For tasty Lebanese food in a casual, yet welcoming, atmosphere, head to Ameera Mediterranean Bistro in Sylvania. Located on South Main Street about ½ mile from downtown, in an unpretentious strip mall with plenty of parking, Ameera’s offers a variety of Mediterranean dining options that cover everything you would expect, and much more.
As soon as you enter the door, the booming friendly voice of the proprietor, host and chef, Nick Chamoun, welcomes you. Chamoun is involved in every aspect of this delightful eatery. A long-time and well-known chef in the area, he not only prepares the food, but also seats you and takes your order from the many wonderful choices you’ll find on the menu.
A restaurant built on the strength of family
“A good, strong family is built on a foundation of pride, love and tradition. A good quality dining establishment is built on those same principles,” Chamoun explains.
Those standards of excellence are rooted in the Chamoun family culture of meal preparation from Chamoun’s grandmother, Ameera, for whom the restaurant is named. Chamoun says Ameera means “Princess” and his grandmother was the strength of the family, passing on her passion for delicious recipes with pride in the Lebanese tradition.
Chamoun wants customers to feel like family so that once they have visited they will keep coming back.
Ameera’s menu — healthy and fresh
It may take some time to review the entire menu as it features an extensive array of fresh and traditional Mediterranean staples. To get you started, Ameera offers a healthy selection of appetizers, including hummus, grape leaves, falafel and kibbi or lightly fried cauliflower florets (just one of many vegetarian or gluten free offerings served here).
For the hearty appetite, the shish tawook with rice, vermicelli and pine nuts is popular, as are the delicious Mediterranean lamb chops. Another favorite on the menu is Ameera’s Favorite Combo plate, a generous blend of shish kabob, shish tawook and beef kafta on a bed of rice with green beans.
In addition, there are plenty of choices for salads, soups, rolled pitas, pita pitza, and you can finish your dining experience here with a tempting treat of Mediterranean desserts sure to please the palate, including baklava, cheesecakes or rice pudding.
Whatever you choose from this banquet of menu choices, Chamoun says you can be assured they use only the freshest ingredients for every dish that comes out of the kitchen. Ameera is truly a “Princess” among Toledo area dining options.
Ameera’s Mediterranean Bistro, 5127 Main St., Sylvania. (419) 517-9999.