DEPARTMENTS C H E F ’ S T A B L E
SASSOOL
YOUR KITCHEN AWAY FROM HOME BY KATIE JANSEN | PHOTOS BY BRIAN MULLINS PHOTOGRAPHY (unless otherwise noted)
M
ounir Saleh grew up in
throughout the Triangle today. He was
with his daughters—and new business
Lebanon watching his mother,
tasked with helping his mother develop her
partners. “It was a dream for me that my
Cecilia Saleh, cook. She was a
dishes, which she cooked by instinct and
kids wanted to work with me,” he says.
famed cook in her village and,
feeling, into recipes that could be included in
“I couldn’t have done this without the
a cookbook for others to replicate.
support of my daughters; it’s theirs as
for her, preparing food wasn’t only about eating, but also about caring for her family, showing her love and sharing her culture. Although he always had a close
That close working relationship with his mother made him realize that he wanted to continue in the restaurant industry.
relationship with her and admired her for
However, he didn’t decide to open his own
her talents in the kitchen, it wasn’t until
restaurant until he was approached by his
adulthood that he realized he would carry
daughters with an offer he couldn’t refuse.
on her legacy—not only making it his
Sisters Noelle Saleh and Simone Lawson
livelihood, but also passing her passion
both studied business at North Carolina
down to another generation of the family.
State University, and were also very familiar with the restaurant industry, having started
EXTENDING A LEGACY
working at Neomonde when they were
Saleh’s first foray into the restaurant
15 years old. They approached Saleh and
industry was at Neomonde, which his family
asked if they could work with him. In 2011,
opened in 1977—first as a bakery, then as
he had sold his share in Neomonde to his
a deli, and eventually as the full-fledged
brothers after 35 years of being in business
Mediterranean restaurant well-known
with them, ready to start a new chapter
much as mine,” he says proudly. Opening a new restaurant also gave Saleh the opportunity to pay homage to his mother, where his interest in cooking Lebanese food began. He opened the restaurant’s doors in North Raleigh in 2011, and on Mother’s Day in 2014 rebranded it after a cherished childhood nickname Cecilia had been given by her father: “Sassool.” “We want her to know that her impact and contribution will be known for generations to come,” Saleh says. Cecilia’s legacy continues to grow. Sassool’s North Raleigh location experienced so much success that the family decided to open a second restaurant in Cary four years later. Now 94, Cecilia still advises Saleh on how dishes should taste— telling him whether something needs more of a certain spice or less lemon—when he brings her food from the restaurant during his visits. For Simone and Noelle, their grandmother is also a huge source of inspiration. Noelle describes the feeling they strive to create at Sassool as “completely welcoming, like walking into your grandmother’s house.” To that end, both locations recently underwent renovations and received a redecoration that provides a higher degree of comfort with cozy nooks, and cultural connections via photos of Cecilia’s native Lebanon.
FEEDING 400-PLUS DAILY To succeed in running two restaurants Sisters Simone Lawson and Noelle Saleh 76 | caryliving.com
each day, the Saleh family divides labor in a way that makes working together fun.
