Take a quick think with me about the food scene on the Avenue, what do you picture?  A juicy post night-out falafel from Aladdin’s most likely, or perchance a bubbling Boba tea to fuel that late night pre-Chem. You may not consider just how special it is to have so many great family options available to us within a 5 mile/minute radius of school. 

Next time you’re jaunting down The Ave with five extra minutes to kill, take a stop to ponder about the connections through our neighborhood. For one, consider the plethora of Mediterranean restaurants we really do have. Almost everything is Shawarma or gyro and it’s interesting to think about the stories behind these establishments. 

And sure, there’s always the hype about places like Raising Cane’s and Hey Bagel coming to The Ave, which I am too, but I think it’s equally important to celebrate the authentic food, businesses and people already here. How uncommon is it for a place like the University of Washington to have such GOOD food so nearby? 

These questions, about more than just food but the interlocking connections on University Way, we hope to answer in this series. 

With these newsletters, we plan to do a deeper investigation into the roots of the district, the story behind the grab-and-go businesses, the dusty brew pubs, in the age-old barber shops.

Who is the U District? 

Let’s find out!  ...Our First Stop:

Cedars of Lebanon - The Sturdy Heart of the U District

In the heart of the U District, grows the sturdiest tree in the Pacific Northwest. At 43rd and University Way, across from the reliable link light rail stop sits the lovable, creaky , quirky cornerstone of The Ave: Cedars of Lebanon. Not to be confused with its fellow Indian counterpart of the same name, Cedars of Lebanon is a storied restaurant with roots as sturdy and old as its namesake. 

Little did you know it’s the self-proclaimed oldest ‘restaurant’ on the Avenue. If Cafe Allegro is the oldest coffee house, this is the Lebanese equivalent. 

Slow Food? The Ave? 

Cedars also makes up the heart of Little Lebanon in the University District. 

A wander down The Ave will have you face-to-face with an overwhelming assortment of authentic international options. But this quaint corner of The Ave, perhaps surprisingly, is home to a variety of businesses that take it slow. Besides Cedars, across the way is Samir’s and next-door is Kai’s Thai Eatery, all have mastered the art of a home-cooked meal. 

These restaurants are the spots for the locals. Steeped in tradition, and serving their food in the slow, simple pleasures of our life’s treasured way. 

So take a break from your regular takeaway, and come take it slow and steady with Cedars of Lebanon. 

The History, A Local Haunt: 

“Ah I gotta pay you. Can’t forget that.” says one Cedars local. 

Cedar's claim to fame is it’s the oldest Middle Eastern restaurant in Seattle. 

The owner, John Kahlil came here in 1974, after a speedy Lebanon exit. He got lucky that he didn’t have to wait long to come to the US, 

“We've been coming for three months, we've been coming every day, every day, and we just, you know, keep trying. So I went down there on Friday and I put my application in and Friday, Saturday, Sunday, Monday, they told me you're ready to go.” 

“I asked her, ‘Are you crazy?’ All these people, they're waiting for 23 months. How come me right away? "

“He said, you're a lucky man. Well where I'm going. He said, you got accepted at Seattle, Washington. I told him, is that a desert over there? 
Because they took so fast? He said, no, no, no, you're gonna love it.” 

His luck only got better here. Khalil says it was the cheapest place around, (but apparently everything was cheap then) and he scooped up the property. 

Since then, Khalil has been paying it forward with that luck. Watching the world go by from his corner, he’s seen the whole neighborhood blossom. But Cedar’s remains that constant, sturdy ‘heart’ of The Ave. 

“I love Lebanon and I love the United States. Both are my countries.”

“I came here to create a family. When you’re young you don’t have enough money to make a family, you have to survive. I’ve made my family now.” says Kahlil. 

The Place: 

And it’s worked. Just like Khalil dreamed, Cedars is the essential family spot.

It’s a hidden nest, all decked out in green with faded airline posters of Beirut, a Lebanese pastoral mural and photos that have been here since the 1970s. Middle Eastern pop music plays quietly in the background. The door is a little creaky, the floors are a little sticky, but it’s home.

Things don’t change in Cedars, but Khalil likes it that way. 

The Food: 

Since the beginning, Khalil has been committed to keeping his customers full and happy–but these are college students we’re talking about, with college budgets to match. 

In 1980, six years after they opened, you could count on a filling meal from Cedars for under $10. 

“Samir’s lentil soup, a family recipe” was a whopping $1.25 and a shish kebab was $3.75. You could feed the whole happy clan for just $6.50, with the complete baba ganoush meal. 

Khalil still keeps his prices low. Cedars' prices are almost as cheap as a Dick’s burger. There are no Evergreens’ prices here, with salads at $8.75, and the combination meal at a whopping $14.95. 

Indulge in the Cedar Special as well, for some Narnia-inspired baklava and a coffee at just $6.75. 

The sandwich is here to go and is prepared freshly with no dairy additives. Cedars is our very own Mediterranean Subway, but with a fresher experience. And just like Subway, they even now offer breakfast. 

“Build your own sandwich. If we have it, you got it!” read the ads. 

John says he makes the falafel from scratch, and his son Nino says sometimes it can take a while. Nino is another staple of Cedars–and he and his brother helped maintain the family business day and night.

“He’s the best Nino in town," says John. “Maybe the only.” 

The Stories:

The sturdiness of Cedars of Lebanon is the strength of the relationships that Khalil creates with his customers, and once you start coming to Cedars, you won’t stop coming back. Khalil says he has many stories, with his favorite one from an anniversary party. A local turned regular, her family surprised her on her anniversary by cramming the place up. 

“
We have no place to sit down. I told her why don't go and I'll fix you up. She opened the door and everybody was screaming.” says Khalil. 

She thought the restaurant was packed, but Khalil promised that she would get some food. Welcoming her in, he surprised her with her family and friends, who were all there waiting to celebrate. 

Besides a celebration spot, a trip to Cedars is also a ritual. 

On my visit to Cedars, I got to witness a family tradition. A dad and son were taking their weekly lunch break, 

“I always come here when I visit my son. This is the University of Washington for me, I’ve lived here for 30 years and seen The Ave change but Cedars has always stayed the same."

“So many people come everyday. They always come back.” says Khalil. 

Who wouldn’t, to a jolly grin like that? 

What students are saying: 

As I was walking back from Cedars, I bumped into two students walking home. I pondered what they thought about slow versus fast food on The Ave, and if they had ever considered the local places. 

“Do you ever really consider the food here to be of value as more than just like fast food or no?” I said. 

“Um, I would say that at least specifically on The Ave, it's more fast food.” 

“
Have you ever considered, like, one of the oldest businesses, or do you think about that when you're making, like a dinner, like choice or no?”

“No. Not at all.”

That seems to be an unfortunate perspective of university students. For one anonymous student, Cedars was his first time even trying something other than takeout food on The Ave.

The Roots: 

As you likely know, Cedars isn't the only good Lebanese food spot. 

The University District is mostly made up of totally independent, family run businesses. Many of these businesses have been around for generations, and next time you’re jaunting down The Ave with five extra minutes to kill, take a stop to ponder just how many Mediterranean restaurants we really do have. 

Even some of the most popular businesses, like Thai Tom are independently owned. 

You may be also surprised that even businesses that may appear to be connected, like Chili’s and its counterpart Chili mart, are actually separate entities entirely.

And while you may expect there to be competition between these independently owned businesses, owners at multiple restaurants agree that there isn’t. 

Fun Fact: The Gyro Girl: 

Another fun fact, Samir says that every Greek restaurant in the city is tied together by one thing. 

Feeling like you’re being stalked by Mona Lisa or Dr. Sam? 

Well you might sort of be. 

Samir shares a secret, there’s another thing that ties all the Lebanese businesses together. On your next traverse into Seattle or wherever you call home be sure to be on the lookout for the euro girl. 

Khalil says you can see her ‘from here to Europe’.

Although I’m not sure he’s right, I stopped by Sultan Giro’s Grill and Shawarma and didn’t see the girl there. Neither did I at the Mediterranean grill. 

However, here’s a fun Easter egg for you. 

As a part of the advertising initiatives for Mediterranean restaurants, the companies always send over a promotional flyer. A pop into the Gyro restaurants on The Ave will give you a fun game of hide and seek.

You in the U District: A Reflection 

As we go into the upcoming year, consider ways to support our very own University Way. We want to live in a community that supports and fosters businesses like Cedars. 

I know just as well as you that it’s so easy to just grab food out with your friends while en route to something else, but if we want to breathe life back into the Ave, we need to support these businesses where we stop, sit and ponder. So take a minute at Cedars for a baklava, and give Khalil a smile. Listen to the cozy conversations of locals and maybe ask Khalil his own. Who knows, you might just find yourself becoming a local.