2008 Woodie Awards
Shish owner Leo Judeh values quality food and welcoming atmosphere
By: Ellie Craig
Issue date: 9/28/07 Section: Features
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Leo Judeh and his new bride, Beth, never thought they would be opening a restaurant the day they saw a "For Lease" sign in the window at 1668 Grand Ave.
"We had been married two days and were walking to Dunn Brothers to get a coffee before our honeymoon when we saw the sign," Judeh said. "We knew this would be our honeymoon."
Judeh came to the United States to box in the 1996 Olympics. He eventually moved from Atlanta to San Francisco, where his brothers owned two restaurants, and finally ended up in St. Paul.
Shish opened a little over a year ago. Judeh immediately liked the vibe of the Macalester-Groveland neighborhood and had noticed a lack of Middle Eastern restaurants and cafés in the Twin Cities.
Judeh's commitment to good food is nothing less than passionate. In an interview, he spoke of the meaning and ritual that were attached to food in his home.
When guests came, he said, hosts had to cook an elaborate meal for them. Turkish coffee was a staple, but was served differently for different occasions: sweet at weddings, medium-sweet for guests, and bitter for deaths.
Of course, things at home have changed for the worse since Judeh left.
"Home is a sad place right now," he said. "People there aren't living well."
Hesitant to discuss politics, but always one to think about good food, Judeh discussed food as emblematic of conflict in the Middle East.
"Falafel is neither Israeli nor Palestinian," he said. "No one should claim food."
"Lebanon and Syria are like Wisconsin and Minnesota," he said.
His advice for people in the Middle East: "Live, love, and eat in peace instead of fighting."
Inspired by the Middle Eastern cafés and restaurants of the Bay Area and his home of Jerusalem, Judeh set out to a create a café where people could come and relax, eat home-cooked food, and feel as if they were part of a community.
"The whole point of opening this restaurant is to present a culture," he said. "Food is a great way to communicate."
"We had been married two days and were walking to Dunn Brothers to get a coffee before our honeymoon when we saw the sign," Judeh said. "We knew this would be our honeymoon."
Judeh came to the United States to box in the 1996 Olympics. He eventually moved from Atlanta to San Francisco, where his brothers owned two restaurants, and finally ended up in St. Paul.
Shish opened a little over a year ago. Judeh immediately liked the vibe of the Macalester-Groveland neighborhood and had noticed a lack of Middle Eastern restaurants and cafés in the Twin Cities.
Judeh's commitment to good food is nothing less than passionate. In an interview, he spoke of the meaning and ritual that were attached to food in his home.
When guests came, he said, hosts had to cook an elaborate meal for them. Turkish coffee was a staple, but was served differently for different occasions: sweet at weddings, medium-sweet for guests, and bitter for deaths.
Of course, things at home have changed for the worse since Judeh left.
"Home is a sad place right now," he said. "People there aren't living well."
Hesitant to discuss politics, but always one to think about good food, Judeh discussed food as emblematic of conflict in the Middle East.
"Falafel is neither Israeli nor Palestinian," he said. "No one should claim food."
"Lebanon and Syria are like Wisconsin and Minnesota," he said.
His advice for people in the Middle East: "Live, love, and eat in peace instead of fighting."
Inspired by the Middle Eastern cafés and restaurants of the Bay Area and his home of Jerusalem, Judeh set out to a create a café where people could come and relax, eat home-cooked food, and feel as if they were part of a community.
"The whole point of opening this restaurant is to present a culture," he said. "Food is a great way to communicate."
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