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COURTESY OF MR. SHAWARMA
Shawarma by the Expo NEW MIDDLE EASTERN RESTAURANT IN ESSEX JUNCTION
When AYMEN AREF was a boy growing up in Baghdad, Iraq, his family owned a restaurant that served shawarmas, roasted-meat sandwiches similar to gyros. Eight years ago, his family moved to Essex Junction, where Aref recently debuted his own restaurant, MR. SHAWARMA. “It’s always been my dream to open a restaurant,” said Aref, now 22, whose business is located at 137 Pearl Street, beside the Champlain Valley Exposition. “So, when the opportunity came, I took it.” The eatery, which opened on December 29, serves chicken and beef shawarma. The meat is marinated for 14 hours, then cooked on a
shawarmas from traveling, so they are excited to try it out here.” The restaurant is Aref’s second Essex business. A graduate of the automotive program at Center for Technology, Essex, he also owns Clean & Clear Auto Detail at 18 Lincoln Street.
Caleb Lara
Lara said of the borscht. “[Escoffier’s recipes] are so thorough and super timeconsuming, and the end result is so rewarding.” Lara, who is half Mexican, is also excited about making mole Poblano. The complex sauce, which features dried chiles, spices, seeds and nuts, will be served over venison
Mr. Shawarma opens daily at 11 a.m.; it closes at midnight Sunday through Thursday, and at 4 a.m. on Friday and Saturday. The restaurant offers online ordering and delivery within a 10-mile radius. Sally Pollak
shank. He also plans seafood dishes inspired by his time in Chatham, Mass., and new vegan offerings. At the Essex, Lara suggested, he’ll strive to balance crowd-pleasing fare with menu items that push the envelope a bit, while learning more about the folks who grow and raise food in his new home state. “Creating a sense of community is important to me,” he said. “There are so many cool purveyors out there, and I haven’t scratched the surface yet.” As he does, Lara plans to make sure the menus stay seasonal and exciting. “I want things to be crafted, to be local,” he said. “I want to keep it fresh.”
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What can diners expect to find there? Borscht, for one thing. For years, Lara has been cooking a brisket-andduck borscht from a recipe by Auguste Escoffier (18461935), the famed French chef who, like Lara, worked in hotel kitchens. “It’s one of those dishes that gives me the warm-and-fuzzies,”
THURSDAY JAN 25 4-7PM
Left: chicken kebab with baba ghanoush and hummus; above: chicken and beef shawarma with hummus and stuffed grape leaves
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Last fall, the ESSEX CULINARY RESORT & SPA announced the name of its new executive chef: CALEB LARA. Lara, who moved to Vermont for the job, grew up in San Diego, attended the Culinary Institute of America in Hyde Park, N.Y., and has worked at fine restaurants along New England’s Atlantic coast. In his new role at the Essex, he gets to “oversee the whole culinary program,” he said. That includes creating menus for the resort’s restaurants: the TAVERN, which is casual, and JUNCTION, which is upscale. Lara’s first new menu for the latter will hit tables in early February.
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NEW EXECUTIVE CHEF AT THE ESSEX CULINARY RESORT & SPA
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COURTESY OF ESSEX CULINARY RESORT & SPA
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rotisserie. Offered in a pita or shrak flatbread wrap, the sandwich comes with lettuce, tomatoes, onions, pickles and garlic mayonnaise. “It’s a very popular food in Iraq,” Aref said. Mr. Shawarma also offers a range of other Middle Eastern fare, such as hummus, tabbouleh, falafel, baba ghanoush and stuffed grape leaves. Shawarma platters include meat and a choice of sides. Business has been very good since the restaurant’s opening, according to Aref. “It’s amazing,” he said. “It seems like people know
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1/15/18 10:33 AM