Lebanese food is a lot more than hummus and falafel.
Fares Jasser is out to say that loud, clear and deliciously at this year’s Lebanese Food Fair, Friday and Saturday at Our Lady of the Cedars in Fairlawn.
This year’s event, running 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. both days, features an expanded food lineup, overseen by Jasser, a parishioner who owns The Boulevard in Cuyahoga Falls.
“It’s not just the sandwiches” like falafel (fried balls or patties made with a chickpea mixture), shawarma (grilled meat in a pita) and typical festival food, Jasser said. “There’s many other things that the Lebanese culture has to offer from a food perspective.”
Also new on the menu is a version of mujadara, lentils with caramelized onions.
“We stew the lentils almost until they disappear, adding liberal amounts of sweated onions,” he explained, noting he even smooths the mixture a bit with a blender. Often mujadara has more rice, the lentils are not cooked nearly so much and are not blended, he said.
The new rice dish served with the roasted leg of lamb is akin to a Lebanese stuffing; it’s basmati rice with ground chuck, topped with a mix of cinnamon, allspice, pistachios and slivered almonds.
On the beverage front, this year’s fest will include a non-alcoholic Middle Eastern beverage called jallab, made with a syrup of raisins and grape molasses. Lebanese and other types of beer will be available, along with wine.
And there will be the usual falafel, shawarma, chicken sandwiches, kafta (spiced ground beef), hummus and a big array of pastries. You can get spiced fried pita with “Hummus & Cousins” — baba ghannouj (dip made with roasted eggplants) and labneh (Lebanese yogurt cheese).
The expanded entertainment lineup includes more dancing, and there’s a silent auction and Auntie’s Attic rummage sale. Chairwoman is Violette Shamatta. You’ll be able to eat inside, or under big tents.
Food for pickup between 11 a.m. and 2 p.m. can be ordered online at www.lebanesefoodfair.com. For information, see that website or the Our Lady of Cedars Food Fest Facebook page.
The Our Lady of the Cedars of Mount Lebanon Maronite Catholic Church is at 507 S. Cleveland-Massillon Road. Call 330-666-3598.
PizzaFire location
I mentioned in a column a while back that PizzaFire — where pizzas are made to order and baked in an 800-degree oven for 180 seconds — was coming to Fairlawn. Sean Brauser, the founder/owner of the Medina County-headquartered chain, wasn’t ready to reveal where.
Now it can be told: PizzaFire is going into the former Enso Rolls and Bowls, in the Shops of Fairlawn plaza off West Market Street. Enso, which focused on sushi and noodle bowls, closed Monday. The one in Westgate Mall in Fairview Park remains open.
PizzaFire now has six stores, including the first one in downtown Akron, and one in Portage Crossings in Cuyahoga Falls. In all, 20 Ohio locations should open by the end of the year, Brauser has said, a blend of corporate and franchise locations.
Next year, the chain will expand to Columbus, Dayton and Cincinnati. Brauser also is founder of the Romeo’s pizza chain.
Riverside renovation
Riverside Wine & Beer Bar, known for its large selection and its large deck on the Cuyahoga River, remains closed following an electrical fire earlier in July.
Owners Robert and Monica Morson said on Riverside’s website that they are in the early stages of planning a renovation. “We will stay in touch on our progress,” the husband and wife said.
Robert Morson was at the place at 911 N. Mantua St. (state Route 43) when the fire broke out, but was not injured. Repairmen were inside when the fire broke out, reported the Kent-Ravenna Record Courier.
Chilling in Akron
Chill Ice Cream Co. is expanding from Medina Square to downtown Akron.
The downtown Chill will open Friday at 30 N. High St., next to the Nightlight cinema and the new Akron Coffee Roasters. It also can be reached via Maiden Lane, off East Market Street.
Hours will be noon to 10 p.m. Monday-Friday and 4 to 10 p.m. Saturday. The shop is closed Sundays. Chill, owned by brothers Jeremy, Zachary and Patrick Jaworski, is the sixth venture to get a boost through the nonprofit Downtown Akron Partnership’s “pop-up” retail program, which matches new or existing businesses with downtown property owners who have vacant storefront space. Rent is subsidized for several months in hopes the businesses will decide to stay. The money comes from a grant from the John S. and James L. Knight Foundation.
Chill touts ingredients from area farms and businesses, with flavors like mint julep, candied bacon bourbon, sage pecan, blueberry sorbet, chocolate milk and cookies, and Philadelphia cheesecake.
Later this month, artist Jay Croft plans to begin work, along with University of Akron LIFT program participants, on an ice cream-themed mural on the site of the High Street building. LIFT is an arts apprenticeship program for university and high school art students.
See http://chill-icecream.com or Chill’s Facebook page.
Fundraiser in Falls
Here’s a fun benefit involving food and a bit of nostalgia.
Carla Jarvis-Bethea, who owned Jimmy’s Cafe in Cuyahoga Falls before it became the Chowder House, is planning a fundraiser with food from Jimmy’s menu and music. Proceeds will go to BFF (Better Future Facilitators), an area nonprofit that aims to help homeless people living in shelters start businesses.
The event will run from 6 to 9:30 p.m. Aug. 11 at the Quirk Cultural Center, 1201 Grant Ave. in the Falls. Singer-songwriter Zach will perform. Jimmy’s Famous Jambalaya, Jimmy’s House Salad and corn casserole are on the menu, along with a silent auction and 50/50 raffle.
Cost is $25 (cash or check only) at the door or $20 pre-paid. Email Jarvis-Bethea at buggyb@live.com or Dale Hartz at dhartz@betterfuturefacilitators.org.
Hamburger festival
Beacon Journal beer writer Rick Armon already told readers that this year’s National Hamburger Festival will include the Buckeye Brewfest.
Now we have word that the festival — Aug. 13 and 14 in and around Lock 3 park in downtown Akron — will feature only independently owned hamburger vendors, with the majority hailing from Northeast Ohio.
Food trucks will again join the vendors.
And instead of a traditional pageant-style Baby Burger Contest, the format has been changed so that children ages 1 to 6 will compete by wearing Akron and/or hamburger-centric gear. Think “burger costumes, LeBron James jerseys, Zippy [the UA kangaroo mascot] look-a-likes” and more, said festival representative Lexi Hotchkiss in an email.
The Buckeye Brewfest will run from noon to 7 p.m. Aug. 14, the festival’s second day. The tasting is included in the $5 admission to the festival; drinkers pay an additional fee per 4-ounce, 8-ounce or 16-ounce sample.
The event will showcase Thirsty Dog, Ohio, Buckeye, Great Lakes, Spider Monkey, Griffin Cider Works, Columbus, Elevator, Christian Moerlein, Mt. Carmel, Lager Heads, Black Cloister, Leinenkugel’s, Shiner, Fireman’s and Horny Goat.
The 11-year-old hamburger festival, which is presented by the city of Akron and supports Akron Children’s Hospital, attracts about 20,000 visitors. It runs from noon to 11 p.m. Aug. 13 and noon to 7 p.m. Aug. 14. See http://hamburgerfestival.com.
Small bites
• Registrations are closed for the 6:30 p.m. Aug. 18 talk by chef Douglas Katz at the Hudson Library & Historical Society, but you can still get on the waiting list.
Katz, owner and executive chef of fire food and drink in Shaker Heights, plans to demonstrate a dish developed for his new Fire Spice Co. Go to www.hudsonlibrary.org.
• Reminder: The Kent Lions Sweet Corn Festival runs from noon to 5 p.m. Saturday and Sunday at Beckwith Orchards in Franklin Township, near Kent. On the bill are sweet corn, hot dogs, peach pie, children’s activities, music and more. Beckwith Orchards is at 1617 Lake Rockwell Road, off the Portage County Hike & Bike Trail.
Send local food news to Katie Byard at 330-996-3781 or kbyard@thebeaconjournal.com. You can follow her @KatieByardABJ on Twitter or on Facebook at www.facebook.com.