Zeitouna plans July opening in Mesa with Lebanese and regional dishes

Zeitouna is scheduled to open in July at 3515 S. Ellsworth Road in Mesa. The family run restaurant will serve Lebanese food with dishes from Iraq, Syria, southern Turkey, Greece and nearby parts of the region.

Zeitouna is planned for a July debut in Mesa at 3515 S. Ellsworth Road, on the northeast corner of Ellsworth and Elliot roads. The restaurant is family run and is being built as a sit down option for East Valley diners who want Lebanese food and dishes from nearby parts of the Middle East.

Ninos Lazar is leading the project with several family members, including his daughter Sabrina, his son Robin, and Robin's wife. Lazar was born in Iraq and is Assyrian, and he has spent years working in food. The restaurant idea came after a family trip that included time in Lebanon and after the family sold earlier businesses.

The menu is expected to cover Lebanon, Syria, Palestine, Iraq, southern Turkey, and a small part of Greece. Planned dishes include Iraqi grilled fish cooked over an open flame, Adana kebab from southern Turkey, and traditional Lebanese plates.

The dining room is planned as a place for dinners, dates, birthdays, anniversaries, and other gatherings rather than a quick pickup counter. The restaurant will have wine and liquor, including wines from Lebanon and Greece, and the design is meant to make the room feel connected to Lebanon.

Zeitouna means olive in Arabic. For Lazar's family, the name points to olive oil's role in Middle Eastern cooking and to the peace symbol of the olive branch. Opening updates are expected through the restaurant's Instagram account as July approaches.