
for four years for Bone and Joint
Hospital, 1111 N. Dewey. With no
formal restaurant experience or studies
at a culinary institute, but with her
Tastes like spring
A new metro eatery and market draws on the sun-kissed flavors
of the Mediterranean — and long-cherished family recipes.
BY CAROL SMAGLINSKI
well-deserved reputation as a good cook,
she recently opened her own affordable
restaurant and deli with a sleek menu
that holds lots of options.
Nunu’s is tucked between Starbucks
and the soon-to-be-opened Yakimono’s.
The owner is surprised to see loyal
customers already coming back daily to
her eatery and dining there, both inside
its 2,400 square feet, where there is
seating for 60, and outside, where there
is patio dining for 16.
Open daily except Sundays, the
eatery’s glass cases hold cold cuts and
sausages from air-dried prosciutto to
smoked mortadella, and bowls of freshly
made Greek salad, fattoosh (Lebanese
toasted bread salad) and, of course,
tabbouleh — a mixture chopped parsley,
tomatoes, green onions and cracked
wheat with a dressing of lemon and extra
virgin olive oil.
Cheeses from all over the world such
as Royal Blue Stilton and a kashkaval
from Bulgaria are available, as well as
dark, eggplant-colored kalamata olives
and four other tangy olive varieties.
Never-frozen phyllo (or filo) dough is
also available, and Nunu’s nut-filled
pastries made with the
dough are simply outstanding.
Shelves on the side hold bags of
from left Jim Fox, Janet “Nunu” Farhood and Morgan Musallam gather a sam-
pling of the most-requested Lebanese pastries and family recipes available at the
newly opened Nunu’s Mediterranean Cafe and Market.
pistachios, cashews, coffee and pita bread.
Among the items on Nunu’s menu
are lentil soup; falafel sandwiches, which
are mildly spiced vegetarian patties with
tahini sauce; daily specials; and Cedar’s
Po’boy Sandwich, the original sandwich
that made Tulsa’s Cedar’s Deli &
Catering famous for more than 40 years.
In addition, the Nunu’s sampler plate
gives patrons an opportunity to try it all,
from a signature dish called hashwa —
made with beef, rice and a mixture of
special seasonings, cooked with clarified
butter and topped with toasted almonds
— to beef kafta and a cabbage roll served
with tabbouleh, hummus and pita.
An interesting note is the decor:
Upon entering the restaurant, a
customer’s eyes are drawn to the right
wall, holding a host of decorative
crosses, then a mural of Lebanon,
painted by Oklahoma artist Muna
McClain of Stillwater.
There also is a black, wrought-
iron wall wine cellar, even though no
alcohol is being served at present. That
wine cellar, once an integral part of the
nowclosed Nikz at the Top in the former
shannon cornman
United Founders Tower, was bought at
auction by Farhood for an incredible
$60. Bill Wilson, who owned Nikz,
originally purchased the wine cellar for a
deep discount of $1,500.
“She got a good deal,” Wilson said
of the happenings at the closing auction
at Nikz. “It rained the day of the auction
and there were very few people there.”
Having second thoughts, Wilson
now thinks he probably should have
kept the cellar, but is pleased to see the
object in another restaurant. He is now
operating Opus Prime Steakhouse, 800
W. Memorial, with his son, Billy.
Meanwhile, Farhood couldn’t
believe her good fortune at the auction,
which was hosted at Nikz by auctioneer
Louis Dakil.
The creative Farhood has turned the
wine cellar — which at times previously
cradled thousands of dollars of fine wine
— into a spice rack with glass containers
holding Mediterranean seasonings.
“It’s cool, but I spent thousands of
dollars on the bricks surrounding the
wine cellar to make the alcoves,” she
said.