Exotic fare becomes the norm downtown

Source: Lansing State Journal
When no one was looking, ethnic food simmered its way into our tastebuds.

Pizza, salsa, bagels and pasta have become as American as, well, a hamburger.

Now, a new generation of restaurateurs is betting that foods as unusual as chicken kebabs seasoned with Middle Eastern spices may be next.

"Even the most American of foods, the hamburger, was originally an ethnic food - German," says

Carl Borchgrevink, associate professor at MSU's School of Hospitality Business. World tastes

Downtown Lansing, including Old Town, offers a variety of ethnic restaurants. Here are some of them, according to the Principal Shopping District:

Athena Cafe, 222 S. Washington Square
Bangkok House, 420 E. Saginaw St.
Byblos Middle Eastern Cuisine, 205 S. Washington Square
Famous Taco, 208 S. Washington Square
Jalapeno's Mexican Restaurante, 307 S. Washington Square
Lamai Thai Eggroll Kitchen, 401 E. Grand River Ave.
New York Burrito, 301 S. Washington Square
Parthenon Restaurant, 227 S. Washington Square
Roma Bakery, 428 N. Cedar St.
Shoua's Kitchen, 333 N. Cedar St.
Sultan's Express, 305 S. Washington Square.
Three Dames Big Little Havana, 311 E. Grand Ave.
Woody's Oasis, 625 E. Michigan Ave.

Downtown Lansing's lunch diners can now choose from Greek, Thai, Middle Eastern, Mexican, Italian and Cuban restaurants. That variety mirrors what is happening all over the area.

"The discussion in the office is always, `Where shall we go today?"' says Cassandra Stamper, a legal assistant who works downtown. "I want something different."

The variety of cuisine means Lansing is catching up to the rest of the country, although slowly, Borchgrevink says.

"The broader Lansing market is very much a `meat-and-potatoes' market," he says. "I see no change in that. Ethnic cuisines play a role but will only be widely successful if they tap into the `meat-and-potatoes' mindset."

Lansing's downtown eateries are trying to earn a place by offering homemade food, Borchgrevink's second criterion for the survival of ethnic food.

"The interesting phenomenon right now is that authenticity is becoming more important," he says."

Authenticity is the goal in Lansing. Many of the small ethnic lunch spots are mom-and-pop places proud to serve family recipes.

"This is homemade food," says Ziad Khoury, who operates Byblos Middle Eastern Cuisine, 205 S. Washington Square.

He and his sister, Laura Khoury, came from Lebanon about three-and-a-half years ago. Laura Khoury, the cook, serves food she would prepare at home for her four children - grape leaves, kibbee, tabouli salad.

The most popular dish is tawook or chicken kebabs. Laura Khoury uses fresh chicken breasts, cuts them in large chunks, marinates them overnight in the Lebanese spices, and grills them on stick kebabs. Kebabs, with rice, hummus and salad, are $6.45. Kelvin Muhammad, a Lansing Community College student originally from Brooklyn, eats at Byblos every day. He never ate Middle Eastern food until he came to Lansing.

"The food is not overseasoned, and it's always homemade that morning," Muhammad says.

At the Athena Family Cafe, 222 S. Washington, Steve Stylianou, owner and chef, says homemade is what diners want.

"We cook everything from scratch," he says. "People now are very conscious about eating food."

Best-selling items on the Athena menu are chicken gyros, lamb gyros and spinach pie. The chicken gyro comes with pita bread and rice pilaf.

Rob Gifford of the Michigan Restaurant Association says ethnic restaurants may be benefiting from the increasing popularity of eating out.

"As more and more people dine out and dine out more regularly, they are more willing to tackle adventures in taste," Gifford says. "Dining out 20 years ago was saved for special events. Now it's a way of life."

When people only dined out a few times a year, they ordered steak and potatoes, he says. Now that Americans eat out an average of 4.2 times a week, they want variety - and surprises.

"We do surprise people with the No. 10," says Jovita Palacio, manager at Famous Taco, 208 S. Washington.

The No. 10 is the Famous Taco, made in a 14-inch tortilla shell that covers a dinner plate and comes with beans, rice, chips and salsa. It costs $6.49.

"That just stuns people," Palacio says, "a taco so big."

Bangkok House, 420 E. Saginaw St. on the northern edge of downtown, serves Thai food. The food can be spicy but its popularity can be traced to its increasing familiarity, Borchgrevink says. "People have traveled and experienced Thai food," he says.

In fact, the National Restaurant Association calls the ethnic food label arbitrary. It also says:

• Types of Italian, Mexican and Cantonese food have become mainstream.
• Since 1994, Italian, Mexican, Sushi, Thai, Caribbean and Middle Eastern food have grown in popularity.
• French, German, Scandinavian and Soul Food restaurants have declined.

Two women opened what they call an authentic Cuban restaurant - Three Dames Big Little Havana - in Old Town at the end of January.

"There are 3,500 Cubans in the population in Lansing," says Paula Marshall, one of the restaurant's founders. "A lot of people like Cuban food. Why not?"

A cold pork sandwich with Mojo sauce and fresh squeezed lime is served with Cuban bread. For those not in the know, the menu offers a glossary, Marshall says. Mojo is an olive oil based sauce with garlic and cumin.

Marshall opened the restaurant Jan. 24 with Carreen Pfeifer.

"My father lived in Miami, and I am familiar with the culture," Marshall says. "I always thought this would be a great venue. It gives an added dimension to Old Town."
Source: Lansing State Journal