Raja Mediterranean Food & Sweets preserves Lebanese culinary traditions in Cy-Fair
Growing up in Lebanon, Azmi Alwan said it was a custom for his family to sit down and have at least one meal together a day. As the oldest of nine siblings, Alwan often helped his mother prepare a large spread of Mediterranean dishes for dinner. After moving to the United States, Alwan turned what started as a family tradition into his passion, with his own restaurant, Raja Mediterranean Food & Sweets, which opened in 2018 in Cy-Fair.
What's special about it? At Raja Mediterranean Food & Sweets, Alwan mission is to offer quality Mediterranean dishes at an affordable price. The restaurant is for anyone looking for rich and flavorful Mediterranean dishes with vegetarian options as well as halal meats.
On the menu: With dishes made from scratch including its sauces and naan bread, the beef and lamb gyro is amongst the restaurant's favorites. Other favorites include the chicken shawarma wrap, a Lebanese sandwich, vegetarian platter and Mediterranean fries.
FOODIE FRIDAY Check out these new restaurants and bars opening across the Houston area.
Aki Sushi and Asian Fusion opened its doors in Manvel in September. Nestled in Manvel Town Center, the family-owned restaurant serves steak and sushi that is made fresh daily, as previously reported by Community Impact. At the restaurant, customers can choose from a variety of sushi, including popular items such as spicy tuna rolls, shaggy dog rolls and California rolls. Additionally, Aki Sushi and Asain Fusion offers bento boxes, rice and noodle dishes, hibachi, nigiri and sashimi.
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Owner Letty Martinez said she has plans to open The Taco Shop in Humble this fall.
Martinez said The Taco Shop will offer authentic Mexican breakfast options and will be located two doors away from her other restaurant, Letty’s Authentic Mexican Cocina.
“Letty’s usually opens at 11 a.m. so I wanted to open a restaurant to offer breakfast,” Martinez said.
Thousands of Texas businesses barred from selling THC to customers under 21
Many Texas retailers can no longer sell consumable THC products to customers under 21 years old after the Texas Alcoholic Beverage Commission approved two emergency rules Sept. 23.
The overview: The new rules, which were drafted after Gov. Greg Abbott issued a Sept. 10 executive order requesting tighter THC regulations, apply only to retailers that sell alcohol. The rules state that businesses may not sell, serve or deliver consumable hemp products to minors and must check all customers' IDs before selling them THC products.
Zooming in: About 60,000 Texas businesses hold TABC licenses and will be prohibited from selling THC products to minors. Those businesses include bars, restaurants, liquor stores, grocery stores and some convenience stores.
However, the rule does not apply to THC retailers that do not sell alcohol or have a TABC license, such as smoke shops, gas stations or online sellers. The TABC and the Texas Department of State Health Services are working to determine how to best enforce age restrictions for THC retailers that do not sell alcohol, agency spokespeople said.
