HH_061418

More documents

Recommendations

Info

18 | June 14, 2018 | The Homer Horizon homer glen homerhorizon.com Brought to you by THE HOMER HORIZON
homerhorizon.com dining out the Homer Horizon | June 14, 2018 | 19 The Dish Grapevine evolves into Orland’s go-to Middle Eastern catering spot Bill Jones, Managing Editor It is a Saturday afternoon in the middle of Ramadan, and despite already being two weeks into a schedule that has seen her starting at 7 a.m. and working till roughly 8 p.m. every day, which she will continue to do through Saturday, June 16, Grapevine Foods owner Laila Maali seems relaxed. She has a smile on her face. A family enters the business June 2, and they exchange a familiar greeting in Arabic. Another couple walks through the doors, and they exchange pleasantries in English. Maali seems almost too at ease for someone who has nine full, stuffed lambs roasting in her ovens in the back, along with a jampacked grill constantly turning out steak, chicken and kifta kabobs; trays upon trays of salads lining the cooler to complement the meats; and still some customers just coming in for fatayer (pies) filled with the likes of chicken, vegetables and cheese. But she has done this before. She has been doing it for 14 years, to be exact. And her family and staff provide an incredible support system behind the counter, in the kitchen and at the front of the grocery store. “I’m blessed with hardworking people,” she said. Maali, who made a home with her family just down 143rd Street in large part to raise her five children in a town with good schools, opened Grapevine at 14402 John Humphrey Drive in Orland Park in 2004 with just one oven and no clear idea of what it might become. “Everyone said, ‘Your food is so good; you should open a place,’” Maali recalled. “I didn’t know what to expect. … We started with a few coolers, and people loved the food.” The space offers items like hummus ($3.99), tabouleh salad ($3.99) and warak dawali (stuffed grape leaves, $5.99) in smaller portions, along with a “small” shish kabob plate ($12.99) that easily serves two with a combination of grilled steak, kifta (seasoned ground beef) and chicken, with grilled tomato, onion and green pepper, served on a bed of rice. And the pies ($1.85 each) remain a favorite of those looking to grab something quickly and hit the road. But Grapevine has since expanded its kitchen twice and outgrown classifications like Middle Eastern bakery or grocery store. Catering has become the biggest part of the business, as evidenced by how much of the store space has been overtaken by aluminum pans, trays and lids. Customers are more likely to order a tabouleh salad on the 16-inch tray ($29.99), and even at $299 or $349 a pop with rice or grape leaves, respectively, the whole stuffed lamb — with bread, Jerusalem salad, cucumber yogurt salad, hummus and a large tray of rice mixed with ground beef and almonds — sales are limited only by oven capacity at Grapevine. Still, Maali said little has truly changed. “It just got busier,” she said. “It took a few years … but now, thank God, it’s great.” In fact, Maali said this year has been the busiest Ramadan she ever has experienced. She and her staff Grapevine Foods 14402 John Humphrey Drive in Orland Park Regular Hours • 9 a.m.-7 p.m.. Monday-Saturday • 9 a.m.-6 p.m. Sunday For more information … Web: grapevineorlandpark. com Phone: (708) 403-7100 start preparing the food while many Muslims fast from sunrise to sundown, so that it is ready for area families when they are ready to feast at night. She estimates Grapevine has been feeding 500-600 people daily with the amount of food it is selling. And the only reason that number is not higher is the kitchen is operating at capacity, and she has had to turn away orders. Maali said she enjoys the rush for Ramadan. While the fasting associated with the holy month gets the most attention, Ramadan also is about feeding others. So, Maali feels like her business plays an important role in the holy month. And despite being in the business for more than a decade, she does not seem to be tiring of the food service industry. “It’s something to get you out of the house,” she said. Grapevine is getting customers out of their houses, too. The popularity of Mediterranean diets have helped, without a doubt, and Maali said vegans have found something to like in the grilled vegetable kabobs and hummus. But many customers are likely returning for simpler reasons. “We make them fresh daily,” Maali said of the Owner Laila Maali sits inside Grapevine Foods in Orland Park during the middle of Ramadan, which has seen the kitchen operating at capacity for catering. Photos by Bill Jones/22nd Century Media Pictured is a 16-inch tabouleh salad tray ($29.99) that is among the catering offerings at Grapevine. items on her menu. “We use the best ingredients. That’s what keeps people coming: the quality.” Maali said she plans to close for a week following Ramadan to give her employees a paid break for their hard work, but she looks forward to serving Orland Park again when the spot reopens.
Page 1 and 2: Grant talk Administration & Finance
Page 3 and 4: homerhorizon.com news the Homer Hor
Page 7 and 8: decided in my heart [nursing] wasn
Page 11 and 12: homerhorizon.com homer glen the Hom
Page 13 and 14: ® homerhorizon.com Sound off the H
Page 15 and 16: the homer horizon | June 14, 2018 |
Page 17: homerhorizon.com life & arts the Ho
Page 22 and 23: 22 | June 14, 2018 | The Homer Hori
Page 38 and 39: 38 36 | June 14, 2018 | The Homer o
Page 40: homer glen’s Hometown Newspaper |

HH_061418

You also want an ePaper? Increase the reach of your titles

Delete template?

Save as template?