DEARBORN — Habib’s Cuisine Restaurant and Banquet Center held its grand opening celebration on Tuesday, December 1, with guests in attendance ranging from Dearborn Mayor Jack O’Reilly to city council members and other community leaders.

Guests mingled and listened to dedication speeches while enjoying a buffet featuring some of the cuisine that made co-owner and chef Habib Bazzi famous for his work at Dearborn’s Bint Jebail Cultural Center.

Bazzi said it’s always been his dream to create a restaurant to go with Bint Jebail, and now he has it in a beautifully remodeled building on a large, centrally located lot near Dearborn City Hall that features ample parking and one of the most elegant settings in the city.

The building has gone by several different names in the past including City Tavern and Dmitri’s, but Bazzi has his sights on making it his home for years to come.

“Chef Habib’s food is so popular in the community, and people would always ask him when he was going to open a restaurant,” said Sam Baydoun, co-owner of Habib’s.

“Now that the restaurant is open, people can enjoy his food on a daily basis.”

Bazzi will run Habib’s Cuisine along with his wife Nadia and Baydoun while still working and cooking for Bint Jebail, which is just a few minutes down the road.

The menu features all of the Mediterranean food favorites along with other classics like juicy steaks and fresh coldwater seafood specialties like lobster tail, colossal shrimp and New Zealand salmon.

Dearborn Heights 20th district Judge David Turfe, center, at a complimentary buffet during Habib’s grand opening.

Gourmet pizzas cooked in Habib’s specialty oven with fresh toppings along with slow-roasted rotisserie chicken also seem destined to become popular menu items.
O’Reilly was impressed with both the setting and the quality of the food at the grand opening.

“First off, the food is excellent,” O’Reilly said. “There are a lot of great restaurants in East Dearborn but this is one that will fill a gap. The facility is looking as good as it ever has.”

O’Reilly said that Habib’s banquet room and conference center was strongly needed in the area, and Baydoun and Bazzi are excited about the area’s potential to bring in customers for smaller gatherings than the ones typically held at Bint Jebail such as birthday parties, baby and bridal showers, business meetings, and others. The area holds up to 250 people and features its own bathrooms so guests can keep their get-togethers private.

“We have not spared any expense when we re-designed this facility,” Baydoun said. “Our main goal is to serve and offer the highest quality of food and service in a family and/or business atmosphere.”

From crystal chandeliers to cultured stones inside the main dining room and the olive branch artwork under Habib’s name on the main sign, the restaurant exudes a warm, comfortable, and elegant quality that Bazzi and Baydoun hope will endear it to the Dearborn community and beyond.

And if the response is anything like what Bazzi received from his work with Bint Jebail, his dream should remain a reality for years to come.

Members of the Detroit Association of Grocery Manufacturer’s Representatives pose with Detroit Mayor Dave Bing at the group’s 82nd annual trade dinner Tuesday.

Group honors restaurants, food retailers
The Detroit Association of Grocery Manufacturer’s Representatives, an affiliate of the Michigan Food and Beverage Association (MFBA), held its 82nd Annual Trade Dinner on Tuesday, December 1 at The Atheneum Hotel next to Fishbones Restaurant in Greektown in Detroit.

The MFBA, whose president is Arab American and editor-in-chief of Corp! Magazine Edward Deeb, welcomed Detroit Mayor Dave Bing to speak at the event about his plans and vision for Detroit.

Bing told the gathered crowd that he planned to make the city more attractive to businesses and thanked them for their loyalty to the city before awards were presented.

The Retailer of the Year Award went to Hiller’s Markets, which is headquartered in Southfield. President James Hiller accepted the award. Wholesaler of the Year went to Sherwood Foods of Detroit, with President Earl Isbia accepting. Restaurateur of the Year went to Mat Prentice’s restaurant group of Bingham Farms and a special award was also presented to Susan Selasky of the Detroit Free Press for the Distinguished Service Award in food journalism.