Dishing with Naji Constantine of Naji's Pita Gourmet in Homewood

Naji Constantine

Naji Constantine, Owner Naji's Pita Gourmet, 166 West Valley Ave., Homewood, 945-6001, www.pita.net

Restaurant's Specialty:
Middle Eastern.

What Sets This Restaurant Apart From Others?
In our most recent menu change we have gone more authentic. Everything is made from scratch and our prices are a great value.

How Long Has The Restaurant Been Open?
16 years.

Honors:
Not too long ago, we were voted one of the city's best kept secrets in The Birmingham News.What's New?
We have remodeled and gone through a menu change and added an international market. We are now distributing more than 1,200 items that we bring in from all over the country and around the world and sell to restaurants and ethnic food markets all over the Southeast.

Job You'd Have If Not A Chef:
I would be a teacher.

Who Inspired Your Love For Cooking?
My mom. To her, cooking is a statement of love. To this day when I go see her, the first question is, "What do you want to eat?"

Your Mentor:
My brothers and sisters. I'm the youngest of seven and all of them, collectively and individually, have influenced my life in a positive way.

Best Advice You Were Ever Given:
"It's always about people. We serve customers, purchase from vendors, and hire employees, generate profits for our shareholders in order to provide for our families. If you take care of people, the rest will take care of itself and success is always the result," advice from Sandy Beall, founder of Ruby Tuesday's.

Your First Cooking Memory:
Making akawi cheese with butter and toasted in a pita; it's sort of Lebanese grilled cheese.

Restaurant-Related Thing You're Proudest Of:
All of the people I've worked with over the last 29 years have made me a better businessman and a better person.

Favorite Food To Prepare:
Lebanese; no surprise there.

What Would You Choose For Your Final Meal?
Mouloukhia, a jute mellow (a spinach-like vegetable) cooked with chicken, cilantro and a Middle Eastern spice blend, served over white rice with vermicelli noodles, and topped with diced red onions that have been marinated in red-wine vinegar. Toasted pita chips on the side make it the perfect meal. Nobody makes it like Mama.

Favorite Food-Related Web Site:
www.grouprecipes.com, which is my wife, Tanya's, favorite.

Favorite Restaurant Other Than Your Own:
Ali Baba in Hoover.

Chef You Most Admire:
Paul Prudhomme. His use of spice revolutionized Cajun food and gained it international appeal.

Favorite Spice:
Sumac.

Favorite Herb:
Oregano.

Do You Cook At Home?
Not as much as I would like; my wife has been doing most of the cooking lately.

Kitchen Gadget You Couldn't Work Without:
A sharp knife.

Most Disappointing Kitchen Gadget:
Potato cutter for fries; they never cut them thin enough. My kids turn up their noses unless I cut the fries with a knife.

Strangest Occurrence In Your Restaurant's Dining Room:
I once hired a belly dancer for the restaurant and it turned out to be an exotic dancer with a belly-dance routine.

Food/Restaurant-Related Pet Peeve:
Closing earlier than posted hours. The last customer of the day is not paying with Monopoly money.

Advice For Someone Outfitting A Kitchen:
Absolutely, gas over electric.

Worst Mistake Most Cooks Make:
They forget that creativity is what makes cooking fun.

Your Best Cooking Tip:
The right salad can really make the meal.

Final Thoughts:
I am more blessed than anyone I know; only in this country is my story even possible.

Have a chef or cook to suggest? E-mail Lynn Grisard Fullman at LGFullman@aol.com.

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