Loco for Poco

Labib Hajjar takes pride in a plate of hummus, tabbouli and fatoosh

Hajjar family offers Toledo quality cuisine for more than 30 years

by Rick Claypool

published November 8th 2006

Elias Hajjar unloads several large, white boxes from a 24-foot truck parked along the curb in Levis Commons. A young guy sporting a heavy jacket and baseball cap, the new restaurant owner sees no need to hire a mover to unload the kitchen supplies. In a nearby restaurant space (formerly Red River Restaurant), interior designer Joe Marconi directs construction around an immense brick oven. Inside, the sunlight is dimmed by window coverings that read: "Poco Piatti Coming Soon!"

Elias is continuing his family's legacy of presenting outstanding Mediterranean food to the Toledo area. "I want to bring it south of the river," says the son of Labib Hajjar, chief chef and owner of The Beirut and the original Poco Piatti at 5333 Monroe St.

"Young families are looking for good, affordable, family friendly restaurants," Elias says. From Poco Piatti, they can expect all of the above.

Toledoans have been hooked on the traditional recipes the Hajjars brought from Lebanon since the 1970s. A soft-spoken gentleman with a salt-and-pepper moustache, Labib Hajjar prefers to let the food speak for itself. But get him going and he swells with pride at the praise he's received from celebrities like Jamie Foxx and Ralph Nader (who eats at The Beirut everytime he's in Toledo) not to mention numerous Toledoans and visitors who come all the way from Detroit for his restaurant.

In 1974, Labib planned on returning to Lebanon to work with his family's orchards after finishing his Agriculture degree at Western Michigan University. Then the Lebanese Civil War broke out, and he decided to stick around Lake Erie West and try his hand at a culinary career.

"I like to joke that I couldn't find a job, so I opened a bakery," says Labib Hajjar.

"In 1977, we opened The Beirut. Then in 1985, we moved to this (Monroe St.) location, and tripled our size – and our head-aches," Hajjar jokes.

As time went on, Labib noticed that guests often ordered numerous side dishes like grape leaves, feta with olives and hummus to share with each other. The communal goodwill of sharing meal portions inspired Labib, and in 2002, Poco Piatti was born. Meaning "small plates" in Italian, the new restaurant highlighted appetizer portions of Mediterranean fare, including dishes from Italy, Greece and, of course, Lebanon.

Recently, Labib has expanded his own business to include The Kitchen at the Beirut. A deli specializing in sit-down and takeout lunch orders, The Kitchen offers a myriad of ready-to-go dishes. Its smooth, creamy hummus ($6) is great on pita bread or with vegetables, while the rich, less tangy baba ghannouj ($6), with its eggplant and olive undertones, is impossible to put down. The fresh tabbouli ($6) is undeniably green, minty and crisp.

Additional lunch fare includes sizzling Lebanese pizzas ($7-$9.50, plus toppings), chicken kabob sandwiches ($6), mortadella (ham) or turkey paninis ($3.75) and grape leaves ($7).

The new Levis Commons restaurant will feature a number of larger-portioned "Piatti Grande" dishes including lamb shank osso buco with saffron risotto ($12.95) and hazelnut tapenade crusted salmon with rice and roast pepper sauce ($10.95).

Poco Piatti at Levis Commons opens Monday, Nov. 13 at 3155 Chappel Dr., Perrysburg. (419) 931-0281. 11:30 a.m.-10 p.m. Monday-Thursday, 11:30 a.m.-11 p.m. Friday and Saturday, 4-9 p.m. Sunday.