Issue link: https://www.ifoldsflip.com/i/945915
H usband and wife Adeeb and Jamie Karam opened Scotts Valley restaurant Cafe Hanna, which serves what they've named Greek Fusion cuisine, in 2015. It's a family affair in many ways. Adeeb's mother was a successful restaurateur (San Jose's Mimo's Café, three Zorba the Greek restaurants in Palo Alto, Mountain View and San Jose). Café Hanna is named after Adeeb and Jamie's now-12-year-old daughter. Each family member plays a role in the restaurant. Officially, Adeeb is co-owner/chef and Jamie is co-owner/managing partner. "I recreate the food I saw my grandmother and mother create growing up, and Jamie makes sure the place runs smoothly," Adeeb says. "We both complement the other in making sure everything gets done." Even the kids are involved: 14-year-old Zeuz, a freshman at SV High School, is in charge of "website improvements and other high-tech stuff," says Adeeb. Hanna, in sixth grade at SV Middle School, sometimes helps at the register. "She loves to answer the phone and say 'Cafe Hanna, this is Hanna,' while our six-year-old son Seamus—a first-grader at Vine Hill Elementary—is our number one food tester." The Karams are committed to serving their customers fresh food that is delicious, of superior quality and unique. "Our wraps are served on Sangak bread (sourced from two bakeries, one in L.A. and one in San Jose), a flatbread that is not normally used due to its high cost, but we find it is the most flavorful," shares Adeeb. The baked goods, such as the Rhodes Rolls, are recipes from Adeeb's grandmother. "Even the items that are well known, such as Baklava and Falafel, we prepare in ways that are different from anyone else," Adeeb says. For example, they grind spices fresh for Falafel, and add pine nuts to the pistachio to give the Baklava a richer flavor. Customers can definitely taste these differences, and come back for more. Everything on Café Hanna's menu is something that is a favorite food in their family. "In order to make authentic Mediterranean food, we prepare almost everything from scratch," says Adeeb. They soak beans for the hummus, make their own Greek yogurt for sauces and hand- shred the cabbage instead of buying it pre-shredded in a bag. Every day that the restaurant is open, Adeeb grills the tri-tip, lamb and chicken for Souvlaki in the morning on a BBQ on Café Hanna's front porch. He cooks the meat with his own twist: "I use Southern style barbecue with Mediterranean herbs and spices." The most popular dish at Café Hanna wasn't on the menu when the restaurant first opened, but customer demand and creativity caused the "Falafelicious" to be born. It's a combination of two wraps on the menu: the chicken Souvlaki wrap and the falafel wrap. It includes refreshing, tangy Lemanos salad (chopped cabbage, herbs, tomatoes, avocados and housemade lemon ginger dressing), housemade Tzatziki and creamy, flavorful hummus. Rhodes Rolls, another popular dish, features "thrice-cooked chicken." Karam first roasts chicken; then he sautés it with caramelized onions, olive oil and Mediterranean spices, rolls it in housemade flatbread, and bakes it. It's served as three rolls (once you take a bite, you'll be very happy there are three!) with hummus and housemade Greek-style olive-oil-based hot sauce. With all of Café Hanna's wraps, customers can order them in Sangak bread or choose to have the fillings served over Lemanos salad. Several vegan menu choices include eggplant wrap, spanakopita and falafel wrap. They make falafel from scratch in small quantities, grinding garbanzo beans with fresh herbs, peppers and spices. The restaurant's specialty sandwiches and combos include Veganlicious Wrap (people love the contrast of sweet eggplant and spicy falafel) and Naomy Special Platter with falafel balls, hummus, Lemanos and chicken Souvlaki. Naomy is the daughter in a family that's been regular customers since Café Hanna opened. The dish, added to the menu in her honor, combines all of Naomy's favorite selections. Menu items geared to kids include Mana-Keesh (flatbread topped with a blend of Greek Feta and Akawai cheeses) and veggie sticks with hummus Homemade desserts include the unusual Zeus Power Sesame Bar (a tasty concoction with sesame seeds, honey, almonds, and pistachios and not very much "added sugar"), Baklava, and Maroutah (a date cookie that has no sugar). Adeeb and Jamie's roots go across the country and the world: Adeeb was born in Jordan, and came to the Bay Area at age 10. His grandmother was Greek, and his grandfather was Syrian. Jamie grew up in Virginia and moved to San Francisco after college. They met in 2000. Since 2008, they have called Scotts Valley home. "Our lives are based here, our children are growing up here, we belong to a local church and gym, and we shop here," says Adeeb. "As a business, we want to make sure that we contribute to making Scotts Valley a wonderful place to live." The restaurant routinely donates food to organizations such as the Friends of the Library, Music in the Park, the Senior Center and local schools. Café Hanna is a small restaurant but it packs a lot of flavor and a great amount of warmth. Adeeb, Jamie and their employees greet customers and answer questions with genuine friendliness. The atmosphere, owners and staff are all down to earth. "We strive to make everyone feel as if they're a guest in our house, rather than a customer of our restaurant." It comes as no surprise that the Scotts Valley Chamber of Commerce recognized Café Hanna as the 2017 Business of the Year. "This was such an honor," says Adeeb." We were truly surprised and humbled to be recognized for giving back to the community who gives so much to us. Since we opened nearly three years ago, we have received so much love, help and encouragement that has added much joy to our lives and made our little venture so worth it." 5272 Scotts Valley Dr., Scotts Valley, 831-708-8845, cafehanna.com Hours: Tuesday through Friday 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. by Tara Fatemi Walker All in the family at Café Hanna photos by Dan Coyro, Santa Cruz Sentinel